Vivek Ranadivé, owner of the Sacramento Kings, has positioned his organization as a leader in the sports technology space. With Golden 1 Center being a shining example, Ranadivé is continuing to use tech as a way to spur fan engagement.
Specifically, the Kings view esports as a driving global force. That’s why they’re unveiling the world’s first-of-its-kind dedicated full-stack esports training facility and content studio inside a pro sports venue at Golden 1 Center. The training facility, broadcast center and gamer lounge will be used by the Kings’ upcoming NBA 2K League team and future Kings Gaming teams.
“Seventy-six percent of all internet users are gamers,” Kings CTO Ryan Montoya said. “So that’s 2.6 billion gamers. There’s 3.4 billion global internet users but there’s 2.6 [billion] people who have, you know, participated in some form of game whether it’s online, mobile, console.”
Because of the arena’s hyper-fast network (enough bandwidth to power 17,000 homes) the “venue within a venue” eliminates gaming lag. This allows gamers, touring artists, athletes and community groups to practice and compete in peak conditions with the latest professional gaming setups and access to hundreds of gaming titles.
Tournaments and events can be held in the space for theater-style audiences, with the ability to feed into the arena’s bowl to use the NBA’s only 4K Ultra HD video screen.
“Golden 1 Center is the most advanced arena for basketball, entertainment and esports,” Ranadivé said in a statement. “This state-of-the-art facility will set a new standard and provide the best-in-class tools that the next generation of superstar gamers need to train, compete and win.”
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Not only will gamers practice in this area, but also they will produce livestreamed content that is linked back to Golden 1 Center’s 4K Ultra HD Broadcast center.
And gamers have access to training methods previously exclusive to the Kings. “We’ve taken a lot of the knowledge from what we do with our basketball team and we’re applying that,” Montoya said.
From a Kombucha bar and nitro-infused coffee, all the way to intricate brain training techniques; no resource is spared for gamers utilizing the facility.
“We’re really pushing the envelope with those types of things when it comes to performance, nutrition and utilizing all the technology and innovation to ensure that the people who actually utilize the facility become the best in the world,” Montoya said.
Along with top-of-the-line training and content production, this facility offers the organization a platform to host unique events — something they’re planning on rolling out near the start of 2018. “Vivek really pushes the envelope when it comes to the vision for sports,” continued Montoya. “He’ll often say that we are in an ‘experience economy’ and we are always looking at how to maximize experiences for our fans.”
This facility places the Kings at the forefront of traditional professional sports’ involvement in esports. As the industry grows, expect other teams to follow suit.