Driving fan engagement with new stadium technology sounds easy on paper. Deploy better Wi-Fi, roll out mobile apps, layer in AI, and watch the experience transform. In reality, driving fan engagement is far messier. The sports industry has no shortage of innovation, yet adoption remains a struggle. The gap between deploying technology and getting fans to actually use it remains one of the biggest challenges for stadium CIOs today.
I recently sat down with Dr. Michael Cunningham, Senior Director of Enterprise Applications for the Philadelphia Phillies, to explore this issue. Cunningham offers a unique perspective, blending hands-on operational experience with academic research into why sports organizations often lag in adopting emerging technologies. His insights underscore a fundamental truth: fan engagement isn’t a technology problem, it’s a behavior problem.
The Expectation Gap is real
One of the biggest shifts in recent years is that fans no longer compare stadium experiences to other stadiums. They compare them to everything. As Cunningham explained, “Fans have similar experiences outside the venue, in airports, in healthcare, and in their own homes—and they want that in the ballpark.”
That creates a moving target. The moment a team deploys mobile ticketing, fans expect frictionless entry everywhere. Once Wi-Fi improves, they expect it to be better than at home. Introduce mobile ordering, and suddenly speed and personalization become baseline expectations when using technology.
This aligns with broader research from Wharton’s Mack Institute, which shows that innovation in fan engagement is increasingly driven by cross-industry benchmarks, not just by sports competitors. The challenge for Stadium CIOs is that meeting these expectations isn’t enough. Each new deployment raises the bar for the next.
Convenience either drives adoption . . . or kills It
Cunningham’s doctoral research draws on the Technology Acceptance Model, which reduces adoption to two factors: usefulness and ease of use. In a stadium setting, that translates directly to convenience. “We get one chance to pivot a fan toward a convenient experience,” he said. “[They ask,] is it useful to me, and does it provide convenience?”
When the answer is yes, adoption sticks. When it’s no, the technology gets ignored—no matter how advanced it is. Take frictionless entry. “Once they use it, they never go back,” Cunningham noted.
The same applies to concessions. If a grab-and-go system saves time, fans will actively seek it out. If it doesn’t, they’ll revert to old habits. This creates a high-stakes environment for the IT leaders responsible for stadiums. Unlike enterprise tech rollouts, there’s no training period and no second chances. Fans either adopt it immediately or abandon it.
The problem of devalued experience
One of the most overlooked barriers to engagement is what Cunningham calls the “devaluation” of the fan experience. “If I buy a $90 ticket and spend two innings waiting in line, I’ve devalued my experience by two-ninths,” he said. That framing is powerful because it shifts the focus from technology features to optimizing time.
Every minute spent struggling with an app, waiting in line, or dealing with friction is a direct hit to perceived value. In an era when fans have endless entertainment alternatives, that matters. Ironically, this is where some well-intentioned technology deployments fall short. A mobile ordering system that’s slightly confusing or unreliable can make the experience of using it worse than standing in line.
For Stadium CIOs, the reality of the devalued experience is that bad technology is worse than no technology.
Fragmentation Is the silent killer
If there’s one issue that consistently frustrates fans, it’s fragmentation. Too many apps. Too many logins. Too many disconnected experiences. Cunningham sees this as one of the biggest structural challenges facing stadium technology today. “Many ballparks are innovating in silos,” he said. “Now the challenge is the ‘so what?’ How do we cross the chasm to mass adoption?”
This is where many innovation strategies break down. Teams pilot new technologies such as mobile ordering, wayfinding, ticketing, and loyalty but fail to connect them into a unified journey. The result is a patchwork experience that feels disjointed to fans. The fix starts with identity. “Secure the fan’s identity layer, and they’re going to be able to adopt the next experience you roll out,” Cunningham explained.
In other words, identity is the control plane for fan engagement. Without it, personalization, integration, and seamless experiences collapse.
The network Is the foundation, but It’s invisible
It’s impossible to talk about stadium technology without addressing the network. Everything from mobile apps to IPTV to point-of-sale systems depends on it.
Cunningham put it simply: “Everything is fueled by the network layer.” Yet the network is largely invisible to fans. They notice it only when it fails. This creates an interesting dynamic. CIOs must invest heavily in infrastructure that doesn’t directly drive engagement but enables everything that does.
High-density Wi-Fi, secure architectures, and emerging options such as private 5G are becoming table stakes. Without them, even the best applications won’t perform. But great connectivity isn’t enough. It’s what you build on top of it that determines whether fans engage.
AI: Opportunity Without a Clear Playbook
AI is the latest wave of innovation, but its role in stadiums is still evolving. For Cunningham, the focus isn’t on hype, it’s on practical application. “For us, it’s a convenience factor,” he said. “Think about how we apply artificial intelligence, not just saying we’re going to use it.”
Today, that means using AI to deepen customer understanding by summarizing fan interactions, identifying sentiment, and personalizing outreach. Tomorrow, it could mean real-time assistants within stadium apps, predictive recommendations, and enhanced wayfinding. But the same adoption rules still apply. If AI doesn’t clearly improve the experience, fans won’t use it.
What Stadium CIOs Should Do Now
The path forward isn’t about chasing every new technology trend. It’s about execution.
First, design for the fan journey, not for individual technologies. Every deployment should contribute to a cohesive experience, from ticket purchase to post-game engagement.
Second, prioritize convenience over novelty. If a solution doesn’t save time or reduce friction, it won’t be adopted.
Third, unify identity across platforms. A single, secure view of the fan is the foundation for everything from personalization to payments.
Fourth, strengthen ecosystem partnerships. As Cunningham noted, relationships with concessionaires and other stakeholders are critical. Misaligned strategies lead to fragmented experiences.
Finally, focus on continuous improvement. Fan expectations will keep rising, and what works today won’t be enough tomorrow.
The bottom line
Stadium technology is no longer about adding features. It’s about removing friction. The teams that succeed will be those that understand a simple yet often overlooked truth: fans don’t care about the technology itself. They care about how it improves their experience.
Or, as Cunningham put it, technology is ultimately about “knowing not just who your fan is, but what about your brand is going to attract them to stay with you.” That’s the real challenge, and opportunity, for every stadium CIO.
