Background
We want to involve those who cannot make it to experience an event ‘in person’. People who are not able to come to a match or event (e.g. due to limited capacity through social distancing, travel distances, or budget limitations) may enjoy the event through media coverage, either live or time-shifted (e.g. second screen or on-demand services). However, this experience is still far from that of actually being in the stadium, feeling at one with the crowd and with the players on the field. Additionally, as our visitors want to be as close as possible to the artists or athletes, how can we provide all fans (in the stadium as well as remote) with an experience as close to, and as engaging as, the spectacle as possible? And how can we bring together all fans from potentially all over the world to make them feel close and connected to each other during the event? This broader reach could also be a benefit as we strive to enrich the game for new audiences. How can we involve other target groups or make current fans feel more engaged from a distance? Thirdly, this challenge is about connecting the players to all the remote fans: how can we (re)create a stadium atmosphere without (all) physical fans in the stadium, to bring the fans’ enthusiasm to their favorite players or artists?
What are we looking for?
We are looking for solutions that allow fans to feel like they are actually at the event, including pre- and after-event experiences. This entails finding new ways to cover events in a way that means fans experience being present on the field, in the crowd, overseeing and enjoying the event. Solutions could include ways to use “high-end” media coverage technology, completing existing web and mobile applications, or enabling and easing remote operations. We are also looking for solutions that we can implement in collaboration with partners or sponsors.
Solutions could use different types of channels, consoles, and devices that are available to get closer to the experience of the players on the field or the performing artist(s) or vice versa. We are looking for solutions that evidently understand fan behavior and need to level up the engagement and bring the action to our fans and back to the stadium.
Issues to consider
– Limited number of people are allowed in the stadium, high need for efficiency
– Time-to-implement is preferably very short
– All solutions must be compliant with GDPR
– Solutions must be possible to integrate within existing web- and mobile applications
– Many events have legal rights restrictions regarding the content
– There will be privacy-related issues when dealing with capturing and distributing content during an event
– Cost efficiency (set-up costs as well as ongoing costs) is key to enable implementation of the solution for a broader range of (professional) clubs and leagues
– Consider all types of fan and all types of match experience, including VIPs and hospitality
What we are not looking for
– We are not looking for betting and gambling applications
