Brief:
- Los Angeles Clippers fans can now see a 360-degree, 3-D view from a seat at the Staples Center before buying single tickets for the 2017-18 basketball season. FanSight, a mobile-first technology that provides an immersive view of the stadium’s map, is integrated with the team’s ticket-buying process, according to a press release.
- AXS Group, a ticketing and marketing solutions provider for live events, developed FanSight to give consumers a representative view from the exact chosen seat before completing a transaction. The LA Clippers is the first NBA team to use the technology for single-game tickets.
- FanSight lets ticket buyers zoom directly into a selected seat using the “View From Seat” map as part of the transaction. Enlarging this window to full-screen mode provides a view in all directions, including the placement of scoreboards and screens. AXS will roll out FanSight for other venues early next year.
Insight:
The Clippers are among the sports teams that are integrating mobile technology into the fan experience, starting with ticket buying. In the Clippers' case, using the native capabilities of a smartphone and overlaying technology from AXS means fans can be more confident in their purchases because they'll have a better sense of exactly what view they are getting with their purchase. This could drive loyalty and repeat purchases.
The LA Clippers are among the top 10 NBA teams that boast 100% attendance for home games, with an average of 19,088 fans at each game, according to data compiled by ESPN. That kind of solid attendance makes the team a good test subject for marketing tickets with the FanSight feature developed by AXS, which is also headquartered in Los Angeles.
Last month, the NBA’s Miami Heat franchise said fans will have to use their smartphones to enter the American Airlines Arena for the upcoming 2017-18 season, making it the first team to abandon paper ticketing, CBS Miami reported. Mobile-only ticketing not only improves security and prevents lost or stolen tickets, but it also makes sending, selling, receiving and managing tickets easier for fans, the team said. The Miami Heat app also lets people pay for parking and buy food, drinks and merchandise inside the arena.
While professional sports teams are using smartphones to enhance the experience of attending a live game, virtual reality technology is also becoming more popular. The NBA and NextVR announced last month that every team will include a VR broadcast in the upcoming season. The first VR broadcast will be on Oct. 21 between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets. To see the games, fans with a Samsung GearVR headset or Google Daydream, along with a compatible smartphone, can download the free NextVR app from the Oculus Store or the Google Play Store, respectively, according to a press release.
