Overview
Marvel’s tech revolution
Marvel Stadium strives to be the most technologically advanced stadium in the Southern Hemisphere. Working with Telstra and Cisco, seven networks were unified into a single converged system featuring seamless use of 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi 6, as well as Australian-first antenna designs. Technology now enables exciting revenue opportunities across hospitality, fan engagement, and services to venue clients. Across 700+ events each year, Marvel Stadium now enjoys seamless, high-quality networking to every seat in the house.
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0M2 million visitors served each year across 700 events.
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0+Concert attendees demanding high speed wireless in all stadium areas.
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0+IPTV screens throughout the stadium.
Challenge
Deliver the most technologically advanced stadium in the southern hemisphere
Since opening in 2000, Marvel Stadium has operated all year round as one of Australia’s premier stadium venues. Owned and operated by the Australian Football League, the stadium has consistently pursued a vision to be an innovative arena and home to world leading fan experiences.
"We are one of the world’s busiest multi-purpose stadiums hosting over 700 events each year. We went to Telstra and Cisco with the challenge that we wanted to become the most technologically advanced stadium in the southern hemisphere. We needed our partners to help us understand what the best solutions are to meet that aim."
Rob Pickering,General Manager of Technology, AFL
The stadium’s existing platform operated on multiple disparate networks throughout the precinct. With a small internal technology team, this caused significant management overhead and reduced the AFL’s capacity for exploring transformative new ideas.
The team needed its next generation network to be stable, reliable, and to offer more automation opportunities that drive greater value for money and to unlock new digital-powered experiences that make being there in person even more exciting for fans.
When people come to the stadium, they want the same access to services they have at home. Making sure we have world class connectivity for our fans means they will come back again to watch the content they love.
Rob Pickering
General Manager of Technology, AFL
Solution
A unified stadium network delivered by Telstra and Cisco
The AFL has enjoyed a long-term partnership with both Telstra and Cisco, working together since 2014 to implement technology across all its operations – from Telstra’s national networks and IT services support to Cisco’s network hardware, contact centre technologies, and Webex conferencing platform. With trust in their combined market leading solutions, the AFL worked closely with its tech partners to examine the Marvel Stadium infrastructure requirements in detail to upgrade to best of breed technology for the stadium’s future.
The redesigned network would underpin every aspect of modern operations for staff, venue clients, and fans. With AFL headquarters in the Marvel Stadium precinct, the design needed to unify networking across its administrative operations as well as stadium infrastructure, hospitality and retail services, entertainment systems, and wireless access services for clients and stadium visitors. This would simplify systems management, while shifting IT toward an enabler of innovations that improve revenue streams instead of just a cost centre.
Heavy concrete structures and vast walls of glass make for difficult wireless signal flows, and when up to 20,000 fans are on the field of play during concerts it is a significant design task to keep them connected during the show. Pickering suggests it takes “more art than science” to make connectivity flow freely in a stadium environment.
Telstra and Cisco partnered to design and deliver 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi 6 services throughout Marvel Stadium, mapping every area – seating zones, food service areas, administration offices, locker rooms and more – to maximise quality and reliability of services. For the stadium field of play, an Australian first antenna system was installed to create a new eight zone environment across the 19,000m2 arena floor to create a best-in-class solution that enhances fan connectivity during concert events.
Telstra and Cisco have engineered a solution that means no matter where you are in the stadium you have the high-speed connectivity you’re used to at home.
Rob Pickering
General Manager of Technology, AFL
Impact
Seamless, high bandwidth performance for engaging new experiences
With the new network infrastructure in place, Marvel Stadium offers greatly enhanced live experiences to visiting sports fans and event attendees. The team now operates with full confidence that every corner of the stadium is digitally connected. From the gates to the underground car parks and every seat in the arena, the team can lean into new partnerships with third party service providers who rely on reliable networks to drive their innovative solutions.
1500+ screen IPTV system delivers video feeds throughout the stadium from the broadcast control centre. Retail operations now include outlets where visitors can opt for checkout free food and beverage purchasing, reducing wait times and improving speed of service. The Marvel Stadium app also offers engaging new fan-controlled cameras that let visitors take unique pictures of their group from the roof of the stadium via robotic cameras.
The arena floor Wi-Fi improvements have also been tested during major concert events, more than doubling wireless speeds fans can enjoy while delivering significant improvements to concurrent wireless connections thanks to the new antenna systems.
With the innovation ceiling lifted, Marvel Stadium and the AFL continue to explore more third party services to integrate with its hospitality and entertainment portfolio on site to make the venue more attractive than ever for clients and event visitors
Telstra and Cisco helped unlock our ability to give fans the best possible experience. And we now have the connectivity we need to power experiences that will keep people coming back year after year.
Rob Pickering
General Manager of Technology, AFL
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