The start of the NFL and college football seasons mean different things to different people, but for those in some cities it means an uptick in the amount of mobile data we use on our smartphones.
Smartphones are now a major part of sports fans’ game day experience. Whether it’s checking emails, looking at stats or fantasy football results or conversing from the game with family and friends back home and at other rival stadiums across the country, it’s important to say “I was there!”
When it comes to firing up the wireless network, fans in Atlanta this weekend did their best to rival the numbers also burning up at other stadiums across the country. In fact, Atlanta ranked third nationally in terms of opening weekend mobile data usage (see below.)
Data from opening weekend of professional football displayed some interesting regional trends, eye-bulging total traffic numbers from marquee venues and year-over-year traffic growth that supports the trend of more and more mobile usage at stadiums:
Top 5 Opening Weekend Professional Venues by Total Mobile Data
Miami, FL – 1035GB
· Equivalent to more than 2.9 million social media post with photos
· Peak hour – 1-2pm ET – 146GB
Dallas, TX – 889GB
· Equivalent to more than 2.5 million social media post with photos
· Peak hour – 2-3pm CT – 158GB
Atlanta, GA – 696GB
· Equivalent to nearly 2 million social media post with photos
· Peak hour – 2-3pm ET – 159GB
· Atlanta’s 2014 season average compared to 2013 season opener is a year-over-year increase of more than 150 percent!
Chicago, IL – 452GB
· Equivalent to nearly 1.3 million social media post with photos
· Peak hour – 1-2pm CT – 107GB
Pittsburgh, PA – 385GB
· Equivalent to more than 1.1 million social media post with photos
· Peak hour – 2-3pm ET – 83GB
About these results:
· All figures include only data traffic seen on AT&T’s venue-specific mobile network.
· All data metrics come from only venues with a DAS where AT&T’s mobile network is on-air. These metrics are not comprehensive of every game played during the opening weekend for professional or college football.
· This data is compiled from 16 professional football stadiums and 25 division one college football stadiums that had opening week home games where AT&T is on-air on a DAS.
Some additional facts to look at from this past season:
Year-over-Year Professional Mobile Data Increase
2014 home opener – 361GB average per venue
2013 season average – 227GB average per venue
· 2013 season average to 2014 season opener is a year-over-year increase of more than 59 percent
· 2013 season opener to 2014 season opener is a year-over-year increase of more than 58 percent
Opening Weekend Mobile Data Usage Professional vs. Collegiate
2014 professional season opener – 361GB average per venue
2014 collegiate season opener – 288GB average per venue
The next time you are at a live football game, take a look around. We are all on our smartphones. These numbers shouldn’t really surprise you.
