The following is an op-ed by Mike Compitello GTS Global Director, Sports & Entertainment Technical Services, IBM.
As a young boy growing up in Westchester, NY, it would probably come as no surprise that I was a huge Giants fan. Back then, the possibility of attending a game meant the roar of the crowd, fresh peanuts, extra mustard on my hot dog and the exhilaration of a shared experience with hundreds of other people inside the stadium who felt the same as I did. But for many of today’s fans, going to the game means lost connectivity with their Twitter ‘followers,’ Facebook ‘friends’ and What’s App contacts, and with the advent of in-home entertainment centers, more are choosing to stay home to enjoy the game.
Today’s tech savvy sports and entertainment fans expect a fully immersive event experience from the moment they leave their homes. Creating the ultimate fan experience means meeting fans where they are, providing them with a platform to interact seamlessly and securely, and giving them fast, uninterrupted access to rich, analytics-driven content, personalized for their needs and optimized for the devices they carry. Converged fiber networks with passive optical network (PON) and distributed antenna system (DAS) technologies are bringing these kinds of capabilities to the sports and entertainment industry, lowering network costs and complexity while creating new opportunities for business innovation and growth.
Mobile technologies have paved the way for a more personalized, engaging event experience, allowing fans to get closer to what’s happening on the field and increasing their desire to share it with others. For sports and entertainment venues, the pressure is on to deliver a digital experience that is so compelling it surpasses the comfort, convenience and cost of staying home. However, luring fans away from their own living rooms is becoming increasingly difficult to do, especially as advanced wireless capabilities become the residential norm.
Get The Latest Sports Tech Insights In Your Inbox!
Consistent, high quality connectivity is key, and young fans in particular are leaving stadiums and other venues that aren’t able to provide it. Today they expect to have continuous smartphone access to social media and mobile apps. But that’s just a start. Increasingly venues will be expected to deliver a more personalized experience. Some are already accomplishing that, notifying fans automatically about seat upgrades and best parking, sharing exclusive video feeds and instant replays from multiple camera angles, and enabling fans to place and receive concession orders without ever leaving their seats. All of these activities will become a standard part of the in-stadium experience—but not without the right network.
For example, with a new stadium slated to open in 2017, AMB Sports & Entertainment (AMBSE), which is building the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium to host the Atlanta Falcons, recognized it had an opportunity and an obligation to reinvent the stadium experience for its increasingly connected fan base.
The company was committed to delivering an unparalleled interactive game and event day fan experience and leveraging the latest mobile, analytics, cloud and security technologies to push relevant, timely and personalized content. Understanding what was at stake, AMBSE is deploying a converged fiber network to provide fast, reliable connectivity and pervasive high-density (HD) WiFi coverage stadium-wide. The converged PON fiber network with DAS is designed to provide fans and guests with greater control by integrating physical security, power and point-of-sale systems, audio and IPTV onto the same fiber backbone. Unique features like a 360-degree, 63,000-square foot HD halo scoreboard above the stadium ceiling and more than 3,000 video displays will bring Falcons fans closer to the action than ever before.
Specialty services like paperless ticketing, in-seat ordering and better crowd management will improve the fan experience. At the same time, personalized offers, viewer polls and upcoming event notifications will provide the organization with new sources of revenue. The AMBSE objective is to reset the bar for the game-day and event experience while creating a prototype for sports and entertainment venues everywhere.
With fans leading the charge, the race is on to create an unforgettable stadium experience. The winner will be the one who embraces next-generation networks with converged fiber infrastructures that take full advantage of cloud, mobile, analytics and security technologies to keep fans connected and coming back. They will bring together all of the software, applications and technologies required for effective networking today—from LAN, wireless and WiFi to building automation systems, intelligent video analytics and security— to create a superior event experience for their fans and businesses.