Columbus Crew create leading MLS matchday experiences with Uniguest Sports Hub

The Columbus Crew are using Uniguest Sports Hub to deliver connected matchday and event experiences across ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, combining IPTV, digital signage and centralized content management to engage supporters, streamline operations and maximize the value of the club's premium hospitality spaces.

As one of Major League Soccer's founding clubs, the Columbus Crew have long embraced innovation. Since opening ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in 2021, the club has continued that tradition by creating a venue designed to set a new benchmark for fan experience. Home to more than 20,000 supporters, the stadium hosts MLS matches alongside international soccer fixtures, concerts, corporate events and community activities throughout the year.

To support that vision, the club deployed Uniguest Sports Hub across more than 550 endpoints throughout the venue, bringing IPTV, digital signage and centralized content management together on a single platform. Today, Sports Hub powers live IPTV, sponsor activation, hospitality experiences, EPOS-integrated menu boards and operational communications across the stadium, helping deliver a connected experience wherever supporters are.

"When planning the new stadium, our biggest goals were to create an environment that was unmatched in the entire league in terms of fan experience, but also home-field advantage," said Erik Shear, Senior Manager of Scoreboard Operations at Columbus Crew. "We wanted to create an atmosphere, both audibly and visually, that made our home feel like a fortress."

The matchday experience extends well beyond the action on the pitch. Sports Hub distributes multiple content feeds across suites, clubs, concourses and hospitality areas, combining live broadcast television with the club's own match presentation, live statistics, player profiles and fan engagement content. Sponsor L-Wraps create additional commercial opportunities while ensuring supporters remain connected to the game wherever they are in the venue.

"The matchday experience is really important for the club. It connects the city with the fans and the players on the pitch," said Ryan Gruebel, Manager of IT Support Services, at Columbus Crew. "The look that we have throughout our entire content is the same, from the uniforms to social media to what's on the LED boards and our TVs."

Beyond MLS matches, ScottsMiracle-Gro Field operates as a year-round destination, hosting conferences, private functions, community events, stadium tours and international sporting fixtures. Sports Hub's Event Trigger functionality allows the operations team to instantly deploy personalized welcome messages, customer branding and tailored content across selected displays before automatically returning every screen to its standard matchday configuration. Individual clubs, suites and hospitality spaces can also be configured independently, enabling bespoke experiences without disrupting the wider IPTV infrastructure.

"Every event space and every experience varies slightly, and the Uniguest platform allows us to dictate what goes into that space and how the televisions are divided up," added Shear.

Sports Hub also simplifies day-to-day operations behind the scenes. EPOS integration enables concession menu boards to update instantly with pricing changes, promotions and product availability, while automated endpoint reporting highlights displays requiring attention before supporters arrive. Virtual Remote QR codes and integrated mapping functionality further help improve both the guest experience and operational efficiency by making displays easier to manage across the stadium.

Since moving from Historic Crew Stadium, the club has significantly enhanced both the supporter experience and its operational capabilities. With one of the highest Net Promoter Scores in MLS and continued demand for premium hospitality, ScottsMiracle-Gro Field demonstrates how a connected digital media platform can strengthen fan engagement while supporting commercial growth.

"The fan experience is night and day compared to the old stadium," said Gruebel. "We can do so much more with the Uniguest platform than we could before. Our Net Promoter Score is one of the top ones in MLS and that's been consistent since we've opened the stadium. Fans love coming here."

As ScottsMiracle-Gro Field continues to evolve as one of Major League Soccer's premier venues, Sports Hub provides a scalable platform that grows alongside it, supporting matchdays, hospitality and year-round events while helping the Columbus Crew continue to raise the bar for fan engagement.