Football fans across the continent are buzzing with excitement, as the EURO 2024 in Germany kicks off this Friday, June 14, with the tournament hosts taking on Scotland. Millions of supporters, chanting and cheering their way to victory in the big final on July 14, will be sharing their experiences via social media at all times. To make sure no special moment is missed, stadiums in Berlin and Dortmund offer top-class public Wi-Fi from Extreme Networks, enabling seamless connectivity for fans and organizers.
Nowadays, modern football stadiums are so much more than just a grass field with stands. Thanks to new technology, we experience live sports completely differently than in the past. Large screens immediately show replays and provide fans with between-innings entertainment like kiss cams. There is the goal-line and VAR technology, helping referees make the right decisions. Dozens of cameras are flying around the stadiums, catching everything that’s going on, both on and off the pitch.
A lot has also changed for the fans, too. They have their tickets on their phone, pay for their food and drinks digitally, view the lineups online and place live bets. But perhaps most importantly: they share their experiences via social media all the time (depending on the course of the game, of course).
All this new technology in stadiums requires Champions League-level connectivity (or EURO 2024-worthy connectivity, if you will). So clubs and sports associations always want to offer all new, innovative digital options and services in their stadiums. Extreme's advanced Wi-Fi technology contributes to a revolution in stadiums and their services, so that fans can enjoy an optimal match experience and employees can collaborate optimally before, during, and after the matches. Furthermore, Extreme’s Wi-Fi provides operational benefits for stadiums, including real-time in-venue analytics.
Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund
With a capacity of no less than 81,365 seats, Signal Iduna Park, home of Borussia Dortmund, is the largest football stadium in Germany. During EURO 2024, six matches will be played here, including one of the semi-finals. Extreme Networks recently implemented next-generation wireless and analytics solutions here. The new network is Wi-Fi 6E ready and has been rolled out in collaboration with Bell Computer-Netzwerke. The network provides a modern fan experience in the stadium and lays the foundation for future technology and use cases, such as ordering drinks from your seat and AR/VR in the stadium.
Olympiastadion in Berlin
Six European Championship matches will also be played at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, including the big final on July 14. In the summer of 2021, one of the world's most prestigious venues for sporting and entertainment events selected Extreme as its Official Wi-Fi Solutions Provider. Together with partner PKN Datenkommunikations GmbH, Extreme Networks has implemented a powerful Wi-Fi 6 network that meets the requirement to be declared a 5-star stadium for EURO 2024. With robust connectivity and an impressive capacity of 74,475, Olympiastadion in Berlin is bound to bear witness to some amazing moments this summer!
A top player in sports & venues
Extreme Networks is a top player when it comes to (wireless) networks for sports stadiums, festival venues and other places where many people expect seamless and secure connectivity. Throughout Europe, including the stadiums of Liverpool FC and Manchester United, Extreme delivers powerful Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi analytics. In the US, Extreme is the network provider of all the major sports leagues, such as the NFL, the Super Bowl, NHL, MLB and NASCAR Racing.