Article

The Game's the Thing

Kiosks are as much a part of modern sports arenas as luxury boxes and concession stands.

April 4, 2002 by

When the Fleet Centeropened its doors in September of 1995 as home to Boston's storied professional franchises in basketball (Celtics) and hockey (Bruins), the vast arena boasted the usual assortment of luxury suites and modern amenities. It also trumpeted the familiar mantra of new sports complexes everywhere: state of the art technology.

Problem was, nobody at the time knew exactly what the art would involve.

The Fleet Center was, in effect, all wired up with nowhere to go -- having installed broadband, high-speed, high-traffic wiring capabilities that far exceeded any software formats available at the time.

None of this bothered Lorraine Spadaro, the Fleet's director of events systems and events technology, in the least.

"We didn't market it," she says. "At first we just said the arena would be state of the art and wired for data, but we couldn't anticipate what the application would be. Even so, we worked very hard to keep the budget line item in that made high-speed data connectivity possible. It was a lot more financially efficient to do it when we were constructing the arena than later. I knew there would be some sort of application, even in '95."

Six years later, Spadaro's instincts have been proven right. The foresight the Fleet Center displayed has positioned it to take full advantage of what is becoming a fast-growing marketplace for kiosks at sports venues nationwide.

The Fleet Center has installed fan-friendly kiosks that are making sporting events an interactive experience-for both the regular folk roaming the concourses and the residents of the luxury suites. The Fleet has more than 40 kiosks spread throughout the arena's common areas and similar setups in each of the 108 luxury suites and private boxes. Compaq is the hardware provider and New York-based ChoiceSeat, which designs kiosk software for arenas, installed the software.

With the national explosion in construction of new arenas and stadiums in recent years (and many more on the way), it's a safe bet that installation of kiosks at these venues is anything but a fleeting idea.

Grids for the gridiron

In fact, ChoiceSeat - which has done much of the pioneering work in developing software for sporting events - scored a major coup last month with the announcement it had entered into an exclusive, five-year agreement with the National Football League to begin outfitting similar kiosk systems in stadiums around the league beginning with the 2001 season. The firm has not released the value of the deal, but the numbers are clearly substantial.

Both the NFL and participating franchises will invest in the initiative and mutually develop content and revenue opportunities. The agreement stipulates that upon achievement of certain milestones, the NFL may purchase equity in ChoiceSeat. Likewise, the proliferation of arenas and stadiums in every major sport offer fertile ground for expansion in every direction.

"It's a very good marketplace for us because of the boom in technology and in sports venues," says Lynnette McCarthy, spokesperson for ChoiceSeat. "With our development of the technology and the content, and with technology ever changing, sports fans are demanding more and more when they go to arenas and stadiums. They want more for the bucks they're paying. And the venues obviously need to keep those fans in the seats."

First pitch

ChoiceSeat actually began its arena entry in 1999 by literally turning seats into kiosks. The company installed more than 1,100 units in Madison Square Garden-some of them in luxury suites (dubbing them "smart suite" products) but most of them actually imbedded in the "choice" seats of the arena proper (under the trademark name of SmartSeat).

"If you can imagine those little screens that some airlines now have available for each seat in their airplanes, that's similar to what we did," McCarthy says. "We installed little screen units into headrests so your screen would be in the headrest of the seat in front of you. These are all touch screens offering on-demand live action and video replays, current and historical statistics, and even a credit card swipe to order merchandise and concessions from your seat."

While the Fleet Center did not opt for SmartSeats, the luxury box units and general concourse kiosks have received an overwhelmingly positive response from patrons.

"People are very impressed," Spadaro says. "You know, the traditionalists definitely take a little longer to appreciate how you use an amenity like this to enhance their experience of the game. But the kids come in and they just devour it. I think there's going to be a little bit of an evolution in how fans learn to adapt their live experience while using interactive technology like this. But I do believe its time is coming-and we'll be there."

Could a kiosk program become an essential component of future stadium and arena construction? The answer is quite likely to be yes, as the NFL deal indicates. Retrofits bring to the surface another set of complications.

"As far as installations, it's on a venue by venue basis," McCarthy says, "since many of the older arenas aren't wired for the software and Internet access, which impacts the cost."

While most new arenas have had the foresight to be wired for the high-speed connectivity that makes kiosk installation relatively inexpensive, the market potential for older arenas is uncertain. Not only would replacement of old wiring be more expensive, complicated ownership structures in place at some sites would require a kiosk provider to strike deals with individual owners of luxury boxes instead of signing one contract with the owner of the venue.

"I would say the biggest hurdle is one of stadium readiness," says Wendy Burke, who served as Compaq's project manager for the Fleet Center's kiosk launch at a Bruins game last November. "The Fleet was set up for Cap 5 (broadband wiring with five lines) where the arena in San Jose, for instance, only has Cap 3. It's more expensive to retrofit, and in many cases the luxury boxes and suites are paid for privately, so it's almost like dealing with franchises. You'd have to get approval from each owner.

"If we went into San Jose today with Cap 3, we'd be limited to how much Internet access we could get at one time. We'd have to have a limited number of kiosk stations."

Nevertheless, San Jose's arena (home to the Sharks of the National Hockey League) is among the sites being targeted by Compaq for a kiosk invasion. No surprise there. It's in the heart of Silicon Valley and just happens to be known as Compaq Arena.

Burke can't give an exact number on arenas the firm is currently targeting for kiosks, "but," she says, "I think it would be safe to say we're talking to at least five others."

ChoiceSeat -- which partners with various hardware manufacturers and manages the installation as well-had its debut in 1997 at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, home of baseball's Padres. The company also did Beta testing for more sophisticated products at Super Bowls XXXII (in San Diego) and XXXIII (at Pro Player Stadium in Miami) and the 1998 World Series (only in San Diego). Then came Madison Square Garden along with installation of 110 seat units behind home plate at Tropicana Field in Tampa, followed by the more ambitious Fleet Center project.

Looking ahead

With technology breakthroughs continuing at a dizzying pace, ChoiceSeat has ample mental muscle to continue its software development - collaborating with the likes of Microsoft, Intel, and Williams Communications - even as it strikes more deals with sports venues.

Meanwhile, as a model for arenas contemplating the possibilities, the Fleet Center offers a tantalizing glimpse.

In the luxury suites and boxes, a 15-inch flat screen Compaq monitor with ChoiceSeat software that gives occupants the ability to order food or souvenirs, check statistics on teams and players, and literally play TV director by offering a video feed of the game in progress.

There are 12 live cameras that can be chosen as well as six replay camera angles that can be accessed at the click of a mouse. Miss the big play because you were looking the wrong way, or want to treat a visitor to the game-winning goal from last week's game? It's all there to be replayed from any and every angle at the viewer's discretion-including the ability to zoom in on the picture. The software keeps a running log of every game and patrons can call up a video replay from any of them.

"We mounted a flat panel monitor onto a swing arm which mounted to the walls in the suites so they wouldn't be intrusive in the relatively small area of a suite," Burke says. "You can pull them out and angle them 360 degrees, and up and down as well, to whatever is convenient."

Kiosks on the concourse allow fans to replay key moments of the game and have the same access to stats and other game scores as the luxury box occupants do.

Known as "Compaq Technology Zones," thus giving the hardware manufacturer a prominent presence in the arena, these kiosks also are used as a promotional and marketing aid. "We have contests encouraging people to use it and sign up," Spadaro says. "We take their e-mail information and give away jerseys, tickets, airline tickets. The reaction has been very favorable."

The kiosks are scattered throughout the arena's common areas and also in two restaurants and bars -- including 15-inch flat screens imbedded in the bar counters.

The Fleet Center went with ChoiceSeat for its applications for a number of reasons-including the capability for the arena's next improvement phase which will offer Internet connectivity (to such sites as the NBA and NHL official websites) and e-commerce. While kiosks in common areas provide the same features as the luxury suites, the e-commerce feature will be limited to the suite patrons.

"It's quite a great application," Spadaro says. "It has a web-based look and feel to it with five main navigation tabs. Tab One allows the user to basically view a video screen with access to the 12 live camera angles and six replay angles. Tab Two is a robust stat tab with information on the head-to-head match up of the day, starting lineups, information on each player, goalie stats, a shot chart, a running box score, and so forth. Tab Three gives statistical information around the league. Tab 4 lists concessions where fans can order food or merchandise and have it delivered to them. And Tab 5 has information on the Fleet Center, how to buy tickets, and various promotional offers."

What's next? Having sensed the potential of high-speed access early on, Spadaro already has her sights set on the future of wireless.

"I think the evolution in wireless technology is amazing," she says. "We're looking closely on what you can do with a PDA-type device. There's a bit of pressure in the industry to deliver state of the art technology as an integral part of all these new arenas and stadiums. Everybody's being progressive."

All of which makes the potential for kiosks into the sports marketplace even greater. Might we one day see portable kiosks at outdoor events such as the Masters?

"Boy, that would be nice," says Randy Peterson of Compaq. "We'd love to do something like that."

As it turns out, that day may come sooner than most think. ChoiceSeat, it turns out, just  concluded its first beta test at a PGA event -- the PLAYERS Championship won by Tiger Woods on March 25 at TCP Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

"There was no public announcement," McCarthy says. "This was our first demo showing and we just wanted to get the reaction of the fans. We had about 19 units in corporate tents and on some of the main areas of the golf course. We're working with the PGA on establishing an ongoing relationship."

The possibilities keep growing for sports-related kiosks-be they found in concourses and luxury suites, embedded in seatbacks, or standing near the 18th green.

"Absolutely," Compaq's Peterson says. "We're working with a lot of different sports companies to do things in sporting goods stores, arenas, and outdoors events. The potential is pretty much unlimited."