exclusive content in our own network, such as details of the team’s initial lineup, straight to fans’ mobile phones, well ahead of the kickoff.” Another pioneer in providing
connectivity to improve the “fan journey” is English Premier League Manchester City FC. The club appointed Cisco to provide a high-density WiFi network and also invested in the StadiumVision Mobile product, which is capable of delivering live video and other relevant information to fans’ mobile devices. StadiumVision can also be used to provide multiple channels of unique content, such match highlights, replays and alternate angle views – providing spectators inside the stadium with similar viewing options to those enjoyed by fans sitting in front of a TV at home. A WiFi network may sit naturally in
the surroundings of a modern venue like Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, but it doesn’t mean that older, historic sports arenas shouldn’t take part in the revolution. Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, whose main pavilion dates
CelticLIVE
Sports media and digital marketing agency Sports Revolution teamed up with Cisco Systems to combine a high density WiFi network at Celtic Park with a mobile fan app to create an engagement platform called CelticLIVE. The app, built on Sports Revolution’s StadiumLive platform, allows fans to view and interact with a wide range of relevant and engaging club content, designed to enhance the live match.
CelticLive has been
designed as a ‘second screen’ companion and works like an interactive matchday programme. It offers video highlights, interviews, player trivia, live stats from OPTA and users can also share exclusive content through the app using their social media profiles. The success was instant, with more than 15,000 people downloading CelticLive when it was launched in October.
(Above and right) Signal Iduna Park, home of Borussia Dortmund football club, has invested heavily in connectivity
to 1899, recently teamed up with The Cloud, one of the UK’s leading WiFi providers. The venue’s
IT infrastructure manager, Paul Long, admitted that responding to the mobile internet boom was seen as a challenge for the traditional venue, but since its installation the free Wi-Fi has become a much-used part of a Lord’s visit. “When people visit Lord’s they want
access to mobile internet so they can share their experience with friends and family,” Long says. “They want to be able to check in at the ground, upload pictures or videos, tweet, check scores and listen to the live commentary. In
short, the rise in mobile device usage has meant our visitors are demanding different services from us; to help them get the most out of their visit, we felt we needed to provide the tools to let them do this.” There is no doubt that the impact a
comprehensive stadium WiFi system can make – and the opportunities it offers – for fan engagement is becoming clear to sports marketeers and league officials. As a sign of this, the NFL has instructed all of the league’s 32 teams to install Wi- Fi in all parts of their stadia by 2015.
JUMPING THE QUEUE Having reliable WiFi throughout a venue and fans being able to log onto apps opens up a number of opportunities to increase revenue streams through fan engagement. One example is food and beverages. A common complaint among fans is that the long queues put them off making half time or period brake purchases. But what if you could offer your fans a pleasurable and fluid F&B experience – maybe even a touch of exclusivity? There are now a number of new mobile apps which allow spectators
Issue 4 2013 © cybertrek 2013 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 39
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