By Lucas and Eddie Camacho
LOS ANGELES, October 23, 2025: Candy Crush Saga®, one of the world’s most recognizable mobile games, is teaming up with Intuit Dome, the new home of the LA Clippers, in a multi-year partnership that celebrates the power of play and connection. Together, they’ll bring moments of color and joy to fans as Candy Crush Saga becomes the first-ever official gaming partner of the arena this basketball season.
Last year, the Los Angeles Clippers moved out of Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) with the hope of having their own venue and to step out of the shadow of their dominant “big brother”: the highly decorated Los Angeles Lakers. Steve Balmer and his leadership team unveiled the Intuit Dome and its crown jewel, the Halo Board, to the world last year. It seemed to amaze and bring intense energy that fueled the Clippers to a playoff spot. Turned out…they weren’t satisfied with just dazzling…they wanted to improve more!
So, last night, they unveiled at a special event aimed at showing the improvements to the experience of the Intuit Dome. They called it: Intuit Dome Season Two. I spoke to one of the organizers after the presentation. While they did ask to not have their name on record, they said that this “sequel” will certainly live up to the hype.
Before the event, the media were invited to try some of the new food items that will be available this season in the South VIP Lounge. They had sandwiches, hamburgers, and sushi wraps. They also had gourmet stadium snacks like popcorn, pretzels, and an assortment of candy. And of course, I went toward the desserts that included cookies and apple turnovers. Nearby, some of the new merchandise was also available to preview for the Clippers’ upcoming season.
Then came the main event of the evening. The Dome glowed last night with more than lights and banners. It hummed with a kinetic promise: that fans, not just players, can shape the game. In the arena, electric with anticipation, the Clippers rolled out the Wavemakers Program, a bold bet that participation is the true currency of modern basketball—and that technology can turn a stadium roar into real momentum.
The evening opened with a pulse-quickening scene: a sea of seats bathed in Halo Board glow, the scent of popcorn and air that has that “new car smell” drifting through the concourse, and a shared belief that something big was about to be announced. Gillian Zucker, CEO of Halo Sports Entertainment, and Carlos Jiménez, the Clippers’ vibrant TikTok presence and radio voice, stood at the center not merely as hosts but as co-architects of a fan-culture blueprint.
Photo credit: Lucas Camacho THT
Zucker spoke with the quiet confidence of someone who has spent years translating data into delight. Entering his third season with the Clippers, Jiménez flashed his signature grin and reminded the crowd that engagement travels across screens, seating sections, and living rooms alike.
Here is a video taken by our videographer Lucas, enjoy:
The tech heartbeat of the night was unavoidable. Real-time noise measurement now tracks energy down to individual seats; a feature pitched not as novelty but as a living parameter of the game’s atmosphere. The Halo Board, with its dynamic visuals, translates a roar into color, motion, and light that sweep across the arena, turning crowd energy into a visible gameplay companion. The promise isn’t just spectacle—it’s a way to quantify something fans have felt since opening night: the sense that we’re all part of a game’s momentum.
But the Wavemakers Program isn’t a simple rewards scheme. It’s a reimagining of what fans earn for showing up, speaking up, and showing up again. Badges and exclusive items await those who participate—whether in their seats, from their living rooms, or anywhere in between. The emphasis is clear: this is not about dollars spent; it’s about presence, participation, and persistence. The energy fans contribute becomes a new kind of touchstone for the Clippers, one that can influence the rhythm of a game in real time and over the course of a season.
Here is a video provided by Intuit Dome PR:
The concept travels beyond the arena walls. Home viewers aren’t left out of the loop; the program invites them into the action, letting the energy of the crowd ripple through screens and speakers to shape the overall atmosphere. It’s a deliberate expansion of the home-court advantage, a reminder that in a connected era the line between live and digital fandom is porous—and purposeful.
The collaboration introduces a one-of-a-kind interactive fan experience, transforming halftime into a moment of competition, connection, and excitement. Fans attending LA Clippers games at the 17,700+ capacity Intuit Dome will be invited to Crush their way through a series of thrilling real-time Candy Crush challenges that bring the game’s colorful world to the halftime show.
Partnerships were framed as accelerants, not afterthoughts. Candy Crush makes a playful return-to-seat incentive, a nudge to keep fans in motion during halftime and beyond.
With the partnership, Candy Crush will take over Intuit Dome’s Halo Board and LED signage, creating one of the most visually striking and shareable moments at every LA Clippers gameday. Fans will be able to play via Intuit Dome’s unique in-seat controllers, putting Candy Crush Saga in the hands of players in a never-before-experienced format. The game will be broadcast on the Halo Board, allowing fans to compete side by side with other players and see their results in real-time.
“Candy Crush has always been about finding those moments of play in everyday downtime,” said Paula Ingvar, General Manager for Candy Crush Saga at King. “Our collaboration with the LA Clippers and Intuit Dome brings that spirit to life, offering a fun, interactive experience that celebrates both competition and play.”
The game provides incentive for fans to get back to their seats and play for a chance to win exclusive t-shirts.
Plus, AT&T adds a second layer of immersion, helping to project interactive worlds onto Halo Board experiences and weave more narrative threads into the game-day tapestry. The goal isn’t simply more entertainment; it’s a richer, more participatory event where every click, cheer, and chorus becomes part of a shared story.
What makes this moment feel different isn’t just the tech—it’s the human stakes. Zucker spoke of a future where analytics empower the experience, not overwhelm it; Jiménez’s enthusiasm underscored a social contract between team and fans: you show up, you engage, you become part of something larger than individual moments. In that sense, Wavemakers is less about a program and more about a cultural shift—an invitation for fans to co-create what a Clippers night feels like.
The planning notes tucked into the event’s action points read like a practical love letter to fans: implement the Wavemakers Program for the upcoming season, ensure the noise-measurement tech is live for the next game, publicly roll out partnership details, and solicit feedback to refine the program. But behind those bullets is a more poetic aim: to fuse data with devotion, to translate crowd energy into momentum on the court and in the community.
As the lights dimmed and the halo glow settled, the message crystallized. The Clippers aren’t simply selling tickets or broadcasting a game; they’re inviting a city into a collective rhythm. The Wavemakers Program frames participation as a tangible asset—one that earns access, signals loyalty, and amplifies a shared energy that could tilt the balance of a night’s outcome. It’s an audacious concept, perhaps unconventional in its form, yet deeply familiar in its instinct: fans belong at the center of the game.
This is where the Intuit Dome’s first year becomes more than a milestone. It becomes a manifesto for a future in which the arena’s energy is not merely observed but valued, tracked, and transformed into experiences that feel personal, inclusive, and thrilling. This technology doesn’t replace the human moment; it sustains and augments it, turning cheers into data, and data into moments you don’t want to miss.
Looking ahead, the practical path is clear. The team will deploy the Wavemakers framework for the season, ensure the new noise-measurement system is operational for the next home game, and roll out the partnerships with clarity and fan-facing detail. Most importantly, it will listen—through fan feedback and ongoing engagement metrics—to fine-tune a program designed to grow with its audience.
In this new era, the Clippers are not merely inviting fans to watch. They’re inviting them to participate, to contribute to a live, evolving story, and to see their energy reflected in color, sound, and a shared sense of belonging. If the opening night was any indication, Wavemakers is more than a program—it’s an invitation to help write the next chapter of Clippers basketball. The whole event seemed to highlight one clear and simple fact: the Clippers are not going to settle being the Lakers’ “little brother” anymore.
Intuit Dome and the LA Clippers continue to be the blueprint for innovation in sports and entertainment. The partnership represents the next evolution in Candy Crush’s mission to bring players together through competitive play, expanding beyond mobile screens into the world of live sports and entertainment. Building on the success of Candy Crush All Stars®, one of the biggest competitive tournaments in casual mobile gaming, and past collaborations with sports icons, Candy Crush continues to fuse gaming with the world of sports and entertainment in fresh ways.
“Intuit Dome was designed to push the boundaries of fan engagement and uniquely redefine every aspect of the live sports experience,” said Gillian Zucker, CEO of Halo Sports & Entertainment. “Candy Crush’s iconic gameplay aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience for every fan at Intuit Dome. As we continue to amplify the energy in the bowl, we’re tipping off the second half with a game that takes over the entire arena.”
The four-year partnership will run through the 2028-2029 season, with additional activations and surprises planned for fans throughout the year.
Candy Crush Saga is available to download and play for free on iOS, Android and other platforms. To learn more about the mobile game and global tournament, visit: www.candycrushsaga.com
About Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga® is one of the world’s most popular mobile games. Millions of players around the globe match colorful candies in combinations of three or more to win points, defeat obstacles and progress through more than 20,000 levels. Launched in 2012, Candy Crush Saga is available to download for free from the Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon App store, Windows App Store and Facebook.
About King
With a mission of Making the World Playful, King is a leading interactive entertainment company for the mobile world with more than 20 years of delivering some of the world’s most iconic games in the mobile gaming industry, including the world-famous Candy Crush franchise, as well as other mobile titles such as Farm Heroes Saga. King games are played by more than 200 million monthly active users. King, part of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), has Kingsters in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Malta. More information can be found at King.com or by following us on LinkedIn, @lifeatking on Instagram, or @king_games on X.
About the LA Clippers
Led by Chairman Steve Ballmer, the LA Clippers have posted 14 consecutive winning seasons, the longest active streak in the NBA. The team’s home games and Training Center are both located in their new arena, Intuit Dome, in Inglewood, Calif. The Clippers are committed to the City of Los Angeles and through the LA Clippers Foundation, provide resources and opportunities that make a positive difference toward leveling the playing field for youth in Southern California. Visit the Clippers online at www.clippers.com or follow them on social media @LAClippers.
About Intuit Dome
Intuit Dome, the home of the LA Clippers, officially opened on August 15, 2024. The venue will host hundreds of sporting events and concerts each year. Located in Inglewood, Calif., Intuit Dome is built different — it will redefine fans’ expectations for live experiences and change the music landscape in Los Angeles. To sign up to receive all Intuit Dome press releases and updates, email intuitdomepr@intuitdome.com
