Dallas-headquartered AT&T, the official 5G innovation and fiber partner for the Dallas Cowboys, has teamed up with the football team to develop new interactive experiences at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium—for fans in person and at home.

Last year, AT&T turned AT&T Stadium, known as the home of the Dallas Cowboys, into what it says is the first-ever 5G-enabled stadium. As a follow-on, the telecom giant recently decided to update the network systems to make it “one of the world’s largest indoor distributed antenna systems.”

Deployed in a matter of 16 weeks, the antenna system improvements are said to increase network reliability, lower power consumption, and save on physical space. AT&T partnered with CommScope, a network infrastructure provider, and ExteNet, a distributed network provider, to enhance the connectivity and provide a better capacity for 5G and LTE power.

AT&T Stadium is already lauded as one of the most technologically advanced entertainment venues across the globe.

With its iconic arches, HDTV video board cluster, retractable roof, and retractable end zone doors, the $1.2 billion stadium is a sight in itself. But it’s also equipped with an art museum, a classroom, and what it says is the world’s largest domed structure. And, an abundance of innovative, interactive fan experiences.

Charlotte Jones, the chief brand officer for the Dallas Cowboys, has previously stated that having AT&T as the Cowboys’ lead partner means the organization will always be aware of what’s coming in the future. 

“When we first built the stadium, our goal was to be on the cutting edge of innovation and redefine the sports experience. That started immediately with our center-hung video board and then grew from that,” she told Forbes. “We want to change the way people engage in our game and to create an experience unlike anywhere else.”

Last year, she said having 5G infrastructure in place will allow the Cowboys branding team, once smartphones catch up to the wireless technology, to deliver AI, virtual reality, or augmented reality experiences without any delays or glitches.

Now, smartphones have caught up.

Enhanced for this year is StARview, a way for fans to use their smartphone to check out live gameday stats within the Dallas Cowboys app. In accessing the camera on your smartphone, a real-time, live player stats via augmented reality are projected across the field.

AT&T and the Dallas Cowboys recently added four additional double-sided, eight-foot immersive columns to the AT&T West Platform for more fans to ‘pose with the pros.’ The Cowboys debuted the concept last year, and said guests loved the chance to digitally jump into a photo with their favorite player.

“After seeing the smashing success ‘Pose with the Pros’ was in 2019 for Cowboys fans, AT&T has yet again enhanced the fan experience by building upon this activation and adding a whole new way to engage with the Cowboys in 2020,” Jones said in a statement. “Our partners at AT&T continue to deliver unique fan experiences through innovation and the power of AT&T 5G both for gameday at AT&T Stadium and now for our fans at home.”

Attendees at AT&T Stadium can take a picture or GIF with a virtual version of Cowboys players, while completely controlling the interactive display from their smartphone. The Dallas Cowboys say this makes for a touchless and safer experience for anyone catching a game at the stadium.

But, many of the updates are being announced at a time when most of Cowboys nation is practicing social distancing or quarantining amidst the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

For those cheering on the Cowboys from their couch, AT&T launched Pose with the Pros On the Go. It’s essentially the same stadium experience, with the ability to pose with players, but lives within the Dallas Cowboys app.

Also in the app, fans far from the stadium can record their celebratory moves or touchdown reactions throughout a Cowboys game and submit it through the AT&T Fan Zone. Selected videos will be shown on the AT&T LiveFX board during home games.

“The Dallas Cowboys are pioneers in delivering unique fan experiences through technology. When we launched our 5G experiences with them last season, we set the standard for what fans expect out of their stadium experiences,” Mo Katibeh, chief product and platform officer for AT&T Business, said in a statement. “Now we’re pushing the boundaries again, and proving that technology can bring the fan experience way beyond what’s in the stadium.” 

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