The average data transferred per season has quadrupled since the 2014 NFL regular season, according to the official Wi-Fi provider of the NFL.
In-stadium Wi-Fi usage has been on a steady incline for 8 years. Fans are using their phones more and more from the stands, and teams have been investing in improved Wi-Fi systems in their stadiums. This is all according to Extreme Networks, the official Wi-Fi provider of the NFL.
Wi-Fi Trend
If you’ve attended a live sports event recently, you may have noticed how much more common it is to see fans with phones in their hands than only a few years ago. Well, the data confirms it.
As you can see, Wi-Fi usage has been on a tear the past 8 years. The average data transferred per season has quadrupled from 1.9TB in 2014 to 7.7TB this past season. And this rate of change is not showing any signs of stopping. The amount of data has increased 67% from just in 2019.
What’s Driving This Change?
The root of where this change is coming from is two fold:
- Fans are becoming more connected via their smartphones year after year
- Stadiums have prioritized ease of access and strength of their on-site WiFi
You can debate which of these trends is the chicken and which is the egg, but the unmistakable truth is that both of these forces have been working together to push data usage up and up each year.
Application Usage
Extreme Networks also took a look at what apps are taking up the most fan attention in the stadium. Here is a breakdown of the biggest apps in a few different categories.
This data is from across the entire league, meaning that no team-specific apps have a chance of showing up here, but it is worth considering that on a team-to-team basis they may also be absorbing a considerable amount of fan attention.
It’s interesting to note that after all of these years and talk of drop off, Facebook continues to be the largest social app for in-stadium fans. This may be a result of the NFL having an average age of 50 which is continuing to get older.
Sports Betting
Sports betting has also been on the rise lately. Extreme Networks was able to visualize the near constant sports betting activity that was occurring during the Superbowl by in-person fans in the stands.
Live sports betting accounts for a significant portion of the Wi-Fi activity occurring in the stands at the game. And with legalized sports betting taking the country by storm, this will certainly be another trend to monitor. It has the capacity to take screen time away from traditional sports apps and social media.
Bringing Value To Fan’s Screens
This continuing trend of increased Wi-Fi usage by in-person fans at the game indicates the importance of delivering relevant content to the phones of your audience. Duelbox provides dozens of mass participation, digital games that can be delivered in real time to your fan’s phones at the game. These games can even be sponsored, providing your organization with a new revenue stream.
If you’d like to learn more about bringing Duelbox to your team, book a call with us. We’ll discuss your situation, educate you about our solutions, and answer any questions you may have.
