Three major trends have been happening in the world of stadiums and arenas: major sponsorships and associations with tech companies, extended purposes for use other than sports, and the uplevelling of the technology, and with that an improved customer experience (CX).
Sponsorships are closing the digital divide
The major sponsorships and associations with tech companies are widely publicised; think HP and Wrexham at Racecourse Ground, HP and Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, HPE Aruba and Everton FC at Goodison Park, soon to be Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium to name only a few. Yes, the sponsorships have been there for some time, but when HP became the first brand in Real Madrid’s 121-year history to have its logo appear on the sleeves of the club’s men’s and women’s first teams it speaks volumes of the levels of investment and depths of partnerships being forged. Along with the sponsorships come an investment and commitment for digital transformation of club spaces, elevating fan experiences and club operations.
Open for Business
Stadium uses are not just for sports, from religious gatherings to corporate hospitality, museums and exhibitions, stadiums are staying open 7 days a week. Stadiums are big business, factor in the cost of the tickets, the catering, the merchandise and some stadiums in the Premier League can take as much as £3million on key match days. That’s on a good day in the Premier League, but start factoring in the costs of electricity, grounds maintenance and staff fees and you can start to understand why stadiums diversify into weddings, festivals, exhibitions, conferences and so much more. With over 160 stadiums and arenas in the UK, there is bound to be one near you.
Historically equipping stadiums
In 1946 the first live televised football match was broadcast by the BBC from Underhill Stadium in Barnet. Since then, stadiums have evolved their transmission capabilities with satellite transmitters, HD cameras and editing suites.
Stadium lighting too has gone on a journey with bodies like FIFA and UEFA requiring evenly illuminated fields from stadium lights, and hence floodlighting, scoreboards, and advertising LED boards are now essential during a game. The Dell stadium, previously used by Southampton FC until 2001, was the first in England to have permanent floodlights installed, used for an exhibition match in 1950 against Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic.
UC Advanced caught up with the current IT Director at Southampton FC, Huw Fielding, when 8×8 held their CX South 2024 conference in St Mary’s stadium.
Every Day is Different
Huw gave a “Firepit Chat” with Jamie Snaddon, 8×8’s Managing Director, EMEA. Huw’s been in IT for 15 years, been with Southampton FC club for 8 years, and been in the IT director role for 18 months. Interestingly, Huw commented that his role has certainly evolved from one of a ‘traditional’ IT role to, in his words, more of a “CSP, MSP kind of thing”. Other than the fact that Huw is probably living the dream of quite a few people combining IT and a football club, what is fascinating is what he gets up to on a daily basis, the levels of technology going into the operations, and the stadium in particular.
One day Huw could be dealing with the Premier League to co-ordinate how much data they need to come into the stadium, confronting how to improve 4K and 8K video storage for football analysts so that they can record and simultaneously access the data remotely, and on another day looking after the infrastructure that serves the clubs’ customers. Huw viewed his customers as “the 400 or so people that work for the club, but also the 30,000 fans that turn up every other week, and then everyone that’s wider, so the quarter of a million people in Southampton, and the overseas fans.”
Huw continued, “We deal with everything from the website to ticketing, and that whole journey of how you get to the stadium. But also the new experience once you’re in the stadium as well. That’s something that not only us, but a lot of football clubs are looking at changing and improving. So there are lots of changes that we’ve made. In the last year or so we’ve put some new scoreboards up that are much bigger. We’ve got Wi-Fi out into the bowl and into all of our suites. We’re going to continue that journey and expand that out further.” With a team of six, there is certainly a lot on everyone’s plates, with more responsibilities each year.
Keepie Uppie
Huw’s biggest challenge was time management, with his view being, “the reality is that you can’t do everything, and you can’t do everything at once. You’ve got to prioritise what you need. And for me, having a really good team behind me is paramount. We’ve got a tremendous roadmap of work to do, both in and outside the stadium. All to give the fans the best experience they can when they come here. And then, obviously, everyone that comes here every day for other reasons.”
CX tools for a broad range of customers
With Huw’s roadmap in mind, the questions turned to the CX tools that Huw currently has at his disposal and the stages of installation and activation. At the moment it’s digital ticketing, a cloud telephony-based system, an improved customer contact centre and seamless experiences for customers between audio and visual, and presumbly a long wish list.
Huw elaborated, “One of the biggest ones that’s going to be coming in this summer is digital ticketing. This is quite common, concert tickets have been e-tickets for a long time now. Football’s a little bit behind the curve there, although some clubs have got there. We’ll be releasing e-tickets as our single source of tickets going forwards. Now, that involves deploying a new app, making sure that all of our ticketing systems can talk to the app and all of our turnstiles can talk to the app, both on football match days, which is obviously the primary thing that everyone expects, but also for any other event days, for concerts that we host here. We need to make sure that whether it’s Ticketmaster or up the road locals, we can make sure we get the right people in the door. So that hopefully is going to be one of the great experience changes and also saves us printing off the best part of 20,000 tickets per match, which is great as well… Location-enabled tickets so your ticket’s not real until you turn up, all these sorts of things are great ways to make sure that they’re genuine.”
Choosing a cloud telephony-based system
Huw continues, “The decision to switch away was a no-brainer. We had a really old legacy on-prem system that still served our SDN and all sorts, so we had to get rid of that. We looked for a good cloud telephony-based system and one of our key requirements was the ability for our different teams to manage themselves. The self-service and manageability of the platform allowing everyone and their line managers to deal with their own requirements on an ad hoc basis was essential and that’s been proven so worthy as well. If we look at the last few months, we’ve had Take That, two nights sold out, and that sold out pretty quick. Obviously a Wembley final that we sold out for. That’s a lot of phone calls, there’s a lot of tickets being sold, there’s a lot of interaction with our fan experience staff. People asking questions, where can I park, what’s available, all these sorts of things, and we want to make sure that’s available constantly. It’s really a challenge, but that’s why the platform has worked so well for us.”
Self Sufficiency 1: Cold Transferring 0
Huw was asked whether self-sufficiency for his team was the most noticeable difference in implementing the new system, and he summed up the advantages of a good cloud telephony-based system pretty neatly, “I’d say that’s probably one of the most obvious, from an outside perspective, from a usability point of view, the platform itself, it works, right? You log in, you can have nice VoIP headsets and all these sorts of things that work far nicer than our traditional sort of setup. But even then, just proper call routing and parking and the ability to talk to people, not cold transferring before, those sorts of things. Again, as a fan or a customer or whatever part in that journey, the experience is seamless then. It’s just a better experience. And usually dealt with a little bit quicker because you’re not worrying about what’s going on.” Additionally, the internal customers – the contact centre staff in hospitality, the fan experience team, ticket office team, our administration and reception teams across both sites as well, because our training ground is included as part of that. They need to be able to talk to each other really quickly, understand who’s available, who’s not, so they’re not dropping calls on people blind and those sorts of things, to make sure that they can do that. I think there’s about 30-odd people that use that experience in total and get the most out of it as well.”
Moving the tech up with the league tables
Jamie asked Huw what tools and technologies Huw was considering for the future. On the radar for Huw is maximising the contact centre, exploring further the use of AI and chatbots to drive intuitive and accurate responses to the clubs’ customers, thus aspiring to higher service and customer satisfaction levels. Additionally, a flawless tech experience every day the stadium is open, not just match days. Huw is considering a new IPTV solution to manage the TV content and the signage content so that, “From the second you walk in the door, you feel like that event is made for you, not a generic space. It’s a space that’s made for the people that want it and need it.” For events like wedding receptions and dinner parties Huw is determined to utilise and improve the technology in music, sound and visuals that play such a key part in the customers’ experiences, offering a personalisation of experience. Huw’s roadmap has a vision for additional suites in the coming year too, so here at UC Advanced we are pretty sure of two things – every day will be different for Huw, and he is a very busy man.
Historic Stadiums tackle High-Speed Wi-Fi
Another stadium recently elevating its CX is Anfield, home of Liverpool FC. Anfield deployed high-speed Wi-Fi to drive engaging digital fan experiences and streamline stadium operations with Extreme Networks, and Extreme’s deployment partner for the project was Verizon Business.
Drew Crisp, Senior Vice President of Digital, at Liverpool FC, explained, “Anfield is an enduring symbol in UK football history and has stood for 139 years, hosting countless historical moments and legendary matches. With Extreme Wi-Fi, we’ve brought the stadium into the digital age, seamlessly blending our rich history with modern innovation. This partnership not only empowers us to deliver innovative digital experiences but also provides us with valuable insights to continually enrich fans’ matchday experiences. Extreme was a true partner throughout the entire process as they are the gold standard when it comes to providing seamless connectivity in high-density, iconic venues.”
With hundreds of thousands of LFC fans who come through the turnstiles each year, new digital experiences like mobile ticket scanning, cashless payments and mobile concessions are just some aspects of the fan’s CX and the network’s design for high-density outdoor environments helps ensure that even during sold-out games, with all 61,000 seats filled, the connectivity remains robust and fast.
Pinpointing peaks and making data-driven decisions
Using ExtremeAnalytics, the club has access to real-time data around fan preferences and experiences such as foot traffic, popular concessions areas and app usage across the stadium and it is now possible to personalise and customise fan experiences throughout the stadium. It can also pinpoint peak moments during games when fans are most digitally engaged and where they most often congregate in the stadium, helping the club make data-driven decisions such as identifying areas in the venue that may require additional staff, opportunities for future marketing partnerships and prioritising content to boost fan engagement.
LFC’s wireless network is managed entirely through ExtremeCloud™ IQ, enabling stadium staff to monitor and control Wi-Fi capacity and performance, and adjust the settings and parameters of wireless devices such as access points. The operations team has a complete view of the stadium network through a single, centralised dashboard, enabling them to optimise performance in real-time to deliver a seamless experience for fans and staff connected to the network. Liverpool FC fans will never “walk alone” and their connectivity will never falter.
Norman Rice, Chief Commercial Officer, at Extreme Networks commented, “Partnering with one of the world’s most celebrated football clubs to deliver wireless connectivity that transforms both matchday and fan experiences has been inspiring. Creating a modern experience while still preserving a historical landmark is an area where Extreme continues to excel. Our collaboration with Liverpool Football Club goes beyond simply improving connectivity; it’s about shaping the future of one of the world’s most beloved sports organizations, and we’re honored to be at the forefront of this transformative journey.” Verizon Business Chief Revenue Officer for Global Enterprise and Public Sector, Massimo Peselli, echoed Rice’s sentiment, “The opportunity to be part of the ongoing legacy of a storied football club such as Liverpool FC is an honor. Joining together with Extreme Networks, we are further transforming the in-stadium connectivity experience for this immensely passionate fanbase. Venues like this are the ultimate proving ground for tech – an industry we view as an epicenter of innovation.”
Extreme Networks delivers high-performance network solutions to stadiums across Europe, including Borussia Dortmund, Olympiastadion Berlin and stadiums within ESSMA, bringing more joy to the fan experience and the football clubs’ staff and outside broadcasting teams.
Expecting exceptional experiences
Another partner of Extreme Networks is Westcon-Comstor. Martin Flensburg, VP, Business Operations, Global Supply Chain Solutions and Services at Westcon-Comstor commented: “The modern-day sports fan expects an exceptional experience rooted in connectivity. High-speed Wi-Fi connectivity and Wi-Fi analytics enable seamless experiences including mobile ticketing, cashless transactions, in-seat concessions ordering, real-time sports betting, and improved stadium app performance, driving fan engagement while boosting revenue generation for venues. Strong network infrastructures improve ticketing, security, and staff collaboration and provide data-driven insights for better resource allocation and operational planning. That’s why we’re excited to be working with Extreme Networks, which is spearheading the rise of the connected stadium, to revolutionise the matchday experience for sports fans across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). As the first distributor in the region to be officially recognised as a delivery and solutions partner for stadiums looking to leverage Extreme’s market-leading solutions, we are accelerating adoption of Extreme’s solutions – creating new growth opportunities for channel partners while adding value through our own services. Meanwhile our experienced services team will install and deploy the infrastructure to meet each venue’s specific requirements. Extreme Networks is an innovator in this space, shaking up the status quo and helping customers find new ways to drive better outcomes. We’re excited to be partnering with them as they continue to expand their presence across EMEA.”
Connected stadium strategies
Gone are the days when stadium visits meant spotty Wi-Fi and long queues for most major UK stadiums. On the other side of Stanley Park is “home of the Blues” Everton FC’s current grounds, Goodison Park. Go two miles down the road and you’ll find Everton’s upcoming 52,888-capacity stadium, promising to be a benchmark in modern sports venues, thanks to the comprehensive networking solutions of HPE Aruba Networking – a unit of Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
Everton Football Club has partnered with HPE Aruba Networking to develop a secure and intelligent networking infrastructure for its upcoming new waterfront stadium. The comprehensive solution will include switches, access points, Wi-Fi, wired network management and security software. The technology will enable Everton FC to create a connected stadium strategy and offer an engaging fan experience using digital technologies. The state-of-the-art infrastructure is expected to be in place when the new stadium opens for the 2025/26 season and the new stadium should be nothing short of a technological marvel.
HPE Aruba Networking is no stranger to the world of sports and event venues. Known for their security-first, AI-powered networking, they’ve been integral to the infrastructure of some of the biggest arenas in the UK, Europe and North America.
Excitement for Goodison 2.0
Richard Kenyon, Chief Commercial and Communications Officer at Everton Football Club has expressed his excitement: “Working with HPE Aruba Networking will give Everton Stadium a best-in-class Wi-Fi network infrastructure and we are delighted to have them as an Official Supplier. Their expertise in networking some of the biggest venues in the UK, Europe and North America will be important as we develop the digital infrastructure and potential of Everton Stadium.”
Mark Weeks, director of UK & Ireland, HPE Aruba Networking, expressed the company’s pride in joining the project and reiterated their commitment to delivering a world-class venue for Everton, “We are proud to be joining the project to deliver a world-class venue and a world-class home for Everton. At HPE Aruba Networking, we know that technology is a key element to every fan experience, from the point when they enter the stadium, at times when they want to share their excitement with loved ones outside of the stadium, at half-time, when leveraging local services like restaurants and bars, and even after the match has ended. HPE Aruba Networking’s custom-designed and reliable network infrastructure enables Everton to stay connected with their fans throughout their matchday experience and beyond, helping the club create a modern, interactive matchday experience.”
Stay tuned, Evertonians. Your new digital wonderland is on its way.
EFL Championship and EFL League stadiums too
Gaining press attention recently has been Wrexham FC in EFL (English Football League) League One and Watford FC who currently compete in the EFL Championship. Watford Football Club, founded in 1881, and residing in Vicarage Road for over a century, has recently catapulted its club’s IT infrastructure and operational efficiency with ASUS. Paul O’Brien, Watford club’s Commercial Director, pointed out that tradition must evolve, “We want to use technology to its full potential. We look at other sports like Formula One and how they use technology in every department – that’s what we want to do here.”
Watford’s partnership with ASUS began just over a year ago, and partnership was not just about upgrading existing systems; it was about rethinking how every department at Watford could leverage technology to enhance performance, efficiency, and ultimately, the fan experience. ASUS brought a suite of solutions to the table, each meticulously tailored to address specific needs across the club.
Final Whistle: History meets Modernity
So many of the stadiums in the United Kingdom and Ireland are labelled with words such as historic, iconic, oldest, and here are some other labels coming to a stadium and arena near you: high-speed, connectivity and experiential and words that the fans and customers don’t use, but most IT managers might: collaboration, integration and seamless. Strong partnerships are being forged between tech providers and stadiums, and they are crafting something extraordinary to take stadium experiences to the next level, allowing us to have unforgettable memories in our lives. The future is looking brighter – and more connected – than ever.