Wi-Fi at the Ballpark. Enhancing the Experience

Location based software combined with Ruckus’ virtual controller hardware and network switches give fans at Dr. Pepper Ballpark ultimate Wi-Fi experience.

America’s favorite summer sport is baseball. Who doesn’t enjoy going to a sporting event to watch their favorite athletes in action? When was the last time you attended a live event? Did you have great seats? Did you purchase a couple of jerseys for your kids? Did you miss a big play while waiting in line to order food and drinks? What makes for a great fan experience these days? Why should fans even bother going to the ballpark when they can sit in front of a high-definition television screen in the comfort of their own home? Most stadiums and ballparks are built with no Wi-Fi in mind, so the answer for better fan engagement is having robust Wi-Fi. This allows fans to always be connected so they can access their social media accounts and share photos, order food from their seats and stream videos throughout the park. Wi-Fi also allows the marketing staff to gain insights into areas that the fans congregate to promote sales of their favorite athlete's jersey, hoping to increase revenue. It’s no simple task to design a seamless, high-speed Wi-Fi Internet service for fans to use throughout the venue. This is especially difficult when a facility, such as Dr Pepper Ballpark was built with no Wi-Fi in mind. Dr Pepper Ballpark is home to the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas DR Pepper ballparkRangers. The beautiful ballpark is designed with old-fashioned architecture to give it a regal flare, but also includes modern features such as the world’s largest water feature in a professional sports stadium, also known as the Choctaw Lazy River in right field. Fans can take a dip under the hot Texas sun while cheering on their team. Dr Pepper Ballpark was looking for an integrated wireless solution that was highly reliable and customizable to deliver the best fan experience. The Ballpark was also looking for a wireless system that was easy to install and simple to manage. After an extensive evaluation of three leading networking vendors, with two that struck out, a home run was met with Ruckus as the clear winner. Due to Ruckus' integrated wired and wireless networking options, centralized Ruckus SmartZone™ management platform, and virtual Smart Positioning Technology (vSPoT™) location-based services and analytics, Dr. Pepper Ballpark has now enhanced the fan experience. Want to learn more? Take a look at the Dr. Pepper Ballpark case study and video to learn how Ruckus provided a champion-caliber wired and wireless network. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXUH6hH1yYM&t=6s