“Out of home on steroids”: Techfront’s plans for tonight’s State of Origin clash
Fans and viewers at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium for tonight’s State of Origin will see the latest in digital signage as the NRL partners with provider Techfront to roll out LED displays around the ground.
Along with displaying advertising to the broadcast audience, the signs will also update fans at the stadium with statistics, advertising and social media messages, Techfront’s Australian CEO Neil Maxwell told Mumbrella.
“Spectators can expect an enhanced experience,” Maxwell said. “Wednesday night we’re looking at an elevated LED experience which will provide them with a lot more statistical and social media interaction and a more enhanced experience at the stadium.
“LED is the first step. Clubs and right holders generally are looking for new and ongoing revenue streams so these technologies from smart seats to data capture and connectivity within venues will create new revenues for sports.”
Along with being a revenue generator, Maxwell believes sports venues and leagues can use the technology to attract more spectators. “The key objective is to create new and exciting experiences for people visiting the venue,” he said.
The company has a number of revenue models for the technology, he said.
“In relation to sports and rights holders we’ll provide inventory on a shared inventory model where we will retain a share of the inventory that appears on our infrastructure, or we’ll rent it or sell it.”
Smart signage offers a number of opportunities for advertisers, according to Maxwell.
“In the context of sport, it’s the way to bring a brand to life and extrapolate the number of eyeballs that are likely to see.
“There’s a natural synergy between sports advertising and the out-of-home industry. I think sports perimeter advertising is out-of-home on steroids because you have the magnification of broadcast. I think as an industry we’ve identified that.
“Sports is requiring advancements in technologies in the way advertisers and sponsors messages has a flow on to the rest of the market.”
