Here you are, facing a tough choice, at least if you belong to the 37% of Americans who are avid football fans. Your bestest buddy just got a couple of tickets for the big game. Your favorite drinking partner and your No. 1 team – what could go wrong? Plenty, as it turns out. Attending a game at a sports stadium these days is more about survival than having an exhilarating experience while smashed on overpriced beer. It can take hours just to drive, park and walk to the stadium, where you spend another half-hour arguing with some smelly, belligerent and intoxicated dude who has planted himself in your seat. It takes ages to get to the overpriced beer. And when you finally get to the front of the line, your favorite brand of watered-down swill is already sold out.

Wouldn’t it just be easier if you and your buddy stayed at home, rather than straining to see the scoreboard and action on the field, and watched the game from the comfort of your sofa in front of your 48-inch TV with a loaded fridge nearby? That’s what most of us do today, and that’s why TV ratings are more important than attendance when it comes to the bottom line, according to Business Insider. But what technology giveth, technology can taketh away – and vice versa. During its long history, the NFL, among other leagues, has embraced technology like instant replay and live web streaming, changing the ways we experience a game. Now they’re turning their attention back to sports stadiums through various Internet of Things technologies.