NEW YORK: Amdocs, a USA software and services provider, has claimed in its new research that 63% of network operators across 31 countries of the world, plan to offer augmented and virtual reality services over 5G in support of sports events, bringing fans closer to the action whether in the stadium or at home.
Promising speeds up to tens of times faster and lower latency than 4G, 5G opens up the possibilities for new types of entertainment and in-stadia experiences. Audiences could, for example, watch instant replays and 360-degree streams or look up player stats via AR and VR technology.
5G will also transform the at-home viewing experience of sports events, with 81% of operators planning to offer new multi-screen Pay-TV and subscription internet video streaming services. It will improve mobile TV and video quality as well and increase the range of mobile content available to audiences, across a range of consumer devices and services.
The research surveyed C-level executives from the world’s 100 largest operators. The survey covered C-level and other senior decision makers across marketing, network and IT functions at 60 of the world’s 100 largest communications and media companies by revenue, who are spearheading industry 5G trials and rollouts. These companies are active in 31 countries across Europe and the Middle East (40%), Asia Pacific (28%), North America (16%) and Latin America (16%).
A third (37%) of these, the research revealed, also intend to own a sports team in the 5G era as they look to expand their involvement in the sports ecosystem. This is likely to result in growing investments in 5G connectivity and services at stadiums and large venues.
More than two-thirds (70%) of operators claim that upcoming major sports events, such as the 2020 Olympics and European Championship, are influencing their 5G roll-out timelines. More than a quarter (26%) of operators intend to introduce these services during the Tokyo 2020 Games, while 28% of them are targeting the Euro 2020 to kickoff 5G experiences to the consumer market.
When it comes to eSports, nearly all (97%) operators plan to support it in the 5G era, either as technology partners to event organizers (73%), broadcasters of the action (55%), or with far bolder plans, including team ownership (18%). The most sought-after event is the ELEAGUE – the professional Counter-Strike league and championship.
“It’s essential for operators to find successful use cases for 5G given the investment levels. Amdocs’ research has revealed that major live sports events could hold the key to consumer adoption of 5G,” Amdocs CMO Gary Miles said.
“Operators have identified these events as the springboard for rollout of a whole range of new interactive and immersive services. This will give consumers their first real taste of what 5G can deliver and allow operators to showcase the capabilities of their next-generation networks. Expect to see the first of these new services and applications rolled out in conjunction with the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and soccer tournaments in Europe, among other big events in the sports calendar. We will also see operators becoming integral to the growth of eSports with 5G opening the door to future investment and revenue opportunities.”
