Football is officially back and Sundays are booked. It’s difficult to compete with a relaxing Sunday afternoon on a LA-Z-Boy in front of a big screen with snacks and the boys. However, NFL executives are working hard to bring people away from the remote and into the stadiums.
Giants’ Owner, John Mara, told Yahoo Sports: “TV viewing experience of our games is so good with the NFL channels, and the Red Zone, and HD televisions, and other options. We have to give people reasons to want to come to our games. So, making the in-stadium experience special and different is a priority.”
Teams are racing to add the best high-tech features to interact and engage with the fans at the stadium. But let credit be given to the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, and Arizona Cardinals because they host some of the most innovative technological stadium features from around the league.
1. Sun Life Stadium
Not to be outdone by smartphones and smart cars, the NFL is incorporating smart stadiums to connect with fans like never before. The Miami Dolphins have collaborated with IBM to include analytics technology into Sun Life Stadium. IBM solutions designed for smarter cities will bring enhanced experience for all fans with the IBMCloud.
IBMCloud utilizes an Intelligent Operations Center (IOC) to process and deliver information on demand. With the IOC, the Dolphins work to provide real time data with key performance indicators during games. This allows stadium staff to manage and direct football fans based on insights about visitor traffic, fan spending preferences, weather patterns and social media sentiment.
PR Newswire quoted Tery Howard, Chief Technology Officer of the Miami Dolphins, saying, “Our challenge is to continue to make it exciting for people to come to our stadium as we compete with a constantly morphing entertainment industry that is increasingly interactive.”
Howard continued: “This collaboration with IBM will provide analytics capabilities to collect insight into massive amounts of data we generate every second to look through the eyes of the fan and develop unmatched services to create meaningful experiences for our visitors.”
IBM’s IOC drives sustainable economic growth making it possible for Sun Life Stadium to deliver more innovative services that surpass the expectations of fans. New mobile applications are used to give fans access to the latest scores and stats, and share information, regardless of location.
Most teams are digitizing their venues with Wi-Fi connectivity. However, Miami Dolphins have brought in a whole analytics system to bring a one-of-a-kind on-demand stadium experience.
2. AT&T Stadium
In 2009, the state of the art AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, left the world in awe with the worlds largest high definition LED video display. Five years later, they are unveiling the new fan experience board by AT&T to accompany the technological marvel.
130 feet wide along the east platform, the fan experience board is made up of 40 LED robotic mirrored louvered panels that rotate a complete 360 degrees. The board is connected to every fan in the stadium through a mobile app.
The application will be called upon at pivotal moments during the game to create the “Unite This House” experience. By pressing the Cowboys logo on their mobile devices, the flash activates and begins to vibrate significantly; creating a stadium-wide vibration and spectacle that creates a uniqe stadium atmosphere that every fan plays a part in. All this is in conjunction with a display on the fan experience board culminating to a big boom.
“This is such an exciting day because it actually gives fans the opportunity to affect the ambiance of the game, and this is truly the only place that you can do that,” said Cowboys’ Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, Charlotte Jones Anderson. “Our goal all along for AT&T Stadium was to create a fan experience that could not be replicated anywhere else, and I believe we have done that today.”
The app also has features that allow for fans to find their seats and the closest concessions stands, but“Unite This House” is the marquee feature that fans will be excited to be a part of.
3. Levi’s Stadium
The San Francisco 49ers unleashed their brand spankin’ new stadium this season. It contains the latest innovations in stadium technology. Of these innovations, one of the most anticipated is the Yahoo Fantasy Football Sports Lounge.
The 49ers signed a fantasy football and social media deal with Yahoo, allowing for Niners fans to stay updated with all the fantasy football news from around the league while they enjoy watching their favorite team play live.
This exclusive lounge will be available to those in the luxury suites and has a capacity of 1,400 to 1,600 fantasy football fans. The Fantasy Lounge is furnished with flat screen TV’s, touch-screen technology, and charging stations dedicated to delivering all fantasy football information for any last minute changes.
Preparing for the massive amount of online traffic, generated by the Yahoo Fantasy Football lounge, Levi’s Stadium has beefed up its Wi-Fi capabilities. Hosting 1,200 wi-fi hubs,4 times the league minimum, the venue is designed for tech-savvy fans who are always connected.
The deal allows for fans to upload pictures to Yahoo-owned Flickr; and possibly see those pictures on the 190 foot wide big screen during the second half of the game.
No other stadium in the world has a place that is completely dedicated and optimized for fantasy football. Yahoo has claimed their spot in the connected world using the NFL’s latest innovative stadium; and been a major reason why the new Levi’s Stadium is one of the most technologically advanced in the league.
4. University of Phoenix Stadium
Retractable roofs are nothing new, especially in states with harsh climate conditions. But people don’t often think of the retractable field that The University of Phoenix Stadium claims in Glendale, Arizona.
Shortly after the fans leave an Arizona Cardinals game, the field begins to depart the stadium as well. The field sits on 546 steel wheels rolling on 16 rail tracks. Being pulled by 76 1-HP motors, the two acre tray that holds the field makes its exit through a 200 foot wide opening at ⅛ MPH. After 75 minutes the natural grass field is ready to bask in the Arizona sunlight outside of the stadium.
The owners of the Arizona Cardinals believe that football should be played on a natural grass. The stadium has a retractable roof to protect the fans from the desert heat, however, that opening is not enough to sustain the natural grass field which the owner desires.
The retractable field technology has allowed for fans to remain protected while sustaining a healthy grass field. It’s good to see some new technology uphold old school traditions.
While millions of fans choose to watch football from home, the NFL team owners are making big changes to add special amenities to their sports venues. Many fans have spoken of the great atmosphere and experience associated with certain stadiums. Undoubtedly, stadiums around the league will continue to add new fan-friendly features to the game day experience in a never ending battle against the couch.