Image: Global Wireless Solutions

On Sunday, Super Bowl LV kicked off with a smaller crowd in attendance than in past years due to the coronavirus pandemic. As we previously reported, a number of tech companies were using 5G, augmented reality, and more to enhance the experience for fans in attendance and those tuning in at home. The confetti has since settled after Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy, but the data related to stadium 5G, food delivery, mobility, and more are starting to roll in.

“Our network performance testing clearly showed that 5G’s capabilities have dramatically improved since last year’s Super Bowl,” said Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions. “This improved 5G service is a testament to the continued investments made by each operator. As they harden­­­­ and upgrade the network infrastructure, 5G will offer more tangible benefits to consumers across the country.”

Super Bowl data usage and delivery stats

Many fans opted out of traditional Super Bowl parties and transitioned to virtual variants for the occasion. Compared to the Sunday evening before the Super Bowl (Jan. 31), Verizon customers were less mobile, “moving around 5.2% less,” according to a Verizon representative. Food delivery also saw a Super Bowl spike with “data traffic to food delivery sites” increasing 68.9% compared to the previous Sunday, according to Verizon.

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During the Super Bowl, data usage per AT&T customer was 2.7 times higher compared to the previous Super Bowl, according to AT&T. The company also detailed data usage by the quarter as well as halftime, illustrating a clearer picture of fan engagement throughout the game. During the game, data usage peaked at 1,250 GBs in the second quarter with a low of 835 GBs during halftime, according to AT&T.

5G at Raymond James Stadium

Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) tested connectivity inside and around Raymond James Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday. Based on this testing, AT&T’s 5G recorded the highest average download throughput during the Super Bowl (1,261 MBps), Verizon placed second (432 Mbps), and T-Mobile finished in third (388 Mbps), according to GWS.

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“5G throughputs of all three nationwide network operators exceeded 1Gbps, perhaps a first at any major sporting event,” said the GWS release.

AT&T registered a max 5G throughput of 1.71 Gbps, Verizon placed second (1.51 Gbps), and T-Mobile placed third (1.09 Gbps), per GWS.