River Cats GM Chip Maxson
Sacramento’s River Cats minor league baseball team and the Republic FC soccer club have plans of their own as the Kings and the team’s new downtown arena aspire to become the technology showcase of the NBA.
During a panel discussion Tuesday morning at the CIO Academy in Sacramento, Chip Maxson, the River Cats’ general manager, said more Wi-Fi is being added this upcoming season to Raley Field, the team’s home field in West Sacramento.
The River Cats also are figuring out ways to push fans to the team’s mobile app. It’s been a challenge to get people to download and use the app, Maxson said. So this year, as a carrot-and-stick, the River Cats will have fans log in to the app to get the password for the stadium’s Wi-Fi network.
That participation in the app will help driver social media and other experiences, Maxson said. Fans will be able to tweet what song should play as a particular hitter walks up to the plate. Instead of a "Kiss Cam" that has become an entertaining staple of many pro sports teams, the River Cats plan for "Kissing Selfies" that fans can submit themselves.
"I think it comes down to, what I learned in business school: Keep it Simple, Stupid. How is it simple enough, because you can get so complex, but how do you keep it simple and easy enough to where’s it’s intuitive for people to use the technology to enhance their experience? That’s what we’re trying to figure out," Maxson said.
Republic FC, which is in the midst of trying to get an expansion team from Major League Soccer, have tech ambitions of its own, beginning with an expected announcement next week of a new local TV deal, said Joe Wagoner, FC Republic’s executive vice president.
The Sacramento Kings are setting a high bar. Since TIBCO founder Vivek Ranadive and his ownership group bought the team in 2013, the Kings have launched a groundbreaking mobile app and experimented with Google Glass and drones. The team has promised the city’s downtown sports and entertainment complex under construction and set to open in fall 2016 will be the most connected arena in the world, and will include new high-speed Wi-Fi technology delivered to the fans’ seat, environmental sensors, smart lighting, and more. The franchise said it’s vying to host the NBA’s 2019 All-Star Game.
