Lamont Buford and his staff were thrilled two springs ago at the sight of Kraken fans lighting up a darkened Climate Pledge Arena with radio-controlled LED wristbands as players took the ice for their first-ever home playoff game against the Colorado Avalanche.
But Buford, the team’s Vice President of Entertainment Experience and Production, wanted to involve fans even more. Now, after more than a year of efforts, a new configuration on the Kraken Mobile Application will enable fans’ smartphones to be triggered by arena music and form part of a pregame lights display.
“We’ve seen more and more of our fans pull out their phones during the regular season,” Buford said. “They have to put on their flashlights so they can actually see because the arena is already pretty dark.
“And so, seeing that happen, we knew of a company that actually did phone manipulation with phone camera lights as long as everybody had scanned the QR code or allowed access in.”
That company, Cue, specializes in fan-first technology and helping those attending events feel more engaged. Cue worked with Buford and the Kraken's lead app developer, VP of Digital Innovation and Fan Experience Chris Scarbrough, to implement the tech that could synchronize fans' smartphones to the arena's sound system.
The Cue Light Show button will be among the bigger additions to the Kraken app this coming season. In addition to more in-depth player bios being available, fans can also now access a new “Hockey Education” section with explanatory articles on the various rules and nuances of the sport.
The Kraken is the only NHL team to have a proprietary mobile app, allowing them to customize features uniquely for their fanbase.
Dozens of pro sports teams already use some form of Cue engagement. In the Kraken’s case, subsonic waves generated from music played over the arena’s public address system will be used to trigger smartphones into flashing their strobe lights. Not only that, but those same lights will also pulsate in sync with the beat of the music being played.
Fans will need to update their Kraken app online to activate the Cue Light Show feature for Tuesday’s season opener against the St. Louis Blues. That push update should be available this weekend or by Monday at the latest.
A Cue Light Show button will be added to the app’s home screen through the update. By pressing it, fans will be taken to a “sync” screen where their phone will connect to the control room running the pregame show itself – triggering the lights automatically.
The Cue lights addition should create a particularly dazzling effect when Kraken players head from the dressing room out onto the ice. While ESPN will broadcast Tuesday’s opener, most home matchups will be on the new team-run Kraken Sports Network – meaning the fan smartphones and their flashing, pulsating lights can be prioritized more prominently in pregame shows on KONG, King 5, and other affiliated stations.
Buford said another advantage of Cue Lights is their sustainability as they use existing smartphones rather than the prior bracelets needing to be created anew and recycled in bins once fans leave the arena.
Buford said the Cue technology won’t be limited to just lights.
“We’ll have some imagery that will pop up on their (phone) screen so they will know that they’re in the show,” Buford said. “Their flashlights will be going and if they also want to record this, they can still record and post to their social channels and share with their friends. They’re going to be able to take photos as well.
“So, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
