One of the most iconic football clubs in history. The best hockey league in the world. One of the most-watched annual sporting events in the world. What connects them all, of course, is Extreme Networks!
Extreme Networks kicks off the new year with a bang, announcing not one, not two, but THREE new strategic partnerships with major sports entities. Extreme solutions will be powering Old Trafford, the legendary stadium of Manchester United, select arenas of the National Hockey League (NHL), and for the ninth consecutive time – Super Bowl!
Manchester United teams up with Extreme to modernize in-stadium fan experience
Extreme Networks announced a multiyear partnership with Manchester United serving as the Club’s Official Wi-Fi Network Solutions Provider and Official Wi-Fi Analytics Provider.
The installation of Extreme Wi-Fi 6 access points at Old Trafford will begin later this year to transform the fan experience with fast, reliable Wi-Fi connectivity and increase the Club’s capability to deliver high-performance, low-latency and secure digital services. Additionally, Extreme will help Manchester United access real-time network analytics to drive more personalized and informed decisions around both the fan experience and overall venue operations.
“Old Trafford is known as The Theatre of Dreams because of its 112-year history of triumphs and dramas. With experience working with other iconic venues around the world, Extreme will help us keep our stadium up to date while preserving the character that makes it unique. Providing fast, reliable Wi-Fi to fans, underpinned by cutting-edge analytics to optimize performance, is a crucial part of that process”, says Collette Roche, Chief Operating Officer at Manchester United.
Manchester United joins several other iconic venues and leagues leveraging Extreme’s solutions to improve operational efficiency and the fan experience. Extreme’s roster of customers includes Olympiastadion Berlin, MLB, NFL, and most recently NHL.
Extreme and the National Hockey League announce multiyear partnership
Extreme Networks and the National Hockey League (NHL) today announced a new multiyear partnership, naming Extreme the Official Wi-Fi Analytics Provider and an Official Wi-Fi Partner of the NHL in the U.S. through 2026.
As part of the partnership, Extreme will deploy ExtremeAnalytics across select NHL arenas. ExtremeAnalytics delivers greater visibility into Wi-Fi network performance at cloud speed and will provide the NHL instant access to business intelligence and actionable insights regarding foot traffic flow, application usage and network security, and enhance certain elements of venue operations for NHL teams.
The NHL and Extreme also will work together to create more personalized, fluid and memorable gameday experiences. Extreme’s industry-leading Wi-Fi 6 access points can provide the high-quality, low-latency connectivity required to power best-in-class, fan-centric experiences such as mobile ticketing, cash free concessions, video streaming and playback and in-arena apps.
Additionally, ExtremeCloud IQ will provide NHL IT teams with the ability to monitor and control Wi-Fi capacity and efficiency, device configuration and analytics via a single view into the health, performance and security of the network. This streamlines management and performance of the network, while scaling IT operations and eliminating the time spent troubleshooting or searching for root causes.
“The NHL is excited to partner with Extreme and its best of breed analytics and networking solutions to uncover insights into Wi-Fi network performance in NHL arenas. The information they’re able to provide will allow us to gather a deeper understanding and insights in order to deliver a more personalized and engaging in-arena fan experience”, says Chris Golier, NHL Vice President, Business Development and Technology Partnerships.
Extreme Networks set to kick off 9th consecutive Super Bowl as Official Wi-Fi Analytics Provider
Extreme is once again the Official Wi-Fi Analytics Provider of Super Bowl LVI, set to take place on February 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This marks Extreme’s ninth consecutive Super Bowl as an official provider of Wi-Fi analytics. ExtremeAnalytics is deployed at 29 of 30 NFL stadiums and enables the NFL to drive better decisions around both business and venue operations.
SoFi is one of nine NFL stadiums using Extreme Venue Analytics 2.0, a custom solution designed for the NFL, which offers richer data sets and insights around app performance and usage, dwell time and location-based services. Operations teams use this data for more efficient venue management such as identifying stadium bottlenecks, potential safety and security issues and visibility into popular concessions and fan gathering areas. Executive and event management teams can use these insights into fan activity to better customize experiences and pinpoint sponsorship opportunities.
“Planning and executing the Super Bowl is one of the most significant undertakings each year, and Extreme continues to play an important role in making this event a success. We lean on Extreme to provide the operational insights and intelligence we need to improve things like foot traffic flow, concessions and health and safety protocols – while ensuring we have optimal connectivity and bandwidth for fans to share their experiences and operate in a mobile-first environment. Real-time visibility into network performance offers a substantial advantage to understand what is working, how fans are using data and how to customize in-stadium experiences in ways that will keep fans coming back for more”, says Michelle McKenna, Chief Information Officer, National Football League.
