Smart Stadiums

Brian Larsen
Jessie Cauffman
Andrew Rosenbaum
State University of New York - Cortland
Information Technology in Sport
Peter Han
May 8, 2015

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There is nothing quite like the feeling a sport fan gets when it is a Sunday afternoon
during football season. The big game is about to be on, you set the television station, put on the
jersey that has not been washed all season because without that grime your team would not be
able to win a game, and finally you are ready to reside to your lucky seat, the seat you have
watched hundreds of games, the throne that everyone knows while you watch the game you are
not to be disrupted, unless of course to be served a refreshing beverage or snack; it is game time.
Then real life clicks in, the kids are running around, people are talking over the game, there are
no snacks being served and your throne has been stolen by an unexpected in-law visiting for the
weekend, not as glamorous as many would desire. Now however, with the implementation of
smart stadiums all the luxuries we envision have become available, there is nothing to divide us
from the game.
What is a smart stadium? A smart stadium is a completely interconnected facility that
brings together different departments such as energy, operations, public safety, transportation and
concessions. In each smart stadium, there is a central control center that collects and analyzes all
of the data from each department. Each stadium has their own analytics company that is running
the show, from Cisco, IBM and Intel. IBM calls their command center the Intelligent
Operations Center and it helps smart stadiums turn cold hard data acquired through stadium
feeds such as security cameras, strategically placed beacon sensors, historical databases,
concession stands, team merchandise stores, and ticketing booth systems into actionable insights.
This is all done so that stadium management can anticipate unforeseen problems and minimize
the setbacks that would come along with these problems, coordinate between resources so that
they can respond to these issues quickly and efficiently. As well as, collaborate between multiple
different service areas and departments to provide the best fan experience. (IBM, 2012, page 2)

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Smart cities go hand and hand with smart stadiums. With new technology coming about
many new stadiums and cities want to be able to enjoy this. Therefore, they want to update the
city and or stadium. With few smart cities out there, everyone is very curious as to what makes
that specific city smart. There are many different aspects of a smart city. First off Phillips has
estimated that there will be a total savings worldwide of roughly $170.5 billion dollars if every
city changes over to LED technology. This LED technology is the most up to date technology out
there, yes it is the most expensive but in the long run it will increase businesses revenue. This
technology will be able to save money but changing how bright the streetlights are. The way the
lights will be able to change will be due to how bright it is outside at a specific time. The brighter
it is outside the more you will be able to see the light. This technology is trying to get rid of the
glare people see when they are driving. While at night since it is easier to see a light from further
away, the street lights will not be as strong as it is during the day, therefore saving money for that
specific city. Another main concern for people nowadays is the fact that emergency response
times are relatively slow. This is creating a big problem for people possibly not getting the help
they need right away. With this new technology emergency services will be able to see where the
traffic is in the city and they will be able to plan the fastest route to the patient in need of help.
Kansas City is currently in the works to become a smart city. There will be public Wi-Fi
that anyone will be able to connect to regardless of where they are in the city. At bus stops there
will be touch screens displaying a variety of different things that is going on in the city. For
example, if you use the screens you will be able to look up the closest restaurant and how busy
they are at the time you look. It will also show you the closest restaurants to where you are and
also the current deals they might have. You will also be able to buy many things directly from the
screens on the street. You will be able to look up current movies and when and where they are

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playing, and if there are still seats left in the theater you will be able to purchase the tickets
immediately and you can either print it out right there or it will be sent to the movie theater and
you can pick up your tickets there in person. You can also look up professional sporting events
and do the same exact thing as if you were looking up a movie. The city of San Jose, which is
located in California, is also in the works in making their city smart. They are the first city to use
an Intel Quark Processor. This processor will present real time data on air quality. Nowadays
patrons are very involved in the quality of air and want to be living in the most environmental
friendly area as possible. This processor will also be able to tell the quality of the water, which is
also another major thing for a lot of people.
Barcelona is one of the first overseas countries to try and go smart. They are currently on
track to complete the smart changeover in the next couple of years. With this new technology the
city of Barcelona will be saving 47 million dollars over 10 years with the streets lights not using
as much light at certain times throughout the day. Another way the city sees the new technology
helping is that there is an estimated 53 million dollars in revenue that will come about due to the
new way people will be able to find parking spots. With the city being smart people will be able
to use their smart phones and or tablets to be able to look up parking spots in the area they will
be going to. This will also help people save time not worry about if they will be able to park or
not. With this new technology Barcelona expects over 1,500 new businesses to open up which
will create roughly 44,000 new jobs.
There is no surprise that a stadium located just miles away from Silicon Valley, the
technology powerhouse of the United States would be the first stadium to become a fully
functional smart stadium. Levis Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers located in Santa
Clara, California right in the hub of Silicon Valley. The doors of the stadium opened on July 17,

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2014 costing over $1.3 billion dollars to bring this stadium to its current claim to fame as the
most high-tech stadium in the world. While visiting and experiencing everything the stadium has
to offer, there is a lot that went into creating this experience for the attendees; going on behind
the scenes there are thousands of wires running underneath the stadium. According to Dan
Williams, the VP of technology for Levis Stadium, they laid out 400 miles of cabling, 70 miles
of which are just dedicated to connecting the 1,200 distributed antenna systems that serve the
Wi-Fi routers that are placed to serve every 100 seats throughout the stadium. Levis Stadium
features a backbone of 40 gigabits per second of available bandwidth, easily scalable to
accommodate event attendance, which is 40 times more Internet bandwidth capacity than any
known U.S. stadium, and four times greater than the standard for NFL stadiums thats been
mandated by the league to be in place by 2015.(Bajarin, 2014, p.1) Meaning that everyone
visiting the stadium will have access to high speed internet and not have to deal with the
monotonous torture that comes when too many people are all trying to use one connection, it
feels like the days of dial-up have returned. By placing Wi-Fi routers every 100 seats just
contributes to the high-speed Internet access for everyone. There are also 1,700 Bluetooth low
energy beacons, which help pinpoints exact locations throughout the stadium aiding visitors with
directions around the stadium.
Complimenting the stadium is the Levis Stadium App available for free downloads for
apple and android. The app allows for visitors to view multiple angles of instant replays
throughout the game, direct visitors to the parking that is closest to their seat, direct them to their
seat, look up statistics, and order food and beverage to either be delivered to their seat or for
express pick-up; all being done without missing a single play, from the convenience of their seat.

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Although, Levi Stadium may be the current leader in smart stadiums, theyre going to
have to work hard to keep that title as many other stadiums are making great technological
advances; stadiums such as, AT&T Stadium home of the Dallas Cowboys. Since the
announcement of the stadiums new name in the summer of 2013, the cellular network capacity
has been increased by more than 50 percent with connectivity equivalent to 17 cell sites, enough
to power the entire city of McKinney, a suburb north of Dallas. (Anderson, 2014) Much like
Levis Stadium, AT&T Stadium also has an application available with many of the same
conveniences that the Levi Application offers. However, one thing AT&T offers that sets them
apart and in many ways ahead of Levis Stadium is there fan responsive LED display. This is the
first ever fan responsive LED display measuring in at 130 feet located at the east side end zone,
featuring 40 independent mirrored louvers that rotate 360 degrees in a choreographed motion
(Anderson, 2014). With a combination of the application and the fan responsive display fans are
able to posts pictures throughout the game. Also, Unite the House is a direct fan interaction
experience unlike any other. As the stadium app vibrates, a message will be displayed providing
the particular context and immediacy of the action. Fans will be guided to unlock their phones,
hold their fingers on the Dallas Cowboys star and as more phones power up, the stadium will be
full of strobes, not only from mobile devices, but also on the ribbon displays and the HD video
board. The visual will gain intensity and speed as more fans join in, energizing the stadium and
culminating in a final eruption of light and motion provided by the louvers that will canvas the
entire stadium.(Anderson, 2014)
Another great feature complimenting this already impressive stadium is Ciscos
StadiumVision. What StadiumVision does helps a stadium with target marketing. Having many
different seating areas to a stadium such as suites, boxes, and nose-bleeds there are different

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demographics in each section thats when StadiumVision comes in with digital display screens
and endless options of ads to show. The network of hundreds of 40-plus-inch LCD screens is
operated with a mouse click from a single control center installed in the stadium. (Show, 2009,
p.60) Manager of the Cisco Sports and Entertainment, Mike Caponigro said. Were trying to
give properties the opportunity to have a much different conversation with sponsors, provide a
new level of value for a brand, and a different type of fan engagement.(Show, 2009, p.60)
StadiumVision plays an important role in fan experience as well as sponsorships and promotional
deals for the stadium.
Another governing force in the smart stadium world is Sun Life Stadium home of the
Miami Dolphins currently under renovations that will bring them into the 2016 season.
Partnering with Samsung there will be living room suites, bringing the comfort of home to the
stadium with comfortable seats, more personalized views of the game as well as the options of
food that only tastes good at a stadium or a 5 star dining experience. Located in the 72- Club
named after 1972s undefeated team, the amenities are similar to those offered by some other
teams, but its the design of the living room boxes themselves that stands out in an open-air
stadium, with plush oversized chairs and multiple televisions flanking midfield in the lower
bowl. Designed by HOK, they serve as one of the NFLs first outdoor loge box products, a
hybrid between a club seat and a suite. (Muret, 2015, p.3) This stadium will be all about
convenience, bringing the at home comforts to the stadium. There will be a black-car service that
will pick up and drop off spectators as well as if 72 Club members choose to drive they will have
their own lane as well as parking so there is no waiting in traffic coming or going. However, one
doesnt have to pay the steep price of $1,875 per game the 72 Club members are to gain the
comfort of their home at the stadium. Living room box holders have the option to install four

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TV monitors or one 32-inch screen in front of their seats to view replays and highlights and
watch other NFL games and NFL RedZone(Muret, 2015, p.3), these seats can go as low as
$200.
Currently, EverBank Stadium home of the Jacksonville Jaguars have the largest
Jumbotron in the world measuring in at 62 feet high and 362 feet wide making it 22,000 square
feet. Of course it cameatacostapartofa$63millionrenovation.Also,involvedinthe
renovationwasbuiltcabanaseatingandtwo25feetby12feetpoolsinthenorthendzoneand
additionalpremiumseatingoptions.
Although stadiums and sport organizations here in the United States are creating their
own mobile applications for their attendees to use, overseas they are taking a slightly different
approach. In Europe and mainly France, there is a mobile app that is taking the sporting industry
by storm and it is called VoGo Sport. What VoGo Sport offers fans, is the same view that
someone courtside has, regardless if you are sitting mid level or even in nosebleed seats. Vogo
Sports has an interface that allows you to choose from 4 different camera angles to watch in real
time, as well as replay capabilities that can be played back in either normal speed or slow
motion. What happens once you download the app is, you will launch it and then it will prompt
you to enter the venue username as well as a password that is provided to you by the stadium.
After that you are all good to go. This is useful for all of the fans in the stadium considering that
on a TV broadcast, they always show replays of a nice play or a point scoring play, but when you
are in the stands at a game, you don't have that luxury. You would have to look up at the
jumbotron and hope that there is a break in the play so that they will show the replay. But with
the VoGo app, you can use the replay capabilities on the comfort of your own mobile phone or
tablet right after the play happens and in a way, become your own personal broadcast producer.

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This also comes in handy for when you bring someone along with you to a game or event and it
is their first time ever watching this sport. Instead of you having to be bothered after the end of
every play, with them asking what just happened? or what does that mean? and you having
to take time to explain it, you can just go to the VoGo app and rewind the play to show them.
Some of the main goals of VoGo Sports are to encourage fans to return to live events.
With ticket prices rising and the comfort of your own bed or living room becoming more
enticing, many fans choose to watch games for free on their own TV. This is even more apparent
in the past couple years due to the emergence of HDTV and 3D TV. Currently more then three
quarters of the household in America have an HDTV set so they are now able to view the game
in crystal clear quality. Not only is it great picture, but the cameras are set up so that you have the
best quality angles as well as their zoom in capabilities that let you literally see the sweat on the
players skin. With this being said, many people enjoy the comfort of their own homes to watch
the game rather then paying a lot of money to attend a game. VoGo Sports and smart stadiums
are trying to transform this trend into the fans feeling the same, if not a greater amount of
comfort in the stadium seats. Another main goal of VoGo sports is to generate additional income.
One way that they are able to do this is in additional advertising. With the 4 camera views set up
the same at every game, this allows organizations to sell more signage to advertisers. The
greatest benefit of this advertisement side is that the advertisers know exactly who is seeing their
add and where they are. This is different from TV ads because the viewer can be tens if not
hundreds of miles away from another viewer. But with these VoGo advertisements, they know
that the viewer is in the same venue and with this information, they can advertise specific
products or services. An example for this could be the sports organization advertising their
teams merchandise store or even a special concession stand. This app is available on all mobile

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platforms such as the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Not only can you utilize the
app on your mobile phone, but also on a tablet or laptop. With this being said, in the future we
may see stadiums offering tablets attached to the seat in front of you with the VoGo app already
installed to better the fan experience as well as the idea that you dont have to use your own
phone and drain your battery. The only requirement that VoGo sports requires venues to have is
Wi-Fi throughout their stadium, but as we know already, many stadiums in the United States are
already starting to implement that.
The impact that Smart Stadiums are having on the sporting industry is the increased
attendance. With these organizations bringing all of the comforts and luxuries of home right to
the stadium, it will encourage more and more people to come to their games. Also, the added
benefit to this is that people will not question paying as much money for a ticket if it includes all
of the amenities such as, food delivery right to your seat, free Wi-Fi, an app that lets you rewind,
check on statistics, and watch from different views; all of which bring the fans that much closer
to the game. Another added benefit that smarts stadiums can have in the future is that it changes
the way that event management is run. Real time data analysis can let managers know which
gates need more ticket takers during different times before a game, as well as letting them know
which concession stands are the most populated during specific times during a game. With all of
this information, the central command system can know when and where to deploy more or less
workers to a certain area or section at a given time.
With the continued development of smart stadium technology fan experience will not
only be enhanced, it will also change the way sports are viewed in stadiums. Smart stadiums are
the future of not only American sports, but also sports world wide, and continue to bring fans
closer and enhance their fan experience daily.

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References:

Anderson, Charlotte. (2014, August, 15). AT&T Stadium announces Technological

Innovations. Retrieved from http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/08/15/attstadium-announces-technological-innovations

Bajarin, Tim. (2014, August 18). Meet Levis Stadium, the Most High Tech Sports Venue
Yet. Retrieved from http://time.com/3136272/levis-stadium-tech/

Muret, Don. (2015, February). Dolphin boxes to offer comforts of home. Street &
Smiths Sports Business Journal. Volume 17(40) pp.3.

Muret, Don. (2015, February). Levis Stadium numbers dont lie. Street &
Smiths Sports Business Journal. Volume 17(43) pp.16.

Show, Jon. (2009, November) Target Marketing. Street & Smiths Sports Business
Journal. November 2009 pp.60.