NEWS ANALYSIS: Super Bowl 50 will take place in the world's most high-tech stadium in Silicon Valley, the technology capital of the world. Data transmission records will be shattered.
Are you ready for it? Super Bowl 50 is going to be epic—not just because of the game, however, because of the technology and the volumes of data generated.
The Super Bowl is the nation's most popular sporting event. This year it will take place in Santa Clara, Calif., the heart of Silicon Valley, at the shiny new Levi's Stadium, which opened in July 2014 and was built at a cost of $1.3 billion.
In Silicon Valley a disproportionate number of ticket holders will be people from the tech industry, who tend to have high-end phones that take large-file photos and videos.
They're more likely to use data-intensive apps, such as live-streaming features on Facebook or in apps like Periscope and Meerkat.
These high-tech attendees are also more likely to use Facebook's support of Apple's Live Photos, which animates iPhone photos. From a data perspective, Live Photos double the file size of picture uploads.
I believe attendees of Sunday's Super Bowl will destroy the record for the most data used at a sports event. My prediction is at least 15 terabytes. This would shatter the current record set during the previous year's Super Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., which hit the 6.2 terabyte mark.
Before we get into the incredible infrastructure behind this colossal feat, let's marvel at the several wonders this stadium is about to become famous for.
Why Levi's Stadium Reflects Silicon Valley
Levi's Stadium is expensive, elitist, utopian, green and obsessed with technology and great food. In other words, it's the perfect expression of Silicon Valley itself.
The most obvious feature of the stadium is a massive, four-story tower of 150 luxury suites on the shady side of the stadium where Silicon Valley's tech billionaires can hold parties during the game. The stadium also sports 7,500 premium club seats
And even regular seats are expensive. Levi's stadium has the highest ticket prices in the National Football League.
Don't expect to see just the usual hot dogs, nachos and Budweiser. This is Silicon Valley, which is nearly as obsessed with great food and drink as it is with technology.
Fans will be able to buy crab fondue, grilled Castroville artichokes, fresh mussels, vegetable samosas and slow-roasted pulled pork as well as dozens of other decidedly non-traditional stadium comestibles.
A tap room on the 50-yard line offers 42 draft beers, including Lagunitas IPA, Speakeasy Prohibition, 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die, Dobis Pale Ale and others. Chardonnay and pinot noir wines, mostly produced in California, will be served throughout the stadium, with another 12 local wines served at specific locations.
Levi's Stadium is also environmentally friendly. In fact it's the first in the U.S. to be given Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.
Levi's Stadium is the first solar powered stadium ever that also has a green roof. The green roof is 27,000 square feet of landscaping made up of 16 species of vegetation native to the area. The green roof supplies insulation, and also grows produce used by the stadium's restaurants. The greenery accents an awesome reception area that can be rented out for events.
- eWeek