Sports are vital to live a healthy human life but did you know that some of the world’s richest men and women are sportspersons? According to a Forbes report, “The world’s 50 highest-paid athletes collected an astounding $2.97 billion before taxes and agents’ fees over the last 12 months.” From time to time PSG’s Lionel Messi, Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Tennis legend Roger Federer, boxer Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor, then Neymar, Manny Pacquiao, Dak Prescott and Golfer Tiger Woods, all have individually crossed the 100m USD mark in a year.
Be it NBA, FIFA, NFL, ICC or the Indian cricketing body BCCI and not to mention Wimbledon, US open and Australian Open, I mean these are some of the biggest names in sport bodies and all of them are super rich.
With millions of fans in each sport category, these sport events say US Open, FIFA or Superbowl etc. are also a costly affair. Did you see Rihanna perform at this year’s Superbowl half time show?
With increasing fervor towards sports amongst fans, they also expect a smooth sporting experience as well and the sporting bodies are trying to introduce automation to improve the speed and quality of stadium ingress.
From ticketing to purchasing merchandise and developing fan loyalty programs, sport bodies are trying to incorporate as much automation as possible to enhance the fan experience.
Implementation of RFID is one such step in that direction.
Role of RFID in sports:
Technology has great impact in sports now. From catching ball movements to deciding penalty and reviews and projecting scores on a large screen, technology is making for a smooth playing and viewing experience.
Although many AIDC tools can be implemented to increase the degree of automation in sports in order to enhance customer experience, RFID has certain advantages.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a wireless technology that employs a set of RFID tag, antenna, RFID reader and a RF subsystem (computer) to perform its automatic identification and data capture functions.
It’s fast and accurate enough to scan hundreds of RFID tags in a second and capture and store the data for the end user.
Here’s how RFID can be used in sports, to enhance fan experience at stadiums:
Ticketing and Access
Fans don’t have to stand for hours in queues in order to enter a sports arena now. RFID based tickets make it possible to enter and exit a stadium without any hassle, resulting in a smooth sporting experience.
Various customized ticketing solutions like card, wrist bands equipped with RFID tags are available in this segment.
Digital payments
Equipped with your credit card details or digital wallet details, RFID wristbands/ cards can also be used for purchasing merchandise and snacks and to make digital payments, pretty quick.
VIP experience
Providing VIP experience to fans and celebs at courtside is also part of making the sporting experience wholesome. It can be coupled with free drinks token and can be integrated with the RFID card/wristband ticket.
Customized fan experience
Some sports facilities announce the names of few fans as they enter the stadium by capturing their names and seating arrangements at the RFID entry points. This makes for a pleasurable fan experience and many prefer it.
Secure Parking Management
While convenience inside the stadium is important, it is equally important to ensure fans that their vehicles are secure and easily accessible when they need ’em. RFID enabled wrist bands can be customized to parking access as well. With RFID, a secure parking access and vehicle management is quite easier.
Brand endorsements and fan engagements
Sporting bodies also try to get fans engage with endorsing brands. With RFID wrist bands, they also monitor how fans engage with brands while making purchase at the premises and use the data to improve further.
To conclude, RFID is very efficient in enhancing fan experience at sports events. With thousands of fans visiting a particular stadium, RFID can streamline the entry and exit as well as parking management at the stadium.
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