18 August 2023

Extreme Networks became the Club’s official WiFi network solutions and WiFi analytics provider in 2022, with the commitment to deliver the latest generation of WiFi connectivity at the historic stadium for the hundreds of thousands of fans who visit each season.

Earlier this year, Extreme completed the rollout of a new WiFi 6 network at Old Trafford, deployed in partnership with Verizon Business. The ultra-fast connectivity supports the Club's innovative digital offerings, including mobile ticketing and membership rewards, and provides the Club with the best possible platform to explore new immersive services to improve the matchday experience for fans.

Manchester United’s first home match of the 2023/24 EPL season kicked off on Monday, August 14. The Club will leverage the ExtremeCloud™ IQ platform to gain visibility into network performance and management across the venue as well as ExtremeAnalytics solutions to better understand fan behaviour and drive more personalised and informed decisions around both the fan experience and overall venue operations.

The new WiFi 6 network supports modern experiences for fans, including updated digital signage throughout the historical stadium and mobile ticket scanning at the stadium entrances. Fans can reliably access social media apps and stay in contact with friends and family during matches, as well as leverage the Manchester United mobile app to navigate the stadium or get match updates when they're away from their seats.

ExtremeAnalytics provides Old Trafford’s operations team with real-time insights into fan activity and network performance, which they can use to continuously improve digital fan experiences throughout the stadium. This includes application usage insights, which can help identify areas and moments of increased usage to ensure better provision of services. Extreme is the only networking vendor to provide Wi-Fi insights and analytics.

Manchester United’s IT team is leveraging ExtremeCloud IQ to monitor and optimise network performance, giving it a view into the entire stadium network through a single dashboard. The cloud-managed network also enables the IT team to easily scale operations based on event needs and automatically adjust traffic streams based on network traffic, helping ensure seamless experiences for fans and staff connected to the network.

“We’re delighted to be supported by Extreme Networks to deliver world-class connectivity to our fans within the Theatre of Dreams. Old Trafford is steeped in history; however, it is vital we keep innovating with the best possible modern digital solutions which allow us to improve the overall matchday fan experience. The next generation of connectivity at Old Trafford will provide the club with a great platform for future digital innovation as well as help the club better understand the wants and needs of our huge fanbase,” said Attiq Qureshi, chief digital information officer, Manchester United.

“The network is at the heart of every organisation, whether you’re a hospital serving patients both in clinics and at home, a manufacturer leaning into warehouse automation or a sports franchise playing in a 113-year-old stadium. With functions from EMS services to retail stores, a stadium on gameday is like a small smart city, and the network supports every digital service. Extreme has years of experience designing and delivering networks and Wi-Fi experiences at some of the world’s most historic and coveted venues. The new network at Old Trafford will enable its operations team to improve experiences for everyone who visits the stadium while streamlining match day operations,” said Norman Rice, chief operating officer, Extreme Networks.