Overhead image of the Tele2 Arena at dusk with the lights on
Objective

As the naming rights partner for the Tele2 Arena in Sweden, Tele 2, a European telecoms operator, aimed to make the venue one of the most connected multi-purpose stadiums in the world. The heart of the strategy was putting the stadium’s 40,000 fans first to create an unparalleled customer experience.

Approach

The AEG Global Partnerships team developed a dedicated smartphone app for anyone coming to the arena that offered guests food and beverage ordering, live-video with replays, social media feeds and voting functionality.

The Tele2 Arena app was developed to enrich the overall Tele2 Arena experience, increase fan engagement, challenge the traditional arena visit, attract new demographics, and be a world-leading driver/enabler of the connected fan experience.

Live video streams enabled fans to watch the match from their phones with four different camera angles available to tap into. Fans even had the ability to replay up to 30 seconds of the game, re-watching their favorite shots. Voting functionality was also built into the app to allow fans to engage with the game – voting for best player or for best goal with the results made live in real time at the game.

The app connected to big screens across the venue, making engagement arena-wide. Social integration via Twitter and Instagram was also included in the app, meaning visitors could share their pictures and tweets on the arena’s large screens through selected hashtags.

Exterior image of the Tele2 Arena during the day

 

Results

Within the first five months, there were more than 11,700 downloads of the Tele2 Arena app and 3.42 terabytes of data handled through the arena’s new Wi-Fi network. To put that into context, fans downloaded 170 gigabytes of data to their phones over two Avici concerts. That’s equivalent to 18,000 videos or 113,000 pictures posted on social media. More data was used during those two concerts than by the entire city of Stockholm over that weekend.

Additionally, in 2015, Tele2 Arena won the national Gyllene Hjulet “Sponsorship of the Year” award, and that same year won the European Sponsorship Association’s “Best of Europe” award, marking the first time a Swedish campaign had ever won the honor. Tele2 Arena also became Europe’s first venue to offer live broadcasts via mobile phones through the innovative Stadium Vision Mobile.