
Professional soccer club Columbus Crew SC has selected IBM to provide a vision for a personalised fan experience at its new downtown Columbus stadium in the US.
According to the agreement, IBM Services and IBM iX, the company’s creative business strategy division, will enable new technologies at the club’s new 430,000ft² facility.
The new 20,000-seater stadium is scheduled to open to the public for the 2021 season.
IBM said that it will leverage research and key insights to deliver a complete fan experience strategy.
The company added that it will create a future-focused technology strategy and is ascertain that the design of the stadium will be future-flexible.
Columbus Crew president Tim Bezbatchenko said: “As we look ahead to our new stadium, creating and delivering the best experience possible for the Crew SC fanbase is a key objective for the club.

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By GlobalData“By collaborating with IBM, we will ensure that Crew supporters have a unique experience at every event, setting the bar for future sports and entertainment venues.”
IBM iX general manager Matt Candy said: “We are so pleased to be working with the Columbus Crew to help them deliver an innovative experience for their very loyal fans.
“Digital technology has created an expectation among consumers for unique, personalised experiences and performance venues are under intense pressure to go beyond staging live entertainment by providing a personalised and interactive fan experience, whether a user is on their couch or at the LIVE event and our goal is to help meet those expectations.”
With more than 17,000 employees worldwide, IBM iX remains one of the largest hybrid digital agencies worldwide.