Giants to Offer Wi-Fi Instant Replays

Giants to Offer Wi-Fi Instant Replays

Wed Sep 22,10:01 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO - Peanuts, hot dogs and wireless instant replays. It's the future of baseball.

SBC Park, home of the San Francisco Giants (news), is already a giant wireless hotspot. Next season, the team plans to offer Wi-Fi users instant replays on demand, possibly even of different angles on controversial plays.

"We're charting new territory here so it's really going to be up to what our fans want," said Bill Schlough, vice president and chief information officer of the Giants.

Since the ballpark launched its wireless network in April, the first major sports venue to do so, a few hundred spectators per game have brought along their laptops or handheld computers to use the free service, Schlough said.

They're logging on to check e-mail or visit a customized Web site that offers live streaming video of other baseball games, stats and historical footage.

Either way, experts say it's a sign of things to come.

"Wireless capability is in the planning docket for every major facility in professional sports because it's becoming ubiquitous in most public areas," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the University of Oregon's James Warsaw Sports Marketing Center.

In addition to instant replays, the Giants plan to add a wireless feature so fans can order food online for delivery right to their seats.

Apple pie, anyone?