5g’s Imminent Arrival Set To Transform Sport
Most UK consumers will have their first 5G experience at a sports event, according to new research conducted by Ovum for Amdocs, a provider of software and services to communications and media companies.
The study found that 76% percent of network operators in Europe plan to use augmented reality (AR) technology, supported by 5G, to offer richer viewing experiences to fans, both at the sports stadiums and watching at home.
5G promises speeds up to tens of times faster than 4G, with lower latency, opening up opportunities for new types of entertainment and in-stadium experiences. Audiences could, for example, watch instant replays and 360-degree streams or look up player stats via AR and virtual reality (VR) technology, bringing them much closer to the action.
5G also promises to transform the at-home viewing experience of sports events, with 88% of European operators planning to offer new multi-screen Pay-TV services. 5G will improve mobile TV and video quality and increase the range of mobile content available to audiences, across a range of consumer devices and services.
The Amdocs study surveyed C-level executives from the world’s 100 largest operators, including operators in Europe.
It found that more than 40% are also looking to own a sports team in the 5G era.
Other key findings included the revelation that major sports events, including UEFA Euro 2020, are influencing the roll-out timetable for 5G among more than two-thirds of European operators.
More than 80% are targeting the June – July 2020 tournament to kickoff 5G experiences in the consumer market. In addition, 94% of European operators plan to trial 5G within sports and esports venues by the end of 2020.
All of the European operators that took part in the study specifically said they planned to support esports in the 5G era, either as technology partners to esports event organisers (88%), broadcasters of the action (47%), or within esports team ownership (12%).
Commenting on the findings, Gary Miles, Chief Marketing Officer at Amdocs, said: “Operators have identified these events as the springboard for rollout of a whole range of new interactive and immersive services. This will give consumers their first real taste of what 5G can deliver and allow operators to showcase the capabilities of their next-generation networks.
“Expect to see the first of these new services and applications rolled out in conjunction with the 2020 soccer tournaments in Europe, among other big events in the sports calendar. We will also see operators becoming integral to the growth of esports with 5G opening the door to future investment and revenue opportunities.”
Ed Barton, Chief Analyst, Consumer and Entertainment at Ovum, added: “5G is not just a new wireless technology from a network equipment provider, it’s a fundamental transformation of mobile networks, infrastructure and business models. It will drive the creation of new applications and services, which in turn will require new operating and business models, force changes across operator technology setups and emphasizing the need to integrate the new with the old.
“Our discussions with the world’s leading operators prove that it’s already a challenging journey. The industry has two years or less to get it right if it is to hit the ground running.”
In the UK, BT Group has led the way in trialling the application of 5G in sport. Its pioneering live 5G broadcast of the EE Wembley Cup Final has been shortlisted for the Cutting Edge Sport Award at the BT Sport Industry Awards 2019.
