A record 24 terabytes of data was transferred within the stadium during Super Bowl LIII – an increase of 47 percent from 2018’s NFL championship game and 7x more than Super Bowl XLVIII (in 2014), when Extreme began tracking the data for the NFL’s biggest game.
The record-breaking increase in fan engagement was analysed by Extreme Networks, the Official Wi-Fi Solutions Provider of the NFL and the official Wi-Fi Analytics Provider of Super Bowl LIII.
Results show fans were largely interacting with social media during the game, and the volume of social data transferred reached 2.83 terabytes – an increase of 9 percent – over last year’s Super Bowl LII, with an increase of nearly 9,000 people.
Since Extreme announced its partnership with the NFL in 2014, it has deployed its Smart OmniEdge solutions, including ExtremeMobility access points and/or ExtremeAnalytics, software, across 28 NFL stadiums to improve stadium Wi-Fi and support the League’s goal of delivering the ultimate in-stadium experience for fans.
Extreme has provided data and analytics for the last six Super Bowls, and during that time, the company observed a 650 percent data usage increase, driven by social media activity and video consumption. iTunes, YouTube, ESPN and Instagram were among the most used applications during the game, while Instagram and Facebook were among those driving the most data consumption.
Over 21K fans used Instagram, generating over 1TB of data across the Wi-Fi network. It was the top social media app by bandwidth and marks the first time Instagram has surpassed Facebook by data in the Super Bowl. iCloud led all applications in data transfer with 10.8 terabytes transferred.
These insights, powered by ExtremeAnalytics, provide greater visibility into how individuals interact with the game, so technical teams in each stadium can anticipate and support the unique needs of their fans and teams, and take immediate action—from delivering reliable Wi-Fi connectivity so fans can connect to social media or the Gameday App, to offering mobile ticketing, in-seat concessions ordering or location-based offers, or even more advanced applications like biometric payments or virtual reality experiences.
Super Bowl LIII by the Numbers:
- Data Transferred: 24.05 TB
- Pre-game: 9.99 TB
- Game Time: 11.11 TB
- Post-Game: 2.95 TB
- Peak Wi-Fi Data Transfer Rate: 13.04 Gbps
- Network Spikes
- Peak Concurrent Users: 30,605, during halftime show
- Peak Network Utilization: 13.06 Gbps, during halftime show
- Fan Engagement
- Number of Users: 48,845
- Engagement Rate: 69%
- Most Popular Apps
- Most Used Streaming Apps
- iTunes
- YouTube
- Airplay
- Spotify
- Netflix
- Most Used Social Apps
- Snapchat
- Bitmoji
- Most Used Sporting Apps
- ESPN
- NFL
- Super Bowl LIII Fan Mobile Pass
- CBS Sports
- Bleacher Report
- Most Used Streaming Apps
John Brams, Director, Hospitality, Sports and Entertainment, Extreme Networks, Inc. said: “Stadium connectivity plays a significant role in elevating the game day experience for fans. From tailgate and kick-off to the final whistle and post-game festivities, data consumption continues to evolve year over year. With a proven track record and many successful stadium deployments, we look forward to continuing our partnership with the NFL for the next two Super Bowl events in Miami and Tampa, respectively.”
Aaron Amendolia, Vice President of Information Technology Services, The National Football League added: “Extreme Networks is a trusted NFL provider, and has provided industry-leading technology and expertise during the Super Bowl for the past six years. Extreme’s analytics software is just one of the many Extreme solutions we count on to ensure a quality game-day experience for our fans. It provides us with valuable insight into how fans are using the Wi-Fi network in real-time, allowing us to enhance their experience while they’re in the stadium, and giving us intelligence to inform development of new and exciting fan experiences for the future.”
Source: Extreme Networks
Extreme Networks Reveals Record-Breaking Wi-Fi Usage at Super Bowl LIII added by Newsroom on
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