Many NFL stadiums were inspired by the design of the Roman Colosseum in order to enhance the fan experience, and highlight the action taking place on the field. Over the decades, a handful of these stadiums, which have housed some of the most iconic athletes and most memorable games, have taken on unique personas and garnered legendary mystique. “The frozen tundra of Lambeau Field” is certainly a familiar one to fans of all ages. As of late, Seattle’s loud, earthquake inducing, CenturyLink Field has become a vaunted setting for visiting teams. The Atlanta Falcons, with the help of technology manufacturer IBM, are looking for another way to place their name amongst the more renowned venues.
The Falcons have plans for upgrading the Georgia Dome to meet the demands of a tech-savvy general public. Some of the capabilities IBM will be furbishing the facility with include embedded Wi-Fi service and a plethora of technological services yet to be disclosed.
AMB Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Atlanta Falcons has structured this agreement and, therefore, in the words of IBM’s Senior Vice President of IBM Global Business Services, Bridget van Kralingen: “IBM is helping AMBSE reinvent the experience enjoyed by fans, guiding them through the stadium while bringing them closer to what’s happening on the field.”
The results of IBM’s upgrades should allow fans to become more involved with the game at hand, to stay up to date with other games in action, and provide them with convenient features to meet their other general needs.
It’s plausible that the introduction of large plasma TV’s and high-definition surround sound systems, combined with the luxuries of viewing from home, has tainted the perception that watching an NFL game live is the superior experience. The Atlanta Falcons feel that spending the money and resources to serve-up its own hospitalities will, in-turn, create an enjoyable atmosphere and convince more people to leave the comfort of their homes.
Ticket sales are still vital to NFL franchises and to keeping the league afloat; we are no longer in the age of the Roman Empire, thus, teams must evolve with the times and brainstorm for new techniques to capture our ever shortening attention spans. The Atlanta Falcons have deployed IBM as their vehicle into the future of stadium experience.