Getting fans to attend sporting events instead of watching from a comfortable chair at home is a battle for sports organizations. One way to win them over is by providing in-stadium activations that alleviate troubles associated with attending an event that takes the better part of a day.
Through its partnership with Chase Bank, the 2017 US Open provided a Crossfield Digital-developed solution. The Chase Charge & Watch is a complimentary portable device capable of charging your phone and lets you watch video data-free from the live event you’re attending.
Crossfield built the device’s software while its parent company, FanVision, designed the hardware.
It clips onto the back of your phone — no matter iOS or Android, or its size — and can plug into your phone.
“The battery comes fully charged if you’re a fan which is obviously a really big deal if you’re at a long sporting event because everyone’s phone dies,” Crossfield CEO Riccardo Pellegrini said.
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The device acts as a receiver connected to a network within the stadium. At the U.S. Open, fans who picked up a device (30,000 over the course of the tournament) were able to see live video of the three main courts without using any data.
“I think this is providing life to their phone as well as letting them keep up with other things that are going on around the venue,” Pellegrini explained. “Specifically with events that are really spread out; whether that’s a NASCAR race, whether that’s a golf tournament, whether that’s the US Open. It’s a real game-changer in terms of the experience.”
Most importantly, it’s extra incentive for fans to get off the couch and walk into a venue. This was the second year Crossfield and Chase brought the devices to the US Open and there was a clear retention among fans who wanted to use the devices again.
“A lot of people came back this year, they would come up to the kiosk and we would give them an explanation of what it is and they would say ‘No, no, no, this thing’s great, I already know what it is,’” Pellegrini said. “That was kind of nice validation.
“It’s turned into in my opinion one of the most successful sports activations I’ve ever seen.”