Las Vegas Raiders Announce Technology Partnership With CommScope As They Prepare For Allegiant Stadium Opening

Walking into a new stadium or venue, it is easy to forget how much planning and infrastructure go into creating a great fan experience. Being able to stream video or post content to social media on your phone, along with 65,000 of your closest friends, requires an incredible amount of planning and execution long before any fan arrives. 

For the now-Las Vegas Raiders’ Vice President of Technology, Matthew Pasco, that process began over four years ago when he began traveling to every Raiders away game to connect with his IT colleagues to see what was working and to hear their thoughts.  He knew it was a possibility that he would be developing a brand new stadium from scratch, from a technological perspective. He was acutely aware that the fan experience has been a rapidly evolving process and that for the Raiders to compete, especially in a city with as many entertainment options as Las Vegas, it would need to deliver a top-notch experience. 

This effort led Pasco to CommScope, a company that helps large venues, like Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders’ new home, create the infrastructure needed and the communications networks necessary to facilitate the data needs and demands of the 65,000 fans that will attend Raiders games. The company is announcing today that it will be a new partner of the team and that over 227 miles of its fiber optic and 1.5 million feet of its copper cabling installation is complete at the venue, as the team is set for its first kick off in August. 

“CommScope’s fiber optic cabling delivers the high-bandwidth connectivity needed for a truly compelling and interactive Las Vegas Raiders fan experience,” said Matthew Pasco, Raiders Vice President of Technology. “This includes 4K-ready video replays, as well as live streams captured by multiple cameras. With CommScope fiber, Allegiant Stadium is well-positioned for the future and ready to accommodate an ever-increasing number of standard client devices such as smartphones and tablets, along with evolving technology like augmented reality (AR) glasses and virtual reality (VR) helmets.”

The immersive environment will also help the Raiders create an end-to-end experience for their fans in the stadium, including over 2,400 screens and 1,700 Wi-Fi 6 access points throughout Allegiant Stadium’s Distributed Antenna System (DAS) infrastructure. The CommScope equipment will also power the connectivity for critical stadium systems like high-resolution security cameras as well as for the needs for the fire and safety personnel on-site and for the lighting and HVAC technological needs. The new facility has an eye-popping 10 levels in its stadium design and CommScope will have their fiber deployment capabilities impacting hardware on each of them. For example, it will help fans, using their Raiders mobile app, find parking spaces and monitor the concession lines before they even leave their seats. 

Providing inferior service at a venue just isn’t tolerated in this new age of the sports consumer. With tickets and concessions being a top dollar expenditure and televisions becoming larger and clearer by the year, it is a constant arms race on the technology front to make sure fans have an experience that will keep them coming back. This includes a seamless wireless experience, so they don’t skip a beat on social media and.texting, as well as being able to watch video highlights or get additional game information quickly and efficiently in their seat. Inconsistencies can be damaging to a team’s bottom line and, as younger fans become more and more digitally savvy with the latest devices, it is paramount that the teams keep up. As the Raiders get ready to open up their new home in the entertainment capital of the United States, it appears their tie-in with CommScope has them well on their way to an optimal user experience.

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