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Basketball’s Cinderella Story: Venue Technology
One of college basketball’s biggest tournaments is underway! Universities nationwide gather in four regions to battle for college basketball’s national title. It is one of sports’ biggest yearly moments, garnering widespread online attention with millions of fans filling out brackets to predict winners. While bracket-busting upsets, the nation’s best players, and themed commercials grab attention (deservedly), a Cinderella story worth paying attention to is the venue technology powering the event, including sporting events signage.
The venues hosting these high-stakes games are integral to the tournament’s success. Not only do they host the action and passionate fans, but they shape the experience of the entire event. There is increasing demand for more interactive and experiential venues, especially to appeal to a growing Gen Z audience.
The Benefits of Venue Technology and Sports Signage
Sports stadium signage has been around for years, but the latest advanced digital solutions take the fan experience to new heights. Here are a few ways technology transforms sports venues and sporting events.
Improved Fan Experience
For basketball’s biggest tournaments where every moment counts, venues and organizers play with high stakes. Technology, particularly sports signage, is an all — encompassing way to boost entertainment, engagement, and the logistical aspects of attending an event, leading to an improved fan experience.
From an entertainment perspective, installing large displays and video walls is a great way to hype the crowd up with highlight reels that glow throughout the venue. For folks sitting further away from the court, venue signage also amplifies the action on the court.
Deloitte research revealed that sporting event attendees experience “second-screen syndrome” with 77% of fans paying attention to multiple screens during a game. With sports signage solutions like BrightSignOS™ and BrightSign media players, venues can control real-time content across multiple displays simultaneously, offering fans up-to-the-minute player stats, game updates, and even coordinated crowd participation messages. Venues can also run fan contests in the stands or spotlight special guests using a coordinated camera setup with video screens. The possibilities are endless.
Additionally, strategically placed signage with wayfinding capabilities allows attendees to navigate a complex and crowded venue, whether it be parking, restrooms, seating, or finding venue vendors.
Helping Athletes, Coaches, and Referees Bring Their A-game
In today’s game, film and real-time data are equally important as gameplay. Integrating sports signage into locker rooms, athletic facilities, and stadiums help athletes, coaches, and referees stay informed and improve performance.
Large digital displays let athletes and coaches review plays in real-time — critical for decisions like whether to challenge a foul or adjust strategy on the fly. For preparation, signage displays and content can be tailored to enrich film study for the game ahead. It also provides more prominent and interactive canvases for athletic training staff to display workout plans, diet recommendations, medical reports, and analytics to keep athletes at their peak physically and mentally.
Sports signage also makes a locker room feel like home and more engaging for athletes, which is crucial for those who spend many waking hours perfecting their craft. A prime example is Michigan State University’s Frances Cleaves Family Center, which combines Carousel Digital Signage, Red Dot Digital Media, and BrightSign technology. The “Wall of Fame” features two 75-inch touch displays that showcase past and present Spartans, allowing family and friends to interact with a part of the program’s rich basketball history. To increase athlete engagement and make locker rooms more tech-driven, BrightSign powers RFID-enabled locker room technology which grants athletes individualized locker access to their uniforms and performance gear. Locker-specific tech can go even further, enabling prompts for personalized messaging, and or displaying changing content based on the action completed at the locker.
Boosting Revenue with Promotions and Sponsorships
While a tech-forward stadium improves the fan experience and helps athletes shine, it also creates an opportunity to enhance venue revenue through real-time promotions and attracting advertisers and sponsors.
Data from McKinsey shows that personalization can increase a company’s revenue by up to 15%, with some companies seeing a 40% earnings boost over competitors who don’t personalize. In a sports venue, digital signage can highlight merchandise, food vendors, and be tailored to the specific moment — whether that’s a big play or the halftime break. This capability makes tech-forward venues desirable for retailers and advertisers. With technology like BrightSign media players, BrightSignOS, and partner solutions, venue managers can easily switch between game content and sponsor advertisements in real-time, ensuring fans stay engaged while providing value to advertisers.
Ready for the Future: Optimizing Today’s Venues
Ease of implementation and management are enormous hurdles for technology adoption, which causes decision-makers to act cautiously. However, BrightSign solutions and offerings from its partner ecosystem are easy to implement, allowing adopters to make an impact today.
Gone are the days of waiting to capitalize on sport’s most significant moments. Instead, the benefits of venue technology and sports signage are clear — whether it’s improving the fan experience, prepping athletes for the key moments, or driving business success.
The venues that collaborate with digital signage solutions providers will rise to the top and are poised to stand out, driving the future of sports events and experiences.
