Virtual ‘watch parties’ hosted by Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes on Intermedia’s AnyMeeting video conferencing platform will put fans right in the stadium to cheer for the Quakes at each home match
San Jose/Sunnyvale, CA, Sept. 14, 2020 – Due to COVID-19 regulations, the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer have had to revamp their matchday experience and enlisted the help of Intermedia’s best-in-class technology to keep fans engaged all season long.
The Earthquakes averaged more than 19,000 fans in attendance per game last season but will see out the rest of the year with no crowd in the stands. The club has in turn created a unique matchday experience for the team’s most die-hard fans.
For those watching the matches at home, the Earthquakes will feature virtual watch parties on the stadium video board for players to see and hear the crowd’s high-energy spirit, powered by Intermedia’s AnyMeeting video conferencing platform. These virtual watch parties help fans feel right at home at Earthquakes Stadium even when watching from the comfort of their own home.
“Playing at Earthquakes Stadium without fans in the stands will be a unique challenge for our club,” said Earthquakes Chief Operating Officer Jared Shawlee. “But with Intermedia’s best-in-class technology, we can help connect the players on the field with the passionate fans watching from home as we strive for three points on matchday.”
The Earthquakes officially started hosting virtual watch parties on Intermedia’s AnyMeeting video conferencing platform with the home matchup against the Colorado Rapids on Sept. 5.
Built for businesses of all sizes, Intermedia AnyMeeting is the secure, easy-to-use video conferencing platform that allows organizations, as well as teams and their fans, to connect face-to-face with HD video and audio, screen sharing, and a full suite of collaboration features. The platform includes robust security controls for hosts, such as meeting passwords and room lock, as well as screen sharing and annotation, AI-driven transcription and meeting insights, one-click meeting join, and capacity for up to 200 web participants per meeting – all for one low-price. AnyMeeting is part of the all-in-one communications and collaboration solution, Intermedia Unite®, which combines a fully integrated, full-feature, business phone system, with file sharing and backup, chat, and more. AnyMeeting is also available as a standalone solution.
Like all Intermedia solutions, AnyMeeting is highly reliable and backed by J.D. Power-certified 24/7 technical support.
The idea for the virtual watch parties grew out of the Earthquakes’ Digital Devotion Days that started in March as a way to keep players and fans connected during the nationwide pause of major league sports. The San Jose Earthquakes have hosted dozens of Digital Devotion Days for hundreds of season ticket holders on the AnyMeeting video conferencing platform.
“We are delighted to see AnyMeeting power the in-stadium experience for players and fans watching the Quakes from home,” said Michael Gold, Intermedia CEO. “Intermedia is proud to continue this partnership with the Earthquakes and we can’t wait to see how much energy the watch parties add to the remainder of the season for both fans and players alike.”
Season ticket holders also have the opportunity to attend drive-in viewing parties, for both home and away matches, where they get to park their vehicles inside the stadium and watch the action on the large videoboard opposite North America’s largest outdoor bar. Cars honk their horns and flash their lights in support of the team. The atmosphere is enhanced further with the largest drum in professional sports and legendary cheerleader Krazy George continuing to cause a stir.
“It was awesome to hear the horns honking, especially before the game, to be able to provide any sort of atmosphere,” said Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski.
“I’m amazed at how much I enjoy this bizarre drive-in movie experience,” fan Robert Mitchell said. “It’s been strange to see the empty stands but still feel the sense of community with everyone around in their vehicles.”
About Intermedia Cloud Communications
Intermedia is the cloud communications company that helps over 125,000 businesses connect better – through voice, video conferencing, chat, contact center, business email and productivity, file sharing and backup, security, archiving, and more – from anywhere, at any time. We eliminate the need for multiple communications service providers with a seamlessly integrated portfolio of communications and collaboration solutions – all delivered through one highly reliable and secure platform. With month-to-month contract options, one monthly bill, one intuitive point of administrative control, and four-years running J.D. Power-certified 24/7 technical support, Intermedia’s 1,300 team members are committed to providing enterprise-grade products to businesses of all sizes with a simple, Worry-Free ExperienceTM.
As a partner-first company, we go to work for over 6,600 channel partners by providing them with everything they need to grow their margins and revenue through our private-label reseller and agent programs. Intermedia is also proud to be the exclusive cloud communications platform provider for NEC, a leader in global market share for unified communications with 80+ million installed business phone users worldwide.
For more information about Intermedia, visit www.intermedia.net.
