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Sony PSP To Provide Live Match Footage And Stats at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium

It was reported earlier this week that after a period of testing, an English Premiership Football club(Arsenal) will be rolling out live match services utilising the wireless capabilities of the Sony PSP. After solving some rights issues, this is currently expected to be made available within the next 18 months or so.

These will basically consist of offering real-time statistics, real-time streaming of game footage, access to replays of goals or possibly contentious refereeing decisions, as well as Stadium information with even the possibility of some sort of social networking capability as well.
The question I can’t help but ask straight off is why provide a live stream, when you are already in the Stadium having paid to watch the match live? Replays are already provided on the huge HD Televisions they have installed at the stadium, but I suppose the chance to play them back repeatedly at half or full time seeing how well their players have done to con the ref could be entertaining. Finally although you can question the intelligence of football fans in general, I would like to think most of them can find their way to a toilet, or food stand on their own, and I have to say a hand held map might actually confuse them more than following signs.

The main benefit of this would be the social networking aspect which I’m certain has massive possibilities, as well as providing some better half time entertainment than what is usually put on.

Now I realise I’m being quite negative here, and it is mainly because I think this is a somewhat cynical marketing ploy. I don’t doubt that you will not be able to take in and use your own PSP to utilise these features as part of the ticket price, but would need to hire out a specially branded, and software installed Stadium owned PSP, no doubt including a lot of advertising for yet further increased revenue. The features that are stated in the article will hopefully be widened and vastly improved upon at the time of launch, or I can see the novelty wearing off quite quickly otherwise.

A similar trial was carried out in Disneyland at the beginning of last year when Nintendo and Disney trialled a scheme with the DS Lite providing portable interactive maps and park information.