Gaming
SPORTS, EVENTS AND THE PERFORMING ARTS
5G in Sports, Events & the Performing Arts
Sports, events and the performing arts have all innovatively adapted to engage audiences amid the coronavirus pandemic. As we emerge to a new way of living, people now expect richer, more personalised experiences. How do we achieve this, especially as large groups of spectators start to congregate again?
Everybody knows that feeling of struggling for a signal in a stadium with 40,000 other people! 5G, however, is designed to support a 100 per cent increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency. This, combined with gigabit speeds and ultra-low latency, improves coverage for end-users; it also opens up opportunities to enhance live experiences and remote viewings through revolutionary interactivity. Ultimately, reaching a wider audience, developing more engaged audiences and developing more sustainable ways of operating.
How Could 5G Help Your Entertainment Business?
Enhanced At-Venue Audience Experience
Where has this been done?
5G’s low latency and high bandwidth can power augmented and virtual reality fully immersive experiences, with the ability to put spectators in control and focus on the elements most important to them. Can you imagine what it’s like to experience standing on stage with your favourite singer?
Technical solutions may vary depending on whether it’s a fixed venue (where a permanent 5G private network would be appropriate) or an impermanent location (in which case spectrum sharing for a short-term network slice would be best suited), but irrespective, 5G brings a richness of experiences that have never been possible before.
Enhanced Remote Audience Experience
Where has this been done?
5G doesn’t just have the potential to reimagine at-venue experiences, it is also set to transform the viewing experience for those at home. Augmented and virtual reality can offer both holographic and multisensory experiences that put the audience in control. Cable-free cameras additionally provide opportunities to shoot and broadcast from a wider range of angles, including tight and complex spaces, offering richer broadcast material.
Remote Collaboration, Performance & Teaching
Where has this been done?
When it comes to the performing arts, distance has been the irremovable barrier. Jamming sessions, lessons, rehearsals and performances have all required groups, troupes or performers to be in the same physical space. 5G changes the game. Facilitated by low latency and high bandwidth, geographical limitations are removed, reducing cost, improving sustainability and allowing creativity to flourish.
When will this be available? View our predicted timeline here.
Venue Management
Where has this been done?
Behind the scenes, 5G can play a critical role in live events, enabling the use of Internet of Things analytics to manage crowds throughout venues and ensure public safety.
When will this be available? View our predicted timeline here.
Bringing the Performing Arts to New Audiences
Where has this been done?
Live streaming and immersive experiences over 5G could improve accessibility to the arts—moving it out of theatres and into the home, reaching non-traditional and therefore more diverse audiences.
Sports Broadcasting
Where has this been done?
Delays are unacceptable when covering sports, live events, the news or correspondent broadcasts, but 5G’s low latency ensures the network can comfortably rise to the challenge. Cable-free broadcasts also grant camera operators the freedom to roam and therefore cover a greater range of angles; and with network slicing, broadcasters can guarantee latency, bandwidth and quality, even at events with huge numbers of spectators.
So, what does this mean? Lower costs, more sustainable operations, richer and reliable coverage, and greater flexibility to cover less mainstream events and reach new, more diverse audiences.
