From Omaha to the World: The Evolution of the Smartphone Light Show

The First Smartphone Light Show

Ten years ago, fan engagement technology in sports looked very different. Stadium entertainment relied on big screens, music, and traditional in-venue experiences. Then came a simple but powerful idea: what if fans’ phones could become part of the show?

In 2015, co-founder Jameson Rader was working out of a minor league arena in Omaha, experimenting with ways to build a game day app. One feature he dreamed up was a synchronized light effect where every fan’s smartphone could match the music. The first version was quite simple; the screens simply got brighter as the sound got louder. “That’s lame,” his colleagues told him. They were right. However, that feedback sparked a breakthrough: creating a smartphone light show that would synchronize devices across an entire arena without relying on Wi-Fi or cell service.

How Stadium Light Shows Took Off

Jameson turned to sound as the solution. Borrowing from old film countdown reels, the intro video played a sequence of tones that phones could detect. This became the trigger for the first interactive light shows. Soon, high-pitched tones inaudible to humans but recognized by smartphones allowed fans to join in at any time during the event. The result was a world-class acoustic modem that synchronized thousands of devices seamlessly.

Nebraska was the first university to launch the experience. Then Wisconsin. Then Marquette. Then Purdue. Each stadium activation created its own growth loop, as away teams saw the spectacle and wanted it for their own game day. From that moment, stadium light shows spread quickly across college sports.

From Light Show 1.0 to 2.0

As the technology matured, so did the fan experience. Flashlights replaced screens for brighter effects. Vibrations and animations synced to music. Torch fades and strobe patterns created new layers of excitement. Lyrics and sound effects appeared directly on fan phones.

What started as “Light Show 1.0” has since evolved into a highly interactive, customizable experience — a true 2.0 version of stadium engagement.

A Staple of Fan Engagement Worldwide

Today, tens of millions of people worldwide have been part of a smartphone light show, from college football stadiums in the U.S. to arenas in Europe, Japan, South America, and Australia. Fans record these moments, post them across social media, and relive the awe of being part of something bigger than themselves.

Sean Hopkins, VP of Product Innovation, explains it best: the light show has proven it’s not a fad but a staple of live sports and entertainment. Under his leadership, the product has been refined even further and is now part of a unified fan engagement platform.

The Legacy Continues

From a basement in Omaha to stadiums around the world, the smartphone light show has changed what it means to experience live sports. It transformed spectators into participants, set the standard for interactive game-day experiences, and became a tradition that continues to inspire awe season after season.

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