The entertainment and sporting industries have advanced in ways that have made stadiums highly versatile, highly sought-after venues for hosting events.
The recent announcement that Manchester United Football Club plans to build a £2 billion state-of-the-art stadium serves as a reminder that enhancing the fan experience is crucial for encouraging a new wave of engagement with more fans. What’s more, the demand for adaptable, cost-effective infrastructure is growing, presenting a diverse set of connectivity requirements.
5G has the potential to totally transform how stadiums operate. Unlike traditional wired systems, the high-speed connectivity, low latency, and enhanced reliability of 5G is a game changer. It’s made it possible to deploy a myriad of new services and applications in and around these major infrastructures that were previously not feasible with previous mobile technologies. The flexibility, scalability, and reliability provided by private 5G can deliver a better environment for fans and stakeholders alike.
Most importantly, unlike public networks overloaded and shared by thousands of users, private 5G delivers dedicated bandwidth, stronger security and full control over network resources and performance. They can ensure that critical operations run smoothly, minimise network congestion, and support innovative services, such as more interactive options for broadcasters to offer their audiences.
Creating previously untapped efficiencies with private 5G
How efficiently stadiums operate is pertinent, with factors such as fluctuating crowd flow, different event requirements, and rotating vendor locations playing their part in how efficient a stadium can be. Private 5G networks are set to revolutionise operations in this way. These networks can drastically reduce connectivity costs and deployment time by eliminating the need for extensive cabling, which can be costly to install, maintain, and adapt. With the removal of physical wire restrictions, the deployment of IoT devices, cameras and sensors becomes much more flexible. This ‘cut the wire’ method reduces the cost of continuously modifying connectivity equipment, simultaneously making it quicker and simpler to reconfigure and adapt venues for different events.
Just as importantly, private 5G elevates security. Real-time video analytics can quickly detect potential issues, while 5G-connected drones and robots enhance coverage in areas that are difficult or costly to monitor with personnel alone. This ensures a safer environment for everyone, protecting visitors, staff, and assets.
Connecting crowds and driving revenue
High capacity, reliable connection is essential for stadium tenants, sports teams, concert organisers, and other event planners to provide high-quality services and set themselves apart in a market that is becoming more competitive. The network slicing and dedicated bandwidth of private 5G provides flawless support for vendor’s point-of-sale systems, secure channel coordination among employees, and continuous, high-quality streaming for broadcasters.
Real-world examples, like London’s StoneX Stadium, show the potential of private 5G in action. By deploying AR applications that provide in-depth analytics, multiple camera angles, and interactive features, StoneX Stadium keeps fans more engaged, both onsite and at home, boosting satisfaction and driving commercial growth. As the global private cellular market expands, forward-thinking stadiums that embrace private 5G benefit from greater operational efficiency and more substantial revenue potential.
Beyond improved operations, private 5G opens the door to entirely new revenue streams. Stadiums can offer premium connectivity packages to broadcasters, VIP guests, and other partners. Industry projections indicate that the global private cellular market could reach £78 billion by 2030, signalling a stronger trend towards private network adoption in sectors such as sports and entertainment. This technological edge not only attracts more events but also increases their profitability.
Driving immersive stadium experiences
Private 5G’s low latency, high bandwidth and dependable performance enables stadium operators to gather more data to create engaging content. By supporting multiple streams from several high-definition camera angles and leveraging real-time data to develop more significant insights, organisers can deliver a more meaningful fan experience. For instance, Crystal Palace FC is utilising a private 5G network at its Selhurst Park stadium to facilitate a vision enhancement system that enables supports who are blind or visually impaired to watch live match video straight to specially designed headsets.
How early adopters are maximising private 5G in stadiums
Thankfully, after years of research, setting up and maintaining a private 5G network is now a rather simple procedure. Without requiring miles of physical infrastructure, these networks can be put up in a matter of hours. Managed service providers take care of the setup and maintenance for stadiums without in-house knowledge, enabling businesses of all sizes to benefit from the technology.
The latest private 5G solutions are also more IT-friendly, meaning stadium IT staff can manage the network without needing specialised cellular training. This easy integration helps lower the barrier for adoption and makes it easier for stadiums to maintain their networks over time.
We’ve learnt some important lessons from the first stadiums to implement private 5G networks. One key takeaway is the importance of starting with specific, focused use cases. By targeting immediate needs, like enhancing point-of-sale systems or boosting security, stadiums can quickly see the benefits, which paves the way for expanding to other uses later. This strategy is demonstrated by Stade Velodrome in Marseille, which began utilising a private 5G network to support a push to talk solution called Team Connect to keep workers connected. Since then, it has begun experimenting with food and beverage deliveries to people’s seats, and monitoring stocks within stores at the stadium.
Scalability is another key factor. Private 5G networks are designed to grow alongside a stadium’s needs, and planning for this from the beginning ensures that the network remains a long-term asset.
The stadium of the future
Consider being completely engrossed in the action at a stadium, complete with customised information, interactive AR/VR possibilities, and real-time statistics. Stadiums are expected to benefit greatly from the development of private 5G technology. Enhanced connectivity will enable stadiums to be safer and more efficient through advanced surveillance systems, intelligent crowd management tools, and automated systems.
However, private 5G networks do more than improve operations; they also increase revenue through new services and enhanced event appeal and experiences. Connectivity is now being views as a utility, making it just as important and water and electricity. Just as those utilities are fundamental, reliable connectivity is quickly becoming indispensable for running modern stadiums.
The goal of investing in private 5G is to provide the groundwork for a future in which entertainment and technology coexist together. It’s about turning live events into more engaging and genuinely remarkable experiences, ones which leave fans hungry for more.
About the Author
Ray Sabourin is Global Vertical Partnership Lead at Ericsson. The future of mobile isn’t on the horizon, it’s happening now. At Ericsson, we’re building the foundation for an open network ecosystem where industries, developers, and enterprises thrive. The convergence of 5G, AI, cloud, and network APIs isn’t just a technological shift; it’s a transformation that is redefining industries and enhancing everyday life. Open, programmable networks are enabling real-time innovation and unlocking new business models across the globe. Imagine a world where developers can dynamically access network capabilities on demand, where enterprises don’t just use connectivity but shape it. This isn’t a distant vision, it’s the ecosystem we’re creating today. Collaboration fuels everything we do. By working across industries, we’re designing a future where connectivity isn’t just seamless. It’s intelligent, programmable, and transformative.
