The Miami Dolphins, in partnership with Verizon and AiFi, launched the Hard Rock Stadium Express Shop, an “autonomous retail experience” powered by Verizon’s 5G self-checkout activation in Hard Rock Stadium.
The Hard Rock Stadium Express Shop offers guests of the venue a grab-and-go checkout option to purchase snacks, beverages and merchandise in a fully autonomous and frictionless setting.
“As a global entertainment destination, we consistently look to implement experiences for our guests that exceed expectations in modernization and technology which are focal points in our partnership with Verizon.” said Jeremy Walls, SVP and chief revenue officer of the Miami Dolphins. “The Hard Rock Stadium Express Shop is at the forefront of future retail experiences, and we are excited to be the first NFL stadium to make this autonomous and free-standing concept available to fans.”
The Hard Rock Stadium Express Shop can function at any location where Verizon’s 5G network is available.
Accessible to fans by inserting a credit card at the door, the Express Shop allows fans to purchase products and simply walk out of the store. They will be billed electronically receiving a receipt through their email. Thanks to 5G and mobile edge compute, latency is greatly reduced, allowing the sales tracking data to be processed in near real time.
As part of an ongoing partnership with Verizon to elevate the fan experience and bring technological innovations to Hard Rock Stadium, the Express Shop is expected to be utilized throughout the year at all of the stadium’s entertainment events and across all properties.
In September, Verizon and the NFL had announced a 10-year partnership that will utilize 5G to support innovation and technology adoption throughout the league. The partnership builds on the more than 10-year relationship between the NFL and Verizon that paved the way for the installation of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband service in parts of 25 NFL stadiums. Over the next decade, Verizon and the NFL will utilize 5G to unlock advancements that could have the ability to impact management, scouting, training, health and safety and game day operations.
“5G can unlock the incredible speeds, massive capacity and low latency that is enabling true innovation within the industry. In the future, 5G could support real-time analytics and visualizations for coaches and players, giving them a whole new ability to learn from the last play and prepare for the next one. 5G-enabled NFL venues could be turned into digital arenas that can host mobile-gaming events with real-time, on-site multiplayer action,” Verizon said/
“Stadiums require a high level of technology, utilizing business solutions that can then be deployed to businesses of any industry. 5G coverage throughout venues gives operators the opportunity to unlock solutions that impact fan experience, public safety, access control, concessions, and crowd management,” the carrier added.
Verizon said that its 5G service is live in select parts of 25 NFL stadiums and more than 60 sports and entertainment venues across the country.
