As summer approaches, the global sports calendar heats up. The competitions attract massive flows of supporters, who come to experience the emotion as close as possible to the action.
Major competitions are held across the globe, culminating in the most prestigious tournaments, notably football. For the organizers, the challenge is now clear: welcome these millions of fans in the best conditions and offer them a fluid, immersive and connected experience. But it is also about pushing the boundaries of stadiums by allowing millions of other spectators, remotely, to experience the event as if they were there. Being able to share each highlight live, interact on social networks or instantly access information on the competition and their favorite teams has become essential.
At the heart of this promise of an enriched experience is a key element, often invisible but essential: connectivity. It irrigates all the technological layers that transform sport, from remote viewing to the in-stadium experience. Here are some notable examples.
Sports leagues are using 5G to improve the experience
Beyond the living room, technologies that improve the fan experience in stadiums rely on mobility. During live sporting events, public cellular networks are heavily saturated, with spectators heavily using social networks, video and numerous mobile applications.
The 2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix in Mexico City is the perfect example, with more than $800 million in economic impact and 117 terabytes of data traffic, and nearly 78,000 users connected via 5G, 28,000 more than the previous year.
This intensification of uses has accelerated the development of new networks in order to guarantee the continuity of critical applications and security services. During the 2023 São Paulo Grand Prix, operators used 5G network slicing for live television broadcasting, with 10 dedicated cameras connected to a 5G segment reserved for video needs.
These 5G wearable cameras have made it possible to transmit real-time content to media with exceptional reliability and performance.
Golf moves up a gear with private 5G
Golf tournaments extend over four days and involve many players, from organizers to spectators who always expect more interactivity.
During the WM Phoenix Open 2025, one of the most spectacular tournaments on the PGA Tour, renowned for its very festive atmosphere and its large crowds of spectators, the teams used four private 5G networks operating on the CBRS spectrum to manage logistics, communications and VIP services, avoiding congestion on public networks.
On the fan side, the PGA Championship, one of the four major tournaments in men’s professional golf, also offers an experience enriched by data and real-time broadcasting: private 5G network to broadcast HDR images of certain holes and offer augmented reality visualizations of tee shots. An interactive map allows you to monitor performance in real time.
Buffalo Bills design next-generation stadium cellular infrastructure
As the Buffalo Bills, an NFL football team, build their new stadium, scheduled to open in 2026, they announced a partnership with Verizon to deploy a neutral cellular network solution ensuring excellent 5G coverage inside the stadium, as well as in the fan parking lot for festive pre-game gatherings.
A private 5G network will also be installed on site to ensure particularly reliable and segmented connectivity for coach communications, credit card payments and ticketing – in other words, applications that cannot afford any interruption or slowdown on match days.
The impact of 5G in sport is set to grow
The rise of 5G in sports is likely only just beginning, given the pace of innovation, whether in stadiums, remote viewing experiences or network reliability for critical operations.
Many large-scale events are already exploring the use of connected drones and dynamic mobile cameras to offer new viewing angles and redefine the way spectators experience live events. These innovations push the boundaries of the immersive experience, bringing fans closer to the action than ever before. At the same time, the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is set to transform the monetization of events, enabling more intelligent and data-driven engagement, as well as the creation of new sources of revenue adapted in real time to audience behavior.
At the heart of this transformation is one key element: high-performance connectivity. Thanks to 5G, sites can guarantee smooth and reliable coverage in all spaces, particularly for the most demanding uses.
This paves the way for a new generation of value-added B2B services for journalists, content creators, merchandise sellers, broadcasters and partners. From real-time content production to frictionless transactions to enriched fan interactions, these services not only enhance the event experience, but also create significant additional revenue opportunities for organizers.
As leagues seek to determine the most strategic applications and meet fan expectations, network operators and providers are constantly improving the tools available. Among them: network slicing, which allows connectivity to be adapted to different types of traffic (payment, public security, high-capacity video), and private 5G networks, which protect against congestion and security risks. When these 5G technologies work together, serving innovative sports leagues that understand the evolving expectations of the public, the entire sports experience gains in intensity, fluidity and innovation.
