Our 2013 NFL Tech Series provides a quick hit of tech insight on all 32 NFL teams up until kickoff of Week 1 of the regular season. Each feature includes the latest tech advances implemented by the organization in the effort to advance the team’s success… in a wide variety of venues. Stadium experience, fan engagement, mobile technologies, player performance and health, statistical data gathering and analysis… any and all aspects of the organization’s procedures in the effort to find success in the NFL is on the table. We’re uncovering those efforts, investigating those innovations and pondering the benefit they might provide, for the team, players and fans alike… today and looking forward.
Today’s focus is on the New Orleans Saints as they look ahead to a season with their head coach back at the helm and a new digital media partnership with the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Saints struggled out of the gate last year with their head coach being suspended for the entire season after the infamous “Bountygate” scandal. This year they look to return to their “Who Dat” form by continuing to upgrade one of the oldest and most recognizable stadiums in the NFL and by forming a unique digital partnership with the other professional sports franchise in town.
Mercedes-Benz Superdome Overview
During their existence the Saints and the Superdome have become beloved by the city of New Orleans and have grown to embody the passion and personality of one the most unique major cities in America. One of the oldest stadiums in the NFL, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome was opened in 1975 and today it remains as the largest fixed dome structure in the world with a diameter of 680 feet.
Despite its age, frequent renovations have made the Superdome one of the most technologically advanced in the country. In 2006, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome began a three stage, $320 million refurbishment. The first stage involved repairing the roof, exterior walls, and some interior structures because of damage sustained by Hurricane Katrina. The second stage of renovations happened in 2009 and 2010 when the facade of the stadium, an area of more than 400,000 square feet, was replaced with new aluminum siding and better insulation, restoring the Dome’s bronze colored exterior. Also, the suits inside the stadium received major aesthetic upgrades and a point-of-sale system was installed allowing fans to make concession purchases from the comforts of their seat with a credit card.
Then before the 2010 season started 110,000 square feet of special synthetic turf was installed making the Superdome the owner of the largest continuous turf system in the NFL. This turf is called Speed S5-M and it is made up of 70% rubber and %30 sand. This ratio is designed by UBU Sports to create an ideal firm and safe playing surface for the college and pro athletes who play on it each year.
The third stage of the Superdome renovations involved adding new bunker lounges, which can hold about 4,500 fans, in the lower bowl to enhance the fan experience and drive revenue through increased premium ticket sales. These new lounges have all the amenities of a home entertainment system and then some. Complete with leather furniture, Hi-def televisions, and a full service bar their lavish feel will offer a next-level experience for Saints fans.
Wi-fi Access
Prior to Super Bowl XLVII last year between the Ravens and 49ers, the NFL and AT&T were concerned about the Superdome being able to handle tens of thousands of simultaneous wireless connections. Despite AT&T building a carrier-neutral antenna system in 2011 in the Superdome to boost signal, the Superdome only had Wi-Fi access for media, team personnel, etc.—not fans. So, for Super Bowl XLVII, AT&T brought in 700 wireless access points to distribute throughout the stadium and another 250 outside the stadium.
The Wi-Fi and data usage for Super Bowl XLVI (2012) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis nearly tripled that of the previous Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium. Understanding this trend of year-to-year increase in demand on wireless networks at Super Bowls, the Superdome made sure it was prepared to handle the load in 2013. The plan worked (despite the power outage in the middle of the game), and Wi-Fi access was available for everyone that wanted it.
Teaming Up with the Pelicans
Sticking with their history of helping to bring the city of New Orleans closer together, the Saints will partner with the Pelicans to create a combined and comprehensive digital media department that will cover each team on a daily basis with local sports writers and broadcasters.
Heading up this department as the Executive Director of Digital Media for the Saints and Pelicans will be Doug Tatum who was previously the sports editor for Louisiana’s biggest newspaper, The Times-Picayune. The new digital media department will work together to cover both teams in all social, digital, and print platforms.
Saints and Pelicans Senior Vice President of Communications & Broadcasting, Greg Bensel, talked about how important this role will be for Doug and both New Orleans franchises. “Doug’s experience and strong skills overseeing all elements of writing, photography, design and multi-media will be a great asset to our organizations and, ultimately, to the fans of the Saints and Pelicans. He joins our organization at a very exciting time as we launch this new department under his leadership. It is critical that we take the invaluable content that we control and deliver it efficiently not only through the media but through media platforms that we control.”
By combining both digital media departments the Saints and Pelicans can essentially combine forces and work together to make the city of New Orleans even more passionate about their local sports teams. The Saints are and always will be beloved for how they helped the city emotionally rebound after Katrina and the Pelicans are an up-and-coming franchise that just rebranded itself to better fit the local Bayou vibe.