Buzz: They were used in several stadiums. I know first hand the Boston WABU used them most of the season. Other stadiums were used as well but don't have a list or a memory that good. They also were used via Choice Seat at the World Series. Keep in mind that last year was the final stage of the R/D during which they rewrote Supervision and came out with Supervision II. Last year was a good testing year that IMO proved to FOX and others that we could produce and get the job done. We are now seeing the fruits (FOX deal and hopefully other to come)that last years work has brought. Keep in mind that last year they also came out with the Tennis product and are already receiving revenues from that as well. I remeber reading a release on choice seats and will look for it and if I can find it, will post. -Greenie
Found it.:
Oct. 16, 1998
Williams ChoiceSeatÔ transforms the fan experience at the 1998 World Series
Smart Seats revolutionize spectator sports
SAN DIEGO -- ChoiceSeatÔ, an in-stadium sports network offered by Williams (NYSE: WMB), will make the 1998 World Series at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium the most fan-friendly Series ever.
Adding to the excitement already surrounding the Fall Classic, ChoiceSeatÔ will provide fans with new technology and conveniences never before offered at the World Series. Using laptop-sized touch-screens mounted onto stadium seats, these "smart seats" make the experience of going to the ballpark an interactive adventure.
ChoiceSeatÔ offers historical and up-to-the-second statistics, replays from multiple angles, sophisticated pitch tracking systems and league highlights, all at the fingertips of the fan in his or her seat. ChoiceSeatÔ fans can even buy official merchandise and, soon, concessions without leaving their seats. The perspective and convenience offered by ChoiceSeatÔ brings new benefits to even the most seasoned fan of the grand old game.
"ChoiceSeatÔ provides the kind of added value in the stadium that fans are used to getting at home from network broadcasts and the Internet, but much, much more. The fan becomes the director. Fans will no longer have to choose between their desire to be a part of a game-day crowd and the convenience of watching at home," says Del Bothof, president of Williams Network Applications." ChoiceSeatÔ fans can create their own unforgettable experience at the World Series."
"ChoiceSeatÔ is revolutionizing the way fans experience spectator sports. Through the use of unique and compelling content and applications we create real-time environments which enable fans to become immersed in and experience first-hand the excitement, competition, insight and strategy of baseball. It certainly doesn't hurt that, in the process of enhancing fan value, the team and its constituencies benefit from multimedia concessions, merchandising, interactive advertising and information," explains Barry Goldberg, ChoiceSeatÔ vice president and general manager." This may be one of the best, the most compelling, and certainly the most fun example of television and computer convergence."
The overwhelming popularity of ChoiceSeatÔ since Super Bowl XXXII debut inspired its continued use throughout the 1998 baseball season. This World Series will be the first to feature the innovative marketing and informational tool. More than 400 units are linked to seats in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium. Prior to the Padres' Division Series games in Qualcomm Stadium earlier this month, five new units with large flat-screen monitors were installed in the press area and owners' suites. For the National League Championship Series, ChoiceSeatÔ units were added for the use of National League President Leonard Coleman and other distinguished guests.
The San Diego Padres, a progressive organization widely known for its commitment to enhancing the fan experience with innovative amenities, is the first playoff team to offer ChoiceSeatÔ .
"We are excited to be working with ChoiceSeatÔ on the presentation of the latest technology to fans at Qualcomm Stadium," said Charles Steinberg, senior vice president of public affairs for the San Diego Padres." We see ChoiceSeatÔ as an ideal way to enhance the experience of Padres fans. It provides a new opportunity to see and understand the game. It also provides remarkable new conveniences for our fans."
Williams, working with Sun Microsystems, is advancing the next generation of "smart seat" technology. New to fans this season is SuperVision, an animated pitch tracking system developed by QuesTec Imaging, Inc., which graphically displays a three-dimensional view of the speed, trajectory, movement and location of every pitch as soon as it crosses home plate.
ChoiceSeatÔ technology was developed in 1997 by Williams VyvxÒ Services, a business unit of Williams.
About Williams (NYSE: WMB)
Williams, through its subsidiaries, provides a full range of traditional and leading-edge communications and energy services, and is the nation's largest volume transporter of natural gas. Williams' communication enterprises include a U.S.-based wholesale multimedia fiber-optic network; nationwide single-source business communications systems integration; international video satellite and fiber-optic transmission; and multipoint video and audio conferencing applications. Company information is available at www.twc.com and www.wilcom.com. |
