It may seem hard to believe, but some people simply don’t like going to live sporting events anymore.
Oh, they still enjoy watching it live, but they’d rather be at home. With large flatscreen TVs, home theater surround sound, and a comfy recliner, many fans would prefer to stay inside and avoid the hard bleacher seats, congested traffic, and high concession prices. This fact hasn’t escaped sports organizations, like the NFL and NBA, and they have certainly been noticed by the sports venues, themselves.
That’s why arenas and stadiums across the country are working hard to improve the fan experience, particularly in one area: wireless network access.
Tens of thousands of people now bring their mobile devices to games, and too often they have had to deal with slow networks, if they can connect at all. In an effort to improve the fan experience, installation of better wireless networks can also lead to some fascinating new features and capabilities.
For several years now, the NFL has tried leading the way in outfitting old and new stadiums with the latest in wireless network technology. Through a partnership with Extreme Networks, many stadiums are creating wireless networks spanning the whole venue, effectively making a more immersive experience from the moment fans enter the gate till the moment they leave. Of course, making sure every fan has access to a network presents many challenges. Using multiple networks in a single venue is simply too impractical, creating unnecessarily high deployment costs and a worse overall network performance, especially if the venue was operating at high capacity. A single large blanket Wi-Fi network is the best bet; and it’s the solution that many venues are adopting as a way to connect fans to the team and organization, while also introducing new services.
The Georgia Dome, home of the Atlanta Falcons, was one of the first to implement this type of strategy. Making sure 70,000-plus fans could connect to the internet was no easy matter, but they were able to do it by upgrading the existing network, providing better coverage. Described as the “ultimate BYOD project,” the Georgia Dome was able to install 500 access points, allowing fans attending the game to share updates on social media and connect to their favorite websites. The Georgia Dome also developed an in-venue app, where fans could get real-time stats and video replays relating to the game they were currently watching. Overall, it greatly improved each fan’s experience at whatever event they attended.
But that was just the first step; other venues were also engaged in the task of improving networks.
CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, had an even more impressive installation, with more than 800 network access points for fans. While the venue features many of the same capabilities as the Georgia Dome, the network was also designed for future upgrades as technology advances over the years. The Seahawks’ Vice President of Technology, Chip Suttles, has wearable devices in mind for the future as a way to engage fans on another level.
New venues are also getting in on the Wi-Fi action.
The San Francisco 49ers’ new venue Levi’s Stadium recently completed its very first season. When it opened, it featured one of the most advanced stadium wireless networks ever–a needed feat considering the place will host next year’s Super Bowl. Beyond boasting 1,200 access points, the stadium also features a specialized app, giving fans information about what’s happening on the field (updated stats and replay requests) along with information on what’s happening around the stadium. Taking data from the venue and using a big data platform, the stadium can relay information like bathroom wait times and concession lines. Fans can even order food and have it delivered to their seats. All in all, the advances made at Levi’s Stadium could be a preview of just how connected the fan experience could become for all venues in the future.
The demands of fans have quickly changed in recent years regarding what they expect during a game, and stadiums are trying to meet those demands. Mobile devices have become a normal way of life, and sporting venues are coming to realize how valuable they can be in improving the fan experience.
More work still needs to be done for wireless networks to handle the increased traffic, but stadiums are well on their way to completely transforming what normal live sports viewing is like.