For the two home games remaining at U.S. Bank Stadium in its inaugural season, the Minnesota Vikings hope fans can get a little more comfortable with the technology created for the new building.
"We've built this amazing machine. What we need to work on is telling fans," said John Penhollow, vice president of corporate and technology partnerships.
Added Rich Wang, team director of analytics and fan experience, "We're trying to figure out how do we get more awareness and trust."
The Vikings say 95 percent of ticket holders have smartphones, so the team has adapted with their fans. In one change, virtually all game tickets are digital. The Vikings deliver them digitally to fans, and the tickets are bought and sold digitally on the secondary market. That cuts down on ticket fraud and has eliminated the scrum at the will-call window on game days.
Now the team wants to hook fans in other ways: getting them to use their phones to find their seats, order and pay for food, watch replays on demand, watch pre- and post-game interviews and earn rewards for all of it.
Fans who earn points for using their phones can use the points in virtual auctions to win experiences such as field passes and access to areas where Vikings alumni view the games.
Scott Kegley, the Vikings executive director for digital media and innovation, said the team wants to improve on the home-game experience with extra content available only at the stadium through its Wi-Fi. "It's a fundamental next step for stadiums to offer these things," Kegley said.
Thus far, only about 20 percent of the 60,000-plus fans who come to the stadium have been using the free Wi-Fi, which requires no password. For the first season, 20 percent is considered successful, Kegley said, acknowledging, "It's a little bit scary for people to use."
