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Genius Sports and the Los Angeles Rams know that just because you have fans in your building on game day doesn’t mean you have their undivided attention.
The growth of fantasy sports, gambling, short-form video, and streaming content means fans are still deferring to their devices regardless of what they’ve paid for admission or what’s happening on the field. That isn’t great news for sponsors like the Rams and National Football League (NFL) partner Verizon, but Genius Sports has a game plan for that.
As the official league data distributor for the NFL—and data partner to 400 organizations in sports leagues around the world—Genius Sports teamed with the Rams and Verizon to build upon in-stadium experiences and get more fans into the game.
During Sunday’s matchup between the Rams and the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium, fans will see replays and highlights using the NFL’s Next Gen Stats (NGS) data and Genius Sports’ GeniusIQ machine learning and AI. Those clips will feature player locators, identification, and speeds; the time it takes a quarterback to throw a ball; and a minimap of the field and player routes—all with the Verizon logo and branding included.
The site of Super Bowl 56 in 2022, SoFi Stadium displays the Rams and Verizon’s data-integrated highlights on its 120-yard, 70,000-square-foot 4K LED Infinity Screen suspended over the field, as well as on numerous screens in lounge areas and easements through the facility. Those 18 to 20 replays per game—as well as a highlight package at the game’s end—join a mariachi band, house guitarist Nita Strauss, and a social-savvy mascot in creating an in-stadium experience that bolsters the Rams’ argument for fans to leave their screens and couches.
“We program a robust and diverse experience for those five hours, from gates opening to gates closing, to support and enhance the football that’s taking place on the field,” said Sarah Schuler, the Rams’ vp of game presentation. “But it’s that next level of near-real-time [data] with things like speed leaders, route trees, and time-to-throw that’s giving you that info before you knew you needed it [that] rivals, if not beats, the at-home experience, and that’s the goal.”
Facing an enhanced reality
In March, just as the NFL’s offseason began, the Rams approached Genius Sports about working stats into the team’s game-day plans.
Genius offered its package of “hustle and performance” stats with the promise that they could be added to replays with graphic overlays almost immediately. So if Rams quarterback Matt Stafford threw a pass less than two seconds after the play started, the Rams’ instant-replay producer and stats producer could turn on player augmentation and locator features and track the throw from multiple angles.