The love one has for their favorite sports team can rival that of pets, significant others, and even family members. Being a sports fan can also weave itself into a person’s list of hobbies—in rare cases taking front stage before everything else…
With professional and collegiate football season underway, super fans everywhere will begin to ditch responsibilities and attend games to cheer on their team of choice. However, the high price for sport event parking and the slim chance of finding a spot near a stadium can cause these people to watch at home, rather than to paint their faces at the local tailgate.
Historically, parking at sporting events is a nightmare that can only be solved by parking days or the night before a game. However, in recent years this has begun to change with parking and driving guidance applications. Most recently, sports teams are beginning to interface with mobile GPS applications like WAZE. For example, the Atlanta Falcons have begun to list their parking areas on the WAZE app for step-by-step guidance to a customer’s lot of choice. The goal is to eliminate driving in circles on gameday.
Other third-party applications are being put to use as well. The Cleveland Browns (among other teams and venues) have begun to use the online website and mobile application, Parkmobile. This website allows the user to book and pay for parking before driving to a lot or garage—something very helpful for planning a full day sporting event.
Sports teams worldwide are beginning to take advantage of parking apps like Parkmobile, Parkwhiz, and SpotHero. These guidance systems employ a combination of spot occupancy cameras and ultrasonic sensors to determine where an open spot is located, according to the NY Times. The consumer receives this information via the mobile application and is able to pick and choose a space for themselves.
For high-priced sporting events, these applications have started to drive parking prices down. Normally, lot space at sporting events is a cash-only, wallet-lightening expense. Mobile applications offer a variety of pricing based on consumer need, how far-out a customer books space, and more. As a result, the Dallas Cowboys may lose customers at their $75 cash parking lot to a $20 spot found on ParkWhiz.
With the success of these third-party applications, sports organizations have started to make their own team applications. Namely, the Atlanta Falcons have teamed up with IBM to make a mobile app that will allow them to book a parking pass, find a space of their choosing, and guide them along their journey around the stadium. These apps bring parking, bathrooms, tickets, concession stands, and much more to one online location.
As the parking hardware and software that make these apps work become more abundant and efficient, America will see the advent of Smart Stadiums. The Falcons and IBM partnership is one big step toward this future. Additionally, Intel has released a plan for their very own Smart Stadium. There is no news on when these schematics will be put into effect and for who, but one thing is for sure… Sports organizations must now compete with at-home entertainment that is highly advanced and easy to use. For this change to occur, the first issue these teams are tackling is smarter parking.