SoFi Stadium, the future home of the National Football League’s (NFL) Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, will have “four times the connectivity” of standard WiFi, according to Ken Martin, the general manager of sports and entertainment at technology giant Cisco.
Speaking to SportTechie, Martin revealed that Cisco has been enlisted to install its WiFi 6 network at the US$5.2 billion venue, which will be the centrepiece of the 298-acre Hollywood Park sports and entertainment district when it opens in 2020.
“We’re building this with an entertainment precinct in mind, to offer connectivity to guests as they enter the district versus just entering the stadium,” Martin said. “WiFi 6 will offer four times the connectivity that standard Wi-Fi has offered to date.”
According to SportTechie, the installation will mark the first time that Cisco has equipped a sports venue with a WiFi 6 network, which is designed to enable fans to use their mobile devices to order food and beverages, purchase merchandise and stream videos.
The report added that Cisco will also be installing 2,600 4K video screens throughout the complex, which will allow the stadium operators to quickly change signage for Rams and Chargers home games.
The news comes after Cisco trialled the WiFi 6 network in partnership with the United States Golf Association (USGA) during this year’s US Open golf major in June.
As well as Rams and Chargers games, SoFi Stadium has already been chosen to host the 2022 Super Bowl, while it will also stage the opening and closing ceremonies of the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Hollywood Park will also house the new NFL Media campus, which is responsible for the operation of NFL Network, NFL.com, the NFL app and NFL RedZone.
Cisco is the latest company to team up with SoFi Stadium, for which Social Finance purchased the naming rights back in September in a deal worth a reported US$30 million a year. Other partners already announced for the venue include American Airlines, which is paying a reported US$90 million over ten years to sponsor Hollywood Park’s 2.5-acre plaza, and food and beverage giant PepsiCo.
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