Technology Will be the Ticket to the Fan Experience of the Future

Spokesperson: Tim Brown, Vice President of Global Sales Engineering, Oracle Food and Beverage

As talk begins to turn towards lifting restrictions and opening stay-at-home orders, there is still one industry that seems a way off from being able to operate as usual: professional sports. Spectator sports rely on fan attendance not only for the revenue but for the atmosphere that makes the game so great. Gathering in mass is part of the experience - fans coming together with one passion and purpose.

Cheltenham, and it being allowed to go ahead, has been a key talking point in the ‘post-match analysis’ of the UK’s lockdown strategy. There is no doubt all eyes will be on similar events and the precautions they are taking to help keep spectators safe when they open up again. We are not sure exactly when that will be, but we know it will happen eventually and evolve in a number of new and interesting formats. The Premier League is talking about matches over the summer, while new sporting events like cricket’s ‘The Hundred’ have said they will launch next year instead. The UK will have its beloved sports back, but the way crowds attend these events will need to change. And technology will play a big part in allowing people to gather more safely again.

Accelerating the Stadium of the Future

A study we conducted in May 2019 explored what fans across the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Canada, and Australia valued most at sports event. It showed fans are ready fora technology-enabled experience. It showed 59% of fans would spend more on food and beverage if their wait time was cut in half, with over two thirds (68%) saying they’d be interested in using a mobile application to order food and drinks. A further and 63% said they would use self-service kiosk ordering.

If we were to ask these same questions nodw, how many do we think would be rated 100%? Over the last few months we have been speaking to our stadium management customers to define how technology can help them welcome large crowds to their stands while helping protect the health and wellness of fans and staff. It’s worth noting that the digital transformation of the fan experience was underway prior to COVID-19 with some stadiums adopting card only/contactless for food and drink payments as well as tickets for entry. However, stadiums will need to accelerate the adoption of these technologies and optimise programmes already in place. Here are a few things we expect to see materialise.

Connecting the Off-site Fan: Premier League Meets Sonic

With stadiums closed or reopening with limited capacity, the concept of drive-in games, smaller gatherings, and live streaming are all on the table. Clubs will need to connect with fans where they are, versus driving fans to a central destination. The fans will adopt new rituals, and service will evolve with these changes. The point of sale system (POS) essentially becomes the point –of service, enabling fulfilment where and when fans gather. Consider the online ordering of food, drink, and merchandise, promoted through social media channels. These will be delivered to small social-distanced groups, before the live streaming of an event.

On-site Self-Service

We are likely to see bars and concession stands become contactless – either with a ‘contactless payment at one end of the bar and collect from the other end’ set-up, or with stalls replaced by vending machines in their entirety. We have already seen the self-service vending model work well in wine bars and pubs and the extension to stadiums is not a far reach. Using data analytics, food service management teams can help predict which products to prepare and at what quantities. This is based on ticket sales, demographic data and historical information to ensure inventory is stocked at the right time so orders can be filled without queuing or interacting with concession staff. To further mitigate the risk of excessive congregating, stadiums may consider requiring pre-order either from a dedicated terminal in your seat or from a fan’s mobile device, with specified pickup times and locations.

A More Personalised Fan Experience

We will likely see the elimination of physical tickets in their entirety. Instead, QR or barcodes will be sent to mobile devices before the game, either by email, mobile wallet or in a dedicated fan app. These codes will give us entry to the stadium and access to several amenities opening the opportunity for a highly personalised fan experience. For example, sending personalised promotions for food and drink, or apparel that you can buy online and have shipped directly to home or for retrieval onsite at a merchandising vending machine. This can build into more complex personalisation tactics like upselling tickets for the next event based on past purchases.

Beyond Match Day

The propensity to stay at home and social-distance will have a lasting effect on consumer behaviour. And although fans will eventually be ready to get out and enjoy live entertainment, there will also be more time spent online. Continuing the conversation with fans and getting them excited for the next event will now take place across multiple mediums – online, apps and in-person. Your POS technology is the hub of all those interactions – from in-seat food purchases to app tickets and through to online merchandising. A centralised approach to managing and understanding that data will allow stadiums to build a coherent and complete picture of their best, most profitable fans. Using this data to stay connected and enrich the experience – on and off-site – will bring a new level of engagement to professional sports.