Fans to have a ‘ball’ in MLB ballparks

Article posted by Coliseum, February 19^th, 2021

Image: Extreme Networks & MLB

The 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is all set to get rolling from April 1^st and will continue till October 3^rd. With spring training all set to start from February 28^th, players have pulled up their socks and have made their way to Arizona or Florida (US), respectively. To ensure that fans have a ‘ball’, cloud-driven networking company Extreme Networks has struck a six-year (till 2026) deal to become the official Wi-Fi solutions provider of MLB. The pact was inked on February 17^th, 2021.

The 37,731-capacity Fenway Park in Boston, home ground of the MLB team Boston Red Sox, will be the first ballpark to roll out Extreme’s high-density Wi-Fi 6 solutions.

Major League Baseball is an American professional baseball organization and the oldest of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. A total of 30 teams play in Major League Baseball: 15 teams in the National League and 15 in the American League.

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Extreme Networks is a networking company based in San Jose, California (US). Extreme Networks designs, develops and manufactures wired and wireless network infrastructure equipment and develops the software for network management, policy, analytics, security and access controls.

ExtremeWireless cloud-enabled access points will be set up in 16 National League and American League stadia providing secure, dedicated Wi-Fi and network analytics.

extremenetworks.com sources stated that when fans are safely welcomed back to their respective ballparks, they will be greeted by a fast and secure Wi-Fi connection at Extreme-powered venues this season and buffering and slow network will be things of the past. Supporters will be connected to a state-of-the-art network that can support bandwidth-hungry applications during the game.

The going will be totally smooth for baseball fiends – whether they’re navigating the concourse, ordering food from their seats, or posting treasured moments on social media. Extreme Networks and MLB will provide seamless and effortless connections for the staunch fans of baseball which is almost like religion in the United States.

extremenetworks.com sources further informed that mediapersons and broadcast analysts will also benefit from a superfast network. As they prepare for the reporting marathon starting on Opening Day, they can do so knowing their devices are connected to a reliable network that works just as fast as they do and they can be sure that the network will not ditch them in the most crucial moment. So, when the biggest plays of the game develop, news and highlights can be pushed out with high velocity. Extreme Networks’ cloud-enabled access points and Wi-Fi 6 solutions will support thousands of games this season and postseason.

As far as the venues are concerned, Extreme will deliver futuristic stadium analytics to more than half of MLB, which will boost the fan, staff and media experience. MLB teams can better understand how their network is being utilized with application visibility and data insight. Extreme analytics also facilitates optimal uptime by flagging performance issues before they happen. Each stadium contains several verticals that must run smoothly on matchday – from retail in the team store to hospitality in the suites, logistics, food services, and field services. When it’s time for pitch action, the network will support all functions and will ensure a superb end-user experience.

Extreme will also power the network at Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida (US). The Jackie Robinson Training Complex is a youth baseball and softball development complex.

Throughout its partnership, MLB and Extreme will also work to identify shared programs and co-create events to champion and celebrate women spearheading the advancement of technology in sports.

Chris Marinak, Chief Operations and Strategy Officer, MLB, stated, “Our pursuit of adopting best-in-class technology serves the dual purpose of helping Major League Baseball continue to advance the sport while also engaging with fans of all generations in new ways. Specifically, our network requirements not only demand the highest levels of reliability but also capability to support the data, applications and devices which enable us to provide minute level of details and insights. With Extreme’s support, we know we will deliver an improved experience for everyone in these ballparks.”

Extreme has been the official Wi-Fi solutions provider of the National Football League (NFL) since 2013. Twelve teams currently leverage Extreme Wi-Fi, while 25 employ Extreme Analytics. In January 2020, Extreme Networks’ Wi-Fi 6 solutions were installed at the 69,143-capacity Nissan Stadium in Tennessee (US), home of the NFL team Tennessee Titans.

Ed Meyercord, President and CEO of Extreme Networks, had this to say on the deal with MB, “Major League Baseball is a pioneer in using technology to advance how fans interact with the sport. Extreme’s industry leading solutions, which leverage state-of-the-art cloud, mobility and analytics capabilities, will help the league, its teams, and fans connect data, devices and people together in the most effortless manner possible.”

On Opening Day, there is no doubt that fans will be totally floored and will be swept off their feet over the lightning speed network of Extreme Network who is all set to play ball with MLB.

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