Enhancing Game Day with Wi-Fi

Want to get fans more involved at sporting events? According to a 2011 Pew Internet and American Life Project survey, 34 percent of U.S. adults owned a smartphone as of May of last year. So, since many sports fans undoubtedly come to games with a smartphone in their pocket, why not offer mobile content powered by free Wi-Fi at games?

Stanford University installed Wi-Fi hotspots at the Stanford Stadium and Maples Pavilion last year and developed a mobile site and an iOS and Android app to enhance the game day experience. Football and basketball fans can watch instant replays right in the stands. They can even order food from their seat and avoid those obnoxious lines at stadiums that make you miss all the good action. As someone who's obsessed with finding new ways to use my iPhone, I think these features are pretty awesome.

Since publishing our February story "There's an App for That," Stanford has partnered with Elemental Technologies to power the Wi-Fi instant replay system (Access the case study here).

Have you ever been to a sporting event with similar fun mobile features? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below!