Levi’s Stadium has evolved beyond a traditional sports venue — it’s now a showcase for smart stadium innovation. At the intersection of elite athletics and cutting-edge infrastructure, NetApp Inc. and the San Francisco 49ers are teaming up to transform the fan experience, stadium operations and enterprise infrastructure behind the scenes.
The San Francisco 49ers’ Costas Kladianos discusses smart stadiums with theCUBE.
Having pioneered the connected stadium blueprint, Levi’s has become a fully intelligent, artificial intelligence-augmented environment, according to Costa Kladianos (pictured, left), executive vice president and head of technology at the San Francisco 49ers.
“We moved into the smart stadium for real-time data all the time to excite our fans and build champions on the field. Now, with the AI revolution, it’s a complete change in the infrastructure. And to do that, we needed a foundation that NetApp can provide to us to get the data, transform the data and be able to make amazing decisions and engage our fans.”
Kladianos and Gabie Boko (right), chief marketing officer of NetApp, spoke with theCUBE’s Rebecca Knight and Rob Strechay at the “Architecting Outcomes in the Era of Intelligence” event, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, News Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how the NetApp-49ers partnership is redefining what it means to be a smart, connected AI-driven stadium. (* Disclosure below.)
The new smart stadium concept in detail
NetApp’s infrastructure powers the 49ers’ transformation by ensuring data flows in real time — from player stats and concession lines to security feeds and utility usage. This deeper integration is what distinguishes NetApp’s approach to strategic partnerships — actively co-creating solutions that enhance customer experience and support rapid innovation, according to Boko.
“We didn’t want to just be a logo — we wanted to be a partner,” Boko said. “The nice thing was that the 49ers were already a customer. We just saw this as an opportunity to be more invested in their success … With the intelligent stadium, because that’s part of us and our narrative with intelligent data infrastructure. We want to be built in — we don’t want to just be bolted on.”
Levi’s Stadium will soon unveil the world’s largest 4K video boards, a move that not only enhances visual storytelling, but also demands robust data handling capabilities. However, the innovations go beyond highlight reels. Real-time data will be employed to help shorten lines, optimize crowd flow and personalize interactions, Kladianos added.
Here’s the complete video interview, part of News’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the “Architecting Outcomes in the Era of Intelligence” event:
(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the “Architecting Outcomes in the Era of Intelligence” event. Neither NetApp Inc., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or News.)
Photo: News
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