Philadelphia Phillies Connect With Comcast Ethernet Service

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Phillies baseball team has selected Comcast Business Class Ethernet services for its network connectivity at 43,647-seat Citizens Bank Park. The oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in professional sports, the Phillies will now have reliable, scalable high-speed Internet connectivity to enhance both its operational efficiency and the ballpark experience.

“One of the best things about our Internet service is that we can increase our bandwidth as much and as quickly as we need to, based on demand,” says Brian Lamoreaux, the Phillies' IT director. “The flexibility and speed at which Comcast does this has been an enormous asset to us, and it’s literally just as easy as flipping on a light switch.”

Citizens Bank Park has two dedicated Internet lines from Comcast - one to connect office personnel to the team’s internal computer network and the other for the stadium’s guest media network, used by reporters, broadcasters, photographers, TV trucks and production companies. During the off-season, the network is used by trade show planners, concert organizers and sporting event coordinators. For example, the ballpark was the host of this year’s NHL Winter Classic and was able to use much of the existing infrastructure to improve its internal communications prior to and during the game.

“We have seen a tremendous surge in interest over the past few months from a number of sporting facilities around the country,” says Bill Stemper, president of Comcast Business Services. “Many of these customers have found that having a reliable and fast Internet connection, and the flexibility to change bandwidth requirements at a moment’s notice, is essential to the successful operation of the park, making us a critical partner to help them achieve their business objectives.”

The Phillies are using Comcast Ethernet services for all Internet-based content that enters the ballpark, including its right field out-of-town scoreboard and its left field Hi-Definition video board. Concession stand retailers take advantage of the bandwidth provided by the stadium through Comcast, which helps expedite credit card order processing.