Extreme Networks Teams with Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Deliver Wi-Fi Capacity at NFL's Top-Rated Venue for In-Stadium Technology
September 13, 2018 By BlueAlly
400 Percent Increase in Wi-Fi Capacity at Raymond James Stadium Ensures Champion-Caliber Experience for up to 65,000 Fans on Game Day
SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- To elevate the game day experience for their fans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers teamed with Extreme Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXTR) to improve Wi-Fi capacity at their home field, Raymond James Stadium. With solutions from Extreme's Automated Campus™ and Smart OmniEdge™ product families, the Wi-Fi density at the NFL's top-rated venue for in-stadium technology increased by 400 percent, giving 65,000+ Buccaneers fans the opportunity to share their experiences and engage with friends and family without missing a moment of action on game day.
Prior to the 2017 football season, Extreme installed 1,262 ExtremeMobility™ Wireless Access Points (APs), 950 of which were installed under-seat, along with software from the ExtremeSwitching™, ExtremeAnalytics™, ExtremeManagement™ and ExtremeControl™ products stadium-wide. Fine-tuning and network optimization exercises were conducted during the season, helping the Buccaneers to fully leverage and promote their new Wi-Fi network entering the 2018 season.
The all-Extreme, edge-to-core upgrade was made as part of a $160-plus million, multi-year stadium renovation. This included the simultaneous launch of a new Buccaneers mobile app—the Official Bucs App—that offers fans team news, photos, videos and stats, as well as instant replays; deployment of six end-zone cameras to capture plays during the game and a mobile ticketing initiative, all supported by the network. With ExtremeAnalytics software, the team can understand network performance and usage trends, and begin collecting data on application engagement and social media behaviors to optimize the fan experience in the future. As a result of these and other investments, the team was able to secure its position as the top NFL team for in-stadium technology for the second consecutive year, according to the NFL's"Voice of the Fan" report.
Additional Facts:
Improved Game Day Experience – The Wi-Fi network will have a direct impact on fans' game day experience, enabling them to check fantasy scores in real time, watch instant replays, and interact with social media.
In-App Weather Alerts – The Buccaneers wanted to integrate weather alerts into the Official Bucs App to ensure fan safety during thunderstorms on game day. Extreme anticipated RF challenges given the large Doppler radar array nearby, and successfully incorporated this factor into its deployment plan.
Competitive Advantage – Due to the increase in Wi-Fi density, the stadium is now in a better position to compete for large concert tours, international soccer friendlies, and national championship games.
Raymond James Stadium is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, University of South Florida Football, Outback Bowl and Monster Jam. It hosted the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, which marked the first time this event had been hosted in the southeast United States. Last October, the NFL officially awarded Super Bowl LV in 2021 to Tampa, marking Raymond James Stadium's third time as host. The stadium has also hosted the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA), Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XLIII as well as many superstar concerts. No matter what the event, the upgraded Wi-Fi network provides fans with improved connectivity. For example, at a recent Taylor Swift concert, more than 20,000 fans leveraged the network, generating 8.9TB of data, and the network performed without incident.
As the Official Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Analytics Provider of the NFL, Extreme was selected by the Buccaneers due to its proven track record of delivering high-density Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi analytics solutions to 28 NFL teams and during the past five Super Bowls.
