Alpha Video is a $45 million integration firm that earns about 25 percent of its revenue in the sports venues market and sees potential to make even greater strides with those customers. CastNET, Alpha Video’s manufacturing group, creates digital signage solutions.
So it seems quite natural that at Digital Signage Expo 2016 the company is launching CastNET Sports Solutions, a new family of digital signage products aimed at helping sports venues enhance fan experience and increase sponsorship opportunities.
CastNET Sports Solutions leverages the CastNET digital signage software that CastNET and Alpha have seen successfully deployed in a number of gaming and casino venues, along with IPTV distribution hardware, to stream multiple channels of live game day content to screens in concourses, suites, press boxes, and concession stands.
Central to the offering are modules that integrate real-time data sources like game clock and score, player stats, social media, menu boards and facilitation of branded and multi-zone sponsor advertising and venue promotions that can be displayed on the side and bottom of the screens while showing live game day content, according to CastNET. Modules include:
CastNET ConcourseView—This enables venues to distribute live IPTV game day events on concourse screens with messages from sponsors and advertisers along the side and bottom of the screens.
CastNET SuiteView—Feature allows suite guests to control multiple channels of game day, satellite TV, or cable TV content using a tablet channel guide.
CastNET StatsView—Module shows in-game and pre-game statistics full screen. Data from numerous internal and external sources can be added.
CastNET MenuView—Screens are installed over food and merchandise concession stands and easily integrated with POS systems.
A key feature for customers is the ease of control. Think game-day management. So CastNET Sports offers a software tool called CastNET GameDay Control, allowing authorized personnel to manually switch screen content using a web browser playlist.
As an integrator serving sports venue customers, Alpha Video has a window into challenges related to digital signage deployment and in-game management. As a manufacturer, CastNET has long served the casino and gaming market, but CastNET Sports is its first solution specifically targeted at sports venues.
CastNET ConcourseView example:
CastNET ConcourseView Example from Alpha Video on Vimeo.
“CastNET has been one of the leading digital signage software developers and integrators for the gaming industry,” says CastNET VP Lance Hutchinson.
“We see the gaming market and the sports market similar because both are focused on viewing and celebrating live events. Our software development with enterprise-wide IPTV distribution networks for casinos combined with our expertise in sports venue hardware integration makes a powerful combination for our clients”
Screenshots of CastNET Sports Solutions Views
Meanwhile, CastNET provides Alpha Video with another tool for its Sports & Entertainment Division to offer. “We’re excited to start offering CastNET Sports Solutions to our professional and collegiate customers,” says Jeff Volk, VP of Alpha Video Sports.
“Until now, there hasn’t been a truly cost-effective digital signage solution that uses IPTV streaming and set-top-boxes along with dynamic data integration. CastNET Sports fills this void. It enhances the fan experience, generates additional revenue for the venue and increases the participation of sponsors, donors, and advertisers.”
CastNET Sports has already been deployed by Alpha at the University of Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium. So far, so good, says Nathan Schwake, associate athletic director. “TheCastNET Sports Solutions installed by Alpha Video has allowed us ultimate flexibility on our game day presentation. It’s an upgrade for fan experience in both the public areas and premium spaces of the stadium and has added significant opportunities for our rights holder in activating new and existing sponsorships.”
CastNET SuiteView example:
CastNET SuiteView Example from Alpha Video on Vimeo.
