Super Bowl 50 will provide the biggest test of the season for the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, but it will also be a proving ground for the developers of VenueNext, a smartphone application that helps fans get the most out of their stadium experience.
“This is a chance for the world to see what we do here,” founder-CEO John Paul told Wired Magazine. “When a future customer is thinking about should they work with us or not, knowing that it worked for the Super Bowl … it’ll work for us.”
The team at VenueNext has been working with Levi’s Stadium since before it opened. They helped outfit the stadium with powerful Wi-Fi, and built an app specific for the stadium covering anything you might be there to see or do.
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The app allows fans to scan their tickets for entry, navigate to their seats, order concessions or apparel for delivery right to their laps, and even check on how long it might take to run to the bathroom.
The Super Bowl has earned its own app, separate from the Levi’s Stadium one, that features many of the same features -- the NFL decided not to do mobile ticketing for the Super Bowl, and concessions delivery is out – and a few additional features just for the big game. Now, fans present in the stadium will be able to watch commercials as they air on television. Roving celebrity-spotting cameras will stream video to the app.
VenueNext hopes that the Super Bowl paves the way for more openings into different venues. Paul hopes that VenueNext can be integrated with college campuses, hospitals and hotels, allowing for people to get indoor walking directions, or familiarize themselves with a new place more quickly.
The company predicts the Super Bowl will break records for the most people using the most data in its history. The big test comes on Sunday.
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