Extreme Gives Liverpool FC a Bird's Eye View of Crowd Movements

Sports and Public Venues: Liverpool Anfield Stadium

Liverpool Football Club’s rich history has roots in its dedicated fanbase and its historic home turf, Anfield Stadium. Opened in 1844, Anfield represents the heartbeat of this classic sports dynasty and the home to countless memorable fan experiences. To that end, when Liverpool began the process of updating and modernizing its stadium, it included its Wi-Fi network as an important part of its future fan experience.

As the Official Wi-Fi Network Solutions and Wi-Fi Analytics Provider of Liverpool FC, Extreme understands the kinds of modern Wi-Fi solutions necessary to deliver an immersive digital experience that thrills today’s football fan. The goal is to enhance visibility across the network, providing security and connectivity that serves staff and fans alike.

Making unforgettable fan experiences safe and efficient

Just as the fan experience in the digital age has evolved, so have the types of solutions recommended for a complete digital transformation at Anfield. The new infrastructure was implemented with the goal of giving Anfield the cutting-edge network they needed to support digital fan experiences, of course. But just as important was the need to support critical services like stadium security. Along with security, mobile ticketing, and other elements often play into when and where crowds are congregating and moving within Anfield.

“As with all huge stadiums like this one, they are steel and concrete monsters. And technology, for us, is becoming more and more important within the stadium, particularly from a safety perspective.”
Drew Crisp
Senior Vice President of Digital, Liverpool Football Club

With the implementation of ExtremeAnalytics, Crisp and his team can now leverage data-driven insights to better understand fan behavior and movements around the site. Through data on foot traffic patterns and popular concession areas, Anfield staff are positioned to tailor experiences through app usage while also staffing appropriately to manage crowds and ensure the safety of everyone on site.

Simple, efficient management enables tangible improvements in security

“It’s absolutely essential that we know who’s in the grounds,” said Crisp of monitoring stadium crowds and building a stronger security and safety posture around Anfield. As a result of its stadium-wide network upgrade, Anfield can now leverage ExtremeCloud IQ to simplify network management and make safety and security more efficient and effective than ever.

“(If) we know where fans are, we can start to understand where footfall is and where crowds are congregating,” said Crisp. With better network management and complete visibility, Anfield teams can optimize the network through quick-change adjustments and a complete picture of the network's current capacity. Staff can access real-time performance data from one centralized dashboard that provides an easy and efficient way to address issues within the network.

A great Wi-Fi experience for fans? Yes.

But it’s deeper than that. For Anfield staff, these changes make for a safe and successful day doing what they love. ExtremeCloud IQ empowers the team to staff appropriately based on analytics that assesses traffic patterns across the network, enhancing safety for all fans while making purchasing across concessions and other high-traffic areas a much faster process.

“Our ability to see foot traffic and take action in real-time is paramount,” said Crisp.

A historic site steps into the future

In this game-changing moment, Liverpool FC and the legendary Anfield stadium stand to continue delivering unforgettable sports moments and fan memories for years to come.

Today, Anfield finds itself embracing a new era for connectivity, with more matchday fan engagement as well as global fan engagement from anywhere on earth. Just as importantly, these new improvements position Liverpool’s staff for efficient operations, greater security, and safety across the stadium site.

Learn more about how Extreme Networks solutions have helped Liverpool FC modernize its network and operations.

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