Fans are the fuel for a sports team. They are there to cheer, support, and share the highs and lows. Alvin Martin, former West Ham United Football Club captain, said, "When [fans] turn up at a game, they set the stage for you. They enhance the feeling of the game and the worth of it. You know that if you're playing in front of 30 or 40,000 people, then you're doing something important." "Those big atmospheres help give you an extra five or 10 per cent that you can't replicate in training," says Martin. 

So what can sports teams, stadiums, and arenas do to engage fans and create a truly memorable experience? 

Digital signage provides many opportunities to amplify fan excitement and enhance their experience, from parking signs and wayfinding, team promotion and advertising on exterior signs, digital kiosks at the ticket booth, product highlights in the souvenir shop and menus at concession stands.

PARKING & OUTDOOR DIGITAL SIGNS

Outdoor digital signs and advertising allow you to build fan excitement well before entering the stadium. For example, digital billboards advertising the game can excite and captivate fans as they approach your venue. In addition, on non-game days, exterior digital billboards can be an additional source of revenue. While digital parking signs can help fans navigate parking by highlighting parking lots and available spots. 

TRANSIT SCHEDULES

Not all fans drive to your venue. Many will take advantage of public transit. So make sure fans on transit also feel the excitement. Digital signs at transit stops on your venue property are a great way to get fans excited the minute they arrive. Integrate transit schedule data into your digital signs, highlighting stops at your venue. Trigger the data to appear before and after the game so fans know what to expect. Additionally, signs at transit stops are another opportunity for ad revenue. Schedule advertising to display at peak traffic times.

TICKETING SCREENS & KIOSKS

Digital signage at ticket booth signs can do more than just let fans know the price of tickets for today's game. Highlight sections available, advertise future games and events, share season ticket information, or sell advertising space to venue partners.

Self-serve digital kiosks that allow fans to purchase tickets, either for the current game or for a future game or event, are a great addition to your facility and a perfect way to streamline the ticketing process. Fans can select their seat and pay right from the kiosk. Set a playlist of screens to play when kiosks are not in use, and use the screen real estate for advertising future games, future events in your venue, or promoting the home team.

VIDEO WALLS

What better way to get fans pumped for the home team than to walk through a hall of their heroes? Video walls and larger digital signs displaying past stars, team history, current players, and branded messaging make fans feel like part of the team and, more importantly, part of a community.

WAYFINDING

Stadiums and arenas can be pretty big, and getting around any large space can be a challenge. While die-hard fans or season ticket holder fans will probably know their way around your venue, new or visiting fans need guidance. Digital directional signs allow you to change a route or direct people to a specific part of your venue. Create an interactive wayfinding kiosk that will enable fans to enter their seat number and view directions to their seat. Provide a menu of options that guide them to interest points like washrooms, restaurants and stores, and exits.

WAIT TIMES

No one likes waiting, but waiting is inevitable when you gather with 30,000 other people to watch a game. Digital signs can help alleviate fans' frustration by displaying wait times for the lines at concession stands or washrooms. Offer directions to less congested, similar areas. Sharing wait time information is a valuable tool for managing crowds and ensuring safety.

FOOD & BEVERAGE 

Use digital menus to upsell food and beverage sales. Prominently display the product you want to sell, displaying lower-priced items less prominently. Highlight game-day and limited-time specials with team branding to connect with fans. Incorporate videos of menu items to entice buyers.

Offering your vendor partners digital signs to manage their menu and promote game-day specials is a great way to help increase sales. Digital menus allow concession partners to change menus on the fly or offer on-the-spot promotions for a limited time.

Imagine if fans could pull out their phone, view the concession stands closest to their seat, place and pay for an order, and have it delivered to their seat? Then, they'd never have to stand in line or miss a moment of the game.

TEAM STORES

Promote new and exclusive products for sale at your team store on digital screens inside and outside the store. Highlight multiple products through a playlist, or schedule specific products to appear before, during, and after game time. 

Adding an interactive kiosk into your team store lets fans search for desired items, browse your store's inventory, check for sizes and colors, and even pay for their items.

LOCKER ROOMS

Digital signs improve the aesthetic of locker rooms and are a great way to energize players for the game. In addition, they help manage the logistics of running a professional team by highlighting schedules for practices, team meetings, the next game, and messages from administrative and coaching staff. 

Identify each player's locker with a digital sign. Display a photo of the player, their name, position, and number. Include player stats that can update as the season progresses. Group special teams and positions together with targeted messaging. Make changes on the fly as needed.

From parking to food & beverage to team store to locker rooms and everywhere in between, effective visual communications ensure every fan has a positive experience at your venue.