Connected Sport

Eng. Saud Alsheraihi

Products and Solutions VP-stc

Sports being the healthy source of entertainment has created more eagerness in society after long enclosures during COVID-19. 5G presents opportunity to welcome fans with enhanced experience on their return to the pavilions. Media has played an important part in elevating fan’s experience to next levels by introducing technologies such as 3D replays, animated screens, player’s graphical profiling etc. Introducing new ways of engagement with top tier sports poses potential of complete rehauling of the entertainment associated with sports industry. For instance Soccer has the largest fan base worldwide with estimation of 3.5 Billion. Following which; media also acquires huge share in sports industry as can be seen by NBC and IOC having SAR 29 Billion TV right deal for Olympics from 2021-2032.
Sports industry is also dealing with a challenge in terms of aging fan base; which calls for digital transformation of venues, TV/Streaming. 2016 data taping indicates rise in fan base avg ages compared to 2006; Soccer/Football fans avg age is 40 years, similarly avg age of Olympics fans increased to 53 years up from 50 years, American Football avg fan age increased to 50 years up from 46, Basketball which has 3rd largest fan base in the world also observed incline of avg fan age from 40 to 42 years, and same goes for other sports.
5G can bring in number of interesting use cases that can enhance the experience of fans as well as provide better insights to organizers to invest in fan-centric areas. Spectators can use ultrahigh speeds of 5G to live stream their venue experience on their social media with friends and family. TV Broadcast and steaming media who rely heavily on wired connections between cameras and their mobile production units can leverage 5G as a backhaul transport media. Unique camera angles can be introduced such as attached to athlete and/or their equipment which are impossible with human photographers or wired setup, also can include footage from fan’s smartphones into live broadcast productions. Fans can have improved experience of home-venue-home by the utility of live updating personal vehicles parking assistance screens, automated ticket verification and security screening, on-seat food delivery and avoidance of long ques, digital billboards for dynamic situation based updates to visitors leaving the venue with public transport or ride-hailing services.
Audience at home can enjoy robust live transmissions and switch between cameras as if they have changed their seats at the venue. Statistical data feeds can help organizers to analyze Fan’s usage of device types and apps to augment live experience – venue, sport, teams etc. Experience-centric districts are a concept that provide near life and close to athlete experience which is not available to Fans during the event on the avenue. Fans can experience game arenas; 5G applications in practice fields using data/video-driven training methods, multimedia-rich hall of fame experience, beyond game-worn jerseys, and can also have the ability to insert themselves in game/race/competition-authentic situations.
stc is focused to innovate and transform sports/entertainment industry with solutions that can revolutionize the arena experience and attract more and more tourists in alignment with vision 2030. Being the fastest 5G operator in the Kingdom stc is determined to introduce state of the art experience to the Fans such as Augmented Reality for live field experience, 3D VR show using Drones, live and dynamic updates for end-to-end mobility so that Fans can focus on their enjoyment of the event rather than any hustles to find parking, seats, food ques, and much more. The innovations of 5G will completely overhaul the experience of sports industry as we of know today.

Abdulaziz Albarrak

Head of Business Development - Ericsson

Culture and entertainment are indispensable to our quality of life, a Key pillar in Saudi Vision 2030. Such a commitment is demonstrated by the plethora of agencies created to fulfill the promise of a vibrant society with fulfilling lives. The introduction of mixed-use entertainment-led developments across the Kingdom is a critical factor that is helping accelerate household spending on cultural and entertainment activities inside the Kingdom from the current level of 2.9% to 6%. These developments offer various customized experiences and revolve around Sports & Wellness, Parks & Attractions, Motion & Mobility, Arts & Culture, and Nature & Environment. Some of these developments are as follows :

·         Qiddiya: This 334 Square Kilometer mega project is set to be a disruptive destination that offers innovative and immersive experiences integrated on a scale never seen before.

·         King Salman Park: Being the largest urban park in the world this project aims to improving the quality of life in the Kingdom and place Riyadh among the world’s top 100 livable cities.

·         Red Sea Project: This project is set to be an exquisite sanctuary offering seamlessly customized indulgent experiences. The project also aspires to become one of the world’s best diving sites.

·         Sports Cities, located in large population areas, that include a variety of activity centric venues such as Olympic-size swimming pools, indoor and outdoor courts, playgrounds, conference halls, and sports medicine clinics.

With grand ambitions come significant challenges. Fully packed stadiums, for example, face the problem of weak connection caused by a large number of connected users, which hinders their ability to share those special moments. With most events in the Kingdom being located in major cities, most residents find it difficult to travel across cities, thereby missing out on great experiences.
To overcome these challenges, the sports and entertainment industries in the Kingdom are racing to adopt immersive 5G use cases to transform everyday experiences into more intelligent experiences digitally. The General Entertainment Authority plans on executing huge events enveloping millions of people across various locations in Saudi Arabia. With local spending of $11 Billion on entertainment and $2 Billion expected investment in developing entertainment projects, Saudi Arabia is becoming a hub for the sports and entertainment industry.
The General Entertainment Authority plans on executing huge events enveloping millions of people across various locations in Saudi Arabia. With local spending of $11 Billion on entertainment and $2 Billion expected investment in developing entertainment projects, Saudi Arabia is becoming a hub for the sports and entertainment industry.