Nashville Predators seek new fan experiences: Chips in jerseys, real-time gambles, NFT gifts – Tennessean

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Watch: Nashville Predators players enter Nissan Stadium prior to NHL Stadium Series game

Nashville Predators, along with special guests Pekka Rinne and Taylor Lewan, enter Nissan Stadium before NHL Stadium Series outdoor game.

Nick Gray, Nashville Tennessean

The Nashville Predators are betting that their future fanbase will be constantly connected to an ever-evolving digital marketplace that sports-industry analysts say could grow earnings exponentially.

In February, the team became the first in the National Hockey League to roll out a limited-edition microchipped jersey. The merchandise commemorated beloved goalie Pekke Rinne’s retirement after 15 years. 

It’s both a tech-savvy marketing move and an investment in a new kind of fan experience.

“We’ll continue to be aggressive, providing our fans with more opportunities and options,” Predators CEO Sean Henry said. “Offering the best fan experience in sports is very important to us and we also pride ourselves on being innovators – we are willing to try almost anything.”

The “best fan experience” will also attract the biggest profits. So the team is aggressively experimenting with new technology and laying the groundwork for tech-enhanced services at Bridgestone Arena.

Season-ticket holders who are up for renewal received a custom Predators non-fungible token, or NFT, which is not digital currency but shares similar blockchain technology to create unique digital collectable codes. Some investors are betting that they will be part of the infrastructure of the metaverse and Web3, or the internet’s next, more decentralized iteration. 

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The digital art world uses NFTs to trade exclusive content. For sports teams, NFTs are expected to be the trading cards of the future, according to PwC industry research.

Many teams have already adopted commemorative NFTs to mark landmark games like the playoffs, including the Tennessee Titans. 

“This is more than a passing fad,”  according to PwC’s Sports Outlook 2022. “The next step is ‘before they were famous’ cards, featuring college NFTs, minor league players and college prospects. Soon, your digital ticket may serve as a hype video.”

Real-time stats and bets

Rinne’s $350 commemorative retirement jersey retails for double what a regular jersey costs.

It’s designed for a long-term marketing relationship with buyers who can scan the chip and register their jerseys to unlock daily exclusive offers and deals. This particular data, which team officials said is not sold to outside firms, then gives the franchise real-time updates on fan preferences. 

“The history of the jersey, including a video of Pekka Rinne’s number retirement ceremony, is stored immutably on the blockchain, making the jersey even more unique and valuable,” according to product developer CollectID. The company said it “solves the problem of counterfeited products and creates a gateway for physical products to the Metaverse/Web3.0 by combining encrypted, smartphone-ready NFC tags with secure NFTs on blockchain.”

Bridgestone Arena last summer installed 5G internet. The infrastructure upgrade enables NHL franchises to use microchips in players’ jerseys and in pucks to track speed and travel distance. 

Faster online connections allow real-time communication between the team and fans for stats updates, marketing deals and, eventually, real-time bets. 

Online sports gambling was approved in Tennessee in 2020, but legislators are still negotiating whether to allow sportsbooks. 

Gambling is expected to lead all industry growth areas in coming years. 

“Digital content and betting are reshaping sports,” PwC’s Sports Outlook states. “Sports has become synonymous with technology, casinos, media producers and more. Entire businesses are sprouting up with eight-figure valuations off the back of sports content.”

The stadium experience

Rapidly evolving technologies require more online awareness and flexibility from businesses. Meanwhile, they are also demanding new and upgraded stadium experiences.

“If there is one thing that 2021 taught us, it’s that fans still want to see sports in person,” PwC’s industry research states. “Sports fans are returning to America’s stadiums with higher expectations than ever. Competition for in-stadium fans is fierce, not just from rival teams, but also from the lure of the 75-ince television.”

The new 5G infrastructure at Bridgestone will also enable quick online orders for food, drinks and tickets from seats using individualized QR scan codes. 

Bridgestone adopted FAST Software that will allow them to start in-seat orders “just as soon as we can, hopefully for the 2022-23 season,” Henry said. 

Expanded luxury seating options and other experience-based amenities are driving fan interest. Ultimately, facial-recognition technology, robotics and augmented-reality experiences will be adopted.

The Titans are seeking a new or vastly remodeled  NFL stadium to keep pace with facilities offered by other leagues.

A plan developed last year for Metro Nashville to split a $600 million stadium renovation with Titans officials was interrupted when engineers reported that it would cost more than $1 billion to modernize the 1997 open-air bowl. 

State leaders have pledged substantial contributions to a new Nashville stadium that can host a Super Bowl. Negotiations continue on a financing strategy for a new stadium that would likely cost at least $2 billion.  

Sandy Mazza can be reached via email at smazza@tennessean.com, by calling 615-726-5962, or on Twitter @SandyMazza.