To help improve the fan experience of Major League Baseball, ballparks across the league will undergo an overhaul of their in-stadium Wi-Fi offerings to provide faster and more efficient networks.
MLB has appointed networking company Extreme Networks as the league’s official Wi-Fi solutions partner and will begin in-stadium Wi-Fi analytics in 16 ballparks during the 2021 season, with upgrade installations to Wi-Fi 6 taking place through to 2026.
With an emphasis on data and analytics, MLB has directly advanced how players train and play, how managers make roster and in-game decisions, and how fans experience the game. As the emphasis on technological reliability, network capability, and data accuracy grows, Extreme will support MLB and improve how the League’s venues deliver enhanced network experiences for fans, players, and staff.
Extreme has been the official Wi-Fi solutions provider of the NFL since 2013, now Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, will be the first ballpark to roll out Extreme’s high-density Wi-Fi 6 solutions. Fans at Extreme-powered MLB venues can access a faster Wi-Fi network to support the use of bandwidth-hungry applications during the game. Further, staff members will benefit from advanced connectivity, data analytics, and telemetry insights to directly improve guest support while also reducing operating risk.
ExtremeWireless cloud-enabled access points will be installed to support the high-bandwidth application requirements of media and broadcast analysts so they can quickly send and receive multimedia updates during the nearly 1,300 games the 16 stadiums support over a full season and postseason.
“Our pursuit of adopting best-in-class technology serves the dual purpose of helping Major League Baseball continue to advance the sport while also engaging with fans of all generations in new ways. Specifically, our network requirements not only demand the highest levels of reliability but also capability to support the data, applications, and devices which enable us to provide minute level of details and insights. With Extreme’s support, we know we will deliver an improved experience for everyone in these ballparks,” said Chris Marinak, chief operations and strategy officer for MLB.
