How 5G is transforming sports for spectators

“Through 5G and edge computing, people can buy more merchandise in a contactless way; it’s super easy, it’s fast,” says brian Mecum. “You go in, you have that emotion- al connection when you see something, you take it and you walk out and are charged automatically for the purchase.”

The flexibility of 5G connectivity can also make it easier for stadiums to relocate merchandise stores and other concessions, or establish new ones, if they need to. They could, for example, use 5G to establish temporary stores in the parking lot.

Verizon is also testing how LiDAR technology can help venue owners gain real-time information on crowd patterns, so they can make immediate decisions to help improve the flow of people. The LiDAR data is handled by 5G and edge compute capacity, where it can be analysed to determine traffic-flow and congestion patterns in near real-time.
That information can be used to deploy staff or digital signage and mobile applications to help spectators navigate venues for a better overall experience. The insights derived from the collected data can then be displayed on publicly viewable monitors or shared directly with spectators in real time using wayfinding and mobile app application programming interfaces (Apis), enabling patrons to make smarter decisions as they navigate through venues.

Together computer vision, crowd analytics and other 5G-enabled applications could significantly reduce queues for amenities within the stadium. “As fans return to live events, there is a need to reimagine the in-arena experience,” says Brian Mecum. “The deployment of 5G in these arenas is the foundation for unlocking future fan experiences and solutions for venue operations.”

For example, Verizon invested over US$80 million for permanent network enhancements to support the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium and around Tampa. Those enhancements include 70 miles of high-speed fibre, an upgraded distributed antenna system and 281 small cell antennas to provide coverage at events in and around the stadium as well as Downtown Tampa, Ybor City and the Tampa Riverwalk.

For Super Bowl LVI, Verizon invested $119 million dollars in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, which opened in September 2020, and the surrounding Hollywood Park campus. Verizon’s largest 5G stadium build to date, SoFi Stadium was built with 5G Ultra Wideband at the core by partnering early in the design process and working on the build from the ground up.

As they become equipped with 5G, stadia could host a wider range of events. High-speed reliable connectivity could, for example, be used to temporarily transform NF L stadiums into digital arenas that can host mobile-gaming events with real-time, on-site multiplayer action.

Over the next decade, Verizon and the NF L plan to employ 5G to help sports teams to improve scouting, training, health and safety and game day operations. The technology could be used, for example, to support real-time analytics and visualizations for coaches and players, giving them the ability to learn from the last play and prepare for the next one.

Some of these technologies are already being used in other sports. For example, the Verizon 5G Performance Center, the practice facility for the Phoenix Suns basketball team, is testing a solution developed by ShotTracker, which uses 5G-connected sensors to collect and share game stats. ShotTracker, a Verizon Ventures portfolio company, says teams and broadcasters can use its solution to track player shot selection, ball movement and player efficiency to provide near realtime, in-game analysis.

This kind of technology can be used to help detect when a player has a minor injury or needs to work on a specific technique. “We are doing machine learning, computer vision and sensor insertion with the players to do stuff that no one’s ever done before,” says Brian Mecum. “The Phoenix Suns are currently number one in the NB A, and they went to the NB A finals last year. They are having statistical improvements, that they’ve never had before: their performance is off the rails.”

In time, in-stadium 5G could enable fans to see make/miss projections for a basketball player as they begin to take a shot, based on total career shooting percentage from that spot on the floor, in similar game situations. Edge compute and low latency 5G could be used to provide such a service (which would require processing massive amounts of historical data, along with real-time, in-game data) to thousands of fans in the arena.

“As people learn what we can improve or change or enhance, they will want to adopt this,” says Brian Mecum. “In terms of enhancing the in-stadium experience, we’re just getting started.”