Comcast is aligning itself with one of the emerging technology brands in the Silicon Valley, but it’s not who you think. While this company has deep roots, a storied history and is a household brand, it is reinventing itself as an innovator in its industry by partnering with companies like Comcast to provide customers with an experience unlike any other, possibly in the world.
It’s not Apple. It’s not Facebook or Google. It’s the San Francisco 49’ers.
Multiple Comcast business units are a part of the deal, which not only demonstrates the breadth of our portfolio, it is indicative of the evolution of sports into a multimedia, multiscreen, multiplatform experience.
It is easy to see how things have changed from a fan’s perspective compared to just a decade ago. From the minute they scan their ticket to enter a park, to ordering concessions from their smartphones, to accessing the Internet via WiFi, they are constantly connected everywhere they go. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that the fan experience isn’t just limited to ubiquitous WiFi.
There are a number of contributing factors that smart stadium operators are deploying to ensure that the fans in the stands want to keep coming back for more. How about the product that is on the field? Front office and player personnel are more reliant than ever on Internet connectivity to scout future opponents and break down film, which is vital in preparing the team for the next game and ideally leads to more W’s.
Other staffers are using the high speed connection to instantly transfer data, photos and video to HD video boards that get larger and more surreal each year. Members of the media covering games for a broad and passionate fan base also use instant online access to research statistics, submit stories, transfer videos and images, and interact via various social media channels...their coverage of the team is critically important to maintaining brand loyalty away from the stands.
These are just a few examples that are part of the overall experience, and there are dozens more.
There is one common theme to all of this, and that is to accommodate for all of this activity, stadiums are becoming super-bandwidth users. They require 10Gbps connections and superfast speeds to effectively put on the show, and also need scalability to meet higher demand during busier times of the season like the playoffs, when more fans, more members of the media and more staff are on hand. Case in point, just this past year, four teams came to us to turn up the dial on their high speed data connection prior to baseball’s league championship series’. America’s favorite pastimes are no longer as simple as manually operated scoreboards and bullhorns. The 49’ers get it, and it is no mistake that the world’s most connected sports venue lives in the heart of Silicon Valley. Technology is the present and future of the sports experience and we are excited to play a role in making it real for the fans in the stands.