Orlando City Soccer Club Pairs with Bright House Networks for Stadium Ammenities

Orlando City Soccer Club, one of Major League Soccer’s newest expansions, has signed an exclusive deal with internet and communications company Bright House Networks. Set to provide in-house high definition video, phone service and managed Wi-Fi as well as dedicated internet, Orlando City SC joins other MLS stadiums such as Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver Whitecaps FC among others to offer free Wi-Fi.

Phil Rawlins, President and Founder of Orlando City SC, believes this partnership will benefit the fans and club alike, stating

“As a club that is passionate about innovation and prides itself on constantly looking for ways to enhance our supporters’ experience, we are excited to partner with Bright House Networks. Through this partnership, we will offer our supporters a way to stay connected at our stadiums and enjoy interacting with each other during games.”

Fans using an immense amount of data at a sporting event is nothing new, though the usage of phones and tablets while at live game isn’t for everyone. Last year PSV Eindhoven, a perennial powerhouse in the top Dutch league, Eredivisie, had extremely vocal fans come out against the implementation of Wi-Fi in their home stadium (warning: language). As the linked article notes, Manchester United — arguably the most recognized name in soccer — banned iPads and tablets from its home stadium last year.

On this side of the Atlantic, it’s hard to imagine a sports fan base being hostile towards in-stadium Wi-Fi, if anything, the opposite is true: fans are beginning to wish for more connectivity. The difference in opinion could be cultural, or based on the differences in mobile phone billing between here and Europe. Phone and tablet subsidies aren’t a thing in Europe, and thus the monthly bill is much lower than in North America. Regardless of the reasons, Wi-Fi and devices are gaining ground in stadiums here, but not so much abroad.

Home field advantage on the soccer pitch, something that is somewhat quantified in a study for the Premier League, reached a point where a rule was involved across multi-league events back in the 1960s. Since the introduction of the Away goals rule in UEFA, not conceding goals at home is very important, and fans tend to believe they can help their team. Be it through signs, chants and songs or general participation, it isn’t hard to see why certain groups of fans would respond negatively to something they perceive as taking away from their home field advantage.

(Header image via Wikipedia)