Samsung made history at Loftus Versfeld on 29 November, delivering the world’s first stadium crowd cam captured entirely on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The live demonstration formed part of Samsung’s partnership with SA Rugby and the Vodacom URC, and highlighted the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s powerful camera capabilities, reinforcing Samsung’s drive to push mobile innovation forward and elevate the fan experience with world-class technology.
A full-stadium moment powered by a single device
The four-minute activation unfolded during half-time, with the stadium MC inviting supporters to take part by capturing their own selfies from the stands. What followed was a deliberately simple, stadium-wide moment that relied solely on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, from capturing the footage to delivering the final image live to the crowd, in a fully mobile-driven workflow.
A mix of former and current Springboks, including Cameron Hanekom, Jaco Kriel, and Dewland Potgieter, helped set the moment in motion by taking selfies with fans and celebrities on the field, before the Galaxy S25 Ultra swept across the stands in real time. Shooting entirely on-device, the S25 Ultra delivers a DSLR-like experience
With Expert RAW, anyone on the field could shoot like a professional photographer, from ultra-wide crowd scenes to tight telephoto portraits, all captured with crisp, vivid detail. The AI-enhanced ProVisual Engine elevated every shot with intelligent colour and detail enhancement, putting the power of a full studio right in your pocket.
Real-world capability in a live environment
The activation was created to highlight four key strengths of the Galaxy S25 Ultra: its impressive clarity, long-range zoom, low-light performance, and instant sharing. These played out naturally as the device captured the stadium from different distances, angles, and lighting conditions. Using features like 100x Space Zoom, the AI-powered ProVisual Engine, and pro-level tools such as Log Video, the S25 Ultra showed how easily supporters could shoot, view, and edit high-quality content on the spot.
Log Video, in particular, allowed the device to record more detail in highlights and shadows, giving footage a cinematic look without any professional equipment. Instead of being told about the features, fans saw them in action as the phone’s processing and Galaxy AI worked in real time to deliver sharp, vibrant photos and videos.
The front camera played a prominent role, with unedited selfies displayed directly to the crowd, reinforcing the idea that every seat in the stadium is capable of producing a strong, shareable image without any editing or post-production—a reminder that with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, there are “no bad seats” in the house.
A stadium moment that belonged to the supporters
The winning selfie was selected live and transferred immediately to a 7m x 4m LED trailer screen on the field. The speed and clarity of the large-format reveal served as the key proof point for the device’s processing power and imaging quality under pressure and showed how quickly the phone could deliver a final output to a stadium-scale display.
The crowd’s participation proved central to the moment. As the camera moved around the bowl, supporters responded, posed and reacted, turning the segment into a shared stadium experience rather than a passive demonstration. The momentum carried into the Bok Watch Party, where fans continued submitting selfies long after the segment ended.
Strengthening Samsung’s role in South African rugby culture
As part of Samsung’s relationship with SA Rugby and the Vodacom URC, the activation placed the Galaxy S25 Ultra within a familiar matchday ritual: one that reflects the community and collective identity of rugby supporters. By embedding the device into a moment already meaningful to fans, the brand reinforced its commitment to enhancing the live rugby experience through relevant and functional innovation that supporters could experience immediately and directly.
A finale that resonated beyond the stadium
The segment concluded with the on-field handover of a Galaxy S25 Ultra to the winning supporter, closing the activation just before kick-off and giving the stadium a clear, celebratory peak.
#SelfieBySamsung gained national traction on X as fans shared their entries and captured footage from the moment. The stunt quickly rose into the platform’s trending topics for 23 hours, extending its reach well beyond the venue. This momentum generated community-led content and reinforced Samsung’s broader commitment to deepening participation through meaningful, visible innovation that continued after the live segment had closed.
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Author: Nikki Chennells from Have Your Say ZA on behalf of Samsung.
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