The National Football League (NFL) has announced a new 10 year partnership with Verizon, expanding its existing relationship with the technology company, with a key focus on 5G.
Over the next decade, the partners will focus on leveraging 5G technology to ‘unlock advancements’ with regards to management, scouting, training, health and safety and general game day operations.
The previous collaboration between the duo over the past 10 years saw installation of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband services in parts of 25 NFL stadiums. Over 13 installations were conducted in 2019 to coincide with the kickoff of that year’s regular season.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said: “For the past decade, Verizon has been one of our key technology partners, helping with everything from digital distribution of NFL content, engaging our fans at the NFL’s biggest events, enhancing communications throughout the NFL ecosystem and upgrading technology within stadiums across the League.
“As we look to the next decade with our trusted partner, Verizon will help us capitalize on the promise of 5G technology, paving the way for the future of the game and delivering incredible experiences for millions of NFL fans.”
More recently, the NFL and Verizon have cooperated on in-stadium fan engagement experiences, such as the Verizon 5G Multi-View, enabling spectators to watch up to seven simultaneous camera angles and AR overlays of the league’s Next Gen Stats via 5G enabled mobile phones.
Under the contract extension, Verizon will continue to make its 5G services available on select NFL CLub phone apps for in-stadium usage during the 2021 season.
“The NFL has embraced innovation for decades to bring fans closer to the game, from instant replay technology to outfitting players with microphones,” said Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO Verizon.
“Our longstanding relationship, and swift delivery of 5G connectivity in 25 stadiums, has created new ways to bring fans even closer to the action. As we embark on the next 10 years, our work with the NFL will continue to enhance and transform not only the fan experience, but also has the potential to improve player training and overall venue operations.”
Outside of American football, Verizon has incorporated 5G technology into a total of 60 stadiums, notably striking an agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
To develop and implement its 5G services at stadiums, the firm has formed partnerships with technology company Cisco as well as Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the owner and venue operator of the NHL’s m, the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NBA G League‘s Capital City Go-Go and the Women’s National Basketball Association‘s (WNBA) Washington Mystics.