If you partake or just observe the discourse around the consumption of professional sports (especially at the highest level), it’s very likely that you might’ve heard of the premise that current sports fans are more interested in the fan experience rather than the sports product itself.
This is a contentious point that requires a very clear breakdown of factors in an extended, data-driven research effort, especially now that we have changing demographics in the overall base of consumers. Generation Z, whose understanding of sports comes from video games and social media discourse to a greater extent than other demographics, is becoming one of the main targets for the business side of professional sports.
As a result, we can identify the fan experience aspect of live sports viewership as a matter of providing a dynamic sense of involvement. Simply watching the game and hoping for the best starts to feel less and less like it is enough. However, the fan experience element is still a somewhat elusive white whale, one that technology appears to be trying to capture one element at a time.
In this article, we will talk about a facet of this tandem between what the fans want, what they deserve for the ticket prices, and how smart stadiums are a huge part of this uptick in attendance quality. Since sports betting is an inescapable aspect of how many fans experience sports nowadays, you’ll quickly find them intertwined.
Defining a smart stadium
Like most other things that we add the ‘smart’ denomination to, a smart stadium is an outdoor sports arena that integrates high-level technological elements and leverages them for a better and more streamlined experience. Naturally, a truly modern stadium is less of an exclusively outdoor arena with the rise of domed stadia with retractable roofs that can turn them into enclosed spaces.
One of the most impressive things about smart stadiums is the fact that they need to provide stable technological processes for spaces populated by tens of thousands of attendees. The Premier League’s average 2024/25 attendance of 41,791 shows as much for the top association football league, while theNFL’s average 2024 attendance shows the same principle.
What we have is a gathering of people the size of a small town, all compacted within a building. Since most attendees possess and actively use at least a smartphone, in addition to all the broadcasting gear, the connectivity of a smart stadium must enjoy an impressive infrastructure, including its technological make-up.
The main elements that entail a high technological level of a stadium
Thankfully, there is enough optic fibre to go around and make things easy.
On a more serious note, we are seeing that there is a lot of room for innovation now that shattering internet speeds, wireless technology, and AI-powered process optimization are, in different ways and to different degrees, established. However, there are quite a few avenues for optimization and noticeable improvements without a doubt.
The first and most fundamental element of a properly smart stadium is irreproachable WiFi connectivity. Internet access for all kinds of things is the stepping stone to a technology-driven fax experience. From cases like SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to the new Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, these new stadiums show that the right infrastructure can provide seamless internet connectivity, powering the concept of smart stadiums.
This is what powers what we know as the Internet of Things. Given that stadiums are places where there is an immense number of gadgets, the IoT means that these physical objects interact with each other through sensors, processing protocols, and data exchange.
This means that communication, orientation, and data transmission are at an incredibly high level, streamlining every process and ensuring quickness on all fronts.
The overall fan experience benefits from it.
There are various systems that can benefit from the IoT that smart stadiums implement. Not only is there the ability to keep track of the outside world thanks to efficient internet, but there are internal drivers of the fan experience.
First of all, we have the idea of connectivity between the attendee and their seat. This means that, once you enter the stadium, you will be able to track your pathway to your seat without having to worry about the route. Not only that, but being able to see a 360° angle of your seat before you buy a ticket is mandatory.
Another innovative solution would be the ability to order beverages, snacks, and food directly to your seat. It means that you would be able to connect to the stadium’s hospitality service, pay for your order directly, and get to the point.
When it comes to more technical factors of your watching experience, the ability to connect directly to optical systems that give you a better look into key plays beyond the jumbo screen.
Live betting in the context of smart stadiums
On that last point, we ought to get into the betting factor. We know that many markets have opened up in the last decade plus, showcasing the overt liberalization of gambling legislation. It just so happens that some of the biggest markets for sports betting are those that have stadiums that can implement smart characteristics.
Firstly, the internet connectivity must be fast enough for live betting. As OmegaTipsters proves with its collection of bookmaking gambling brands, there are more and more operators that are trying to get into the action of live betting. This means that the opportunity to wager live on interchangeable odds that update very often is at an all-time high.
Suppose you are betting while as a live attendee, you have the edge because, unlike many who are watching broadcasts, especially general feeds. You have a fraction of a second in reaction time if you are to bet. You also have the big picture on the field, being able to see if certain players are getting open, winning their match-ups off the ball, or have unfortunately failed to get up, signaling an injury. Optical devices that zoom into these aspects allow you to identify such factors and get their sense before you actually bet.
Internet connectivity within a smart stadium also impacts those who are at home betting. If the stadium has the right infrastructure, it facilitates the implementation of technology like Hawk-Eye and real player data that feeds into models that calculate the odds that you bet on. It allows real-time connectivity between betting markets, bookmakers, and the bettors themselves.
Is betting a distraction from the live attendance experience?
We wouldn’t say so. The ability to focus on plays and enjoy the flow of the game, especially when it entails big moments, is necessary. It’s not just about respecting the product that you see on the field, but also making the most of a likely hefty price that you’ve paid for the sake of attending.
Smart stadiums operate very well when it comes to integration. They integrate quality of experience services, technological access to data, and visual perspectives, and a direct influence over betting market movements.
Ultimately, it is in your best interest to use them as peripheral points of enjoyment that enhance the experience of watching the on-field action.
Conclusion
To conclude, live betting benefits from the speed and access of smart stadiums and the internet of things. As a matter of enjoying yourself in the long run, it would probably be best if you remember to gamble responsibly and focus on other matters of enjoyment!
