Manchester United Unleashes High-Speed Fan-Facing Extreme Networks Wi-Fi at Old Trafford

High-Performance Wi-Fi Solutions at Old Trafford to Enhance Fan Matchday Experiences

MORRISVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Red Devils fans attending matches at Old Trafford this season will experience fast new Wi-Fi from Extreme Networks™, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXTR). Extreme Networks became the Club’s official Wi-Fi network solutions and Wi-Fi analytics provider in 2022, with the commitment to deliver the latest generation of Wi-Fi connectivity at the historic stadium for the hundreds of thousands of fans who visit the “Theatre of Dreams” each season.

Earlier this year, Extreme completed the rollout of a new Wi-Fi 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 behavior and drive more personalized and informed decisions around both the fan experience and overall venue operations.

Key Facts:

• Enhanced Fan Experiences at Old Trafford: The new Wi-Fi 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.

• Continuously Improved Services and Operations: 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.

• Reduced Complexity, Improved Performance with Cloud: Manchester United’s IT team is leveraging ExtremeCloud IQ to monitor and optimize 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.

Executive Perspectives

Attiq Qureshi, Chief Digital Information Officer, Manchester United

"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.”

Norman Rice, Chief Operating Officer, Extreme Networks

“The network is at the heart of every organization, 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.”

Did You Know?

• Extreme delivers high-performance network solutions to stadiums across Europe, including Olympiastadion Berlin and stadiums within ESSMA.
• Extreme is a trusted provider of venue solutions, delivering high-performance Wi-Fi and analytics to leagues including Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, the NFL, the NHL, and NASCAR.

About Extreme Networks

Extreme Networks, Inc. (EXTR) is a leader in cloud networking focused on delivering services that connect devices, applications, and people in new ways. We push the boundaries of technology leveraging the powers of machine learning, artificial intelligence, analytics, and automation. 50,000 customers globally trust our end-to-end, cloud-driven networking solutions and rely on our top-rated services and support to accelerate their digital transformation efforts and deliver progress like never before. For more information, visit Extreme's website at https://www.extremenetworks.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Extreme Networks, ExtremeCloud and the Extreme Networks logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Extreme Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other trademarks shown herein are the property of their respective owners.

About Manchester United

Manchester United is one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world, playing one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth. Through our 145-year heritage we have won 67 major trophies, enabling us to develop the world’s leading sports brand and a global community of 1.1 billion fans and followers. Our large, passionate community provides Manchester United with a worldwide platform to generate significant revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship, merchandising, product licensing, new media & mobile, broadcasting and match day.