Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets, has launched two checkout-free stores, while Gainbridge Fieldhouse (pictured), home of the Indiana Pacers, has added two more frictionless shopping locations, taking its total number to four.
Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Wizards, also added two Zippin lanes in October. Zippin also has a presence at AT&T Center (San Antonio Spurs), Barclays Center (Brooklyn Nets), Golden 1 Center (Sacramento Kings), Paycom Center (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Spectrum Center (Charlotte Hornets).
Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, has been fitted with two cycle reverse vending machines, setting a first for the NFL.
The Eagles have joined Anheuser-Busch’s National Recycling League, a multi-sports league coalition aiming to reduce waste on game days. The machines are located in Section 123 and 138 and are designed to engage fans and incentivise recycling efforts.
Guests will be able to dispose of their empty beverage containers by inserting them into the machines and scanning a QR code. The machine will then populate a unique transaction ID, which will prompt the user to fill out a questionnaire to see if they win a prize. Prizes will include autographed Eagles items.
Local commerce platform DoorDash has entered into a multi-year partnership with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
As the official on-demand delivery platform of the Warriors, DoorDash mobile ordering will be available inside Chase Center for fans attending events this season. Fans will also be able to win prizes, redeem discounts on orders and more.
Chase Center will become one of the first NBA venues to offer mobile ordering from eateries inside the arena. The Warriors and DoorDash have also launched Golden GameDays, a season-long campaign for DoorPass members.
Elsewhere in the NBA, the Utah Jazz has agreed a deal for Chatbooks to become the official photo book partner of the team.
Chatbooks will capture game-night memories for families and friends and launch a series of other fan-based programmes. Its Fan Fame facial recognition technology will allow supporters to find all their posed photos taken at Vivint Arena within the Jazz mobile app.
Designated photo stations will also be set up at the arena, while Chatbooks will display a collage of fans’ social media posts associated with the ‘Take Note’ hashtag on centre-hung videoboards.
IBM Canada has signed a new multi-year agreement with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, making IBM the official sponsorship partner for cybersecurity and technology consulting services for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.
The partnership will provide the teams with access to IBM’s X-Force Red offensive security team. IBM will also support digital transformation for the Maple Leafs and Raptors and title sponsor a Sport + STEM Foundation within MLSE LaunchPad.
Additionally, IBM becomes an official and exclusive partner of the Raptors practice court at Scotiabank Arena.
Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium has become the latest major US venue to debut a frictionless retail experience.
ATL Market, a new checkout-free ‘grab and go’ market allows fans to tap/insert/swipe their credit/debit card or phone to enter the store, select preferred food or beverage items and exit with no checkout required.
For more details, plus news of a self-ordering solution at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro arena, check out our story from last week.
National League football club Wrexham’s planning application to replace the existing floodlights at the Racecourse Ground has been approved.
The new floodlight scheme will be capable of delivering a consistent 1500 lux to meet UEFA’s category 4 stadium requirements. The scheme can also be programmed to deliver a lux level of 350, the requirement of the National League.
No start date for the new floodlights has been confirmed, but it is hoped the new towers will be in place before the end of the season.
Audiovisual systems manufacturer Daktronics has partnered with Fairfield University to design, manufacture and install 15 LED displays inside the new on-campus Leo D. Mahoney Arena.
The display installation began during the summer in order to be ready for events beginning this winter. Nine displays will make up the centrehung system, while a 360-degree ribbon display has also been installed along the fascia.
Amano One, a parking access and revenue control system, is now available at Soldier Field, home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
The cloud-based platform delivers lower maintenance costs, seamless updates and intuitive quick-scan onboarding. Twenty lanes of equipment have been installed at Soldier Field, allowing fans to get to their parking spots quicker.
