Once the big game ends, Verizon’s work begins. The telecom company, which is already heavily promoting its partnership with the NFL, will air a spot immediately after Super Bowl LVII ends showcasing how the company will begin installing wireless technology in all 30 NFL stadiums to better enable in-game coach-to-coach communication.
“This year, we’re utilizing our creative to demonstrate our commitment to elevating the game before, during and after Sunday’s broadcast,” said Kristin McHugh, Verizon’s senior vice president of marketing and creative, in a statement. “Our network engineers will stay long past the final touchdown to ensure that Verizon’s new private coach-to-coach wireless network makes the 2023-2024 NFL season better than ever for fans and teams.’”
The spot depicts Verizon teams working in empty stadiums as a voiceover explains the endeavor. The shots of the Verizon teams are intercut with exciting football plays and images of coaches communicating through headsets. The voiceover ends with the line, “This isn’t just football. This is football on the network America relies on.”
A longer social video explains why the initiative is important. Verizon and NFL leaders note that there are more than 70,000 fans at a typical game, in addition to the noise on the field, so the coaches need to be able to communicate with each other as if they are right next to each other.” The execs assure that the technology will enable complex play calling and “crystal clear” communications. A pilot of the system took place during this season’s five international NFL games in the UK, Germany and Mexico.
“In an NFL game, every moment matters – seconds matter – as the margin between winning and losing is minuscule. The backbone of world-class play on the field is communication,” said Sowmyanarayan Sampath, CEO of Verizon Business, in a release. “The NFL understands and leans into the power of innovation and technology and this Managed Private Wireless solution deployment is a testament to how the NFL uses the latest technology for the game.”
For game day, Verizon said it has invested more than $100 million in network upgrades in and around State Farm Stadium and the greater Phoenix area in preparation for the increased demand the event will require. These upgrades include installing 5G Ultra Wideband in Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler and Scottsdale and upgrading the in-building network within State Farm Stadium.
