Now that the summer of lackluster preseason games, dramatic holdouts, and “Hard Knocks” has officially ended, Verizon is ready to bring 5G to the NFL masses — or at least the relatively few customers that have a 5G capable device. 

The operator says 13 NFL stadiums will have commercially available 5G service when teams square off for week-one action. That includes the kickoff game held last night at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears.

Verizon’s 5G service will also be live at the home fields of the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, and the New York Giants and New York Jets who share a stadium.

Interestingly, Verizon says 5G will be available at 13 stadiums but only publicly announced a dozen. The operator also says it will bring 5G to more NFL stadiums throughout the season, but declined to say how many or where.

“We look forward to the day when Verizon will have their 5G Ultra Wideband service in the stadiums for all 32 NFL clubs,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a prepared statement. “Having this cutting-edge technology in our stadiums will greatly enhance the game-day experience and bring a multitude of benefits to our fans and clubs in a number of different ways.”

5G service will be “concentrated in parts of the seating areas but could be available in other locations in and around the stadium as well,” according to Verizon. For some of the locations, the stadium will be the only place with 5G service in that market.

“Think of all the times you reach for your device when cheering on your favorite team. From momentum shifting touchdowns to dramatic goal-line replays, this game of inches often moves at lightning speed,” Ronan Dunne, executive vice president and CEO of Verizon’s consumer group, wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

“Turning on the network is just the beginning,” he added. “Verizon and the NFL will continue to test new and immersive experiences — innovations that will truly change the way fans interact with the game.”

Earlier this year Verizon and the NFL announced a two-year agreement to jointly develop new products and services that utilize 5G. AT&T is also trumpeting its plan to bring 5G to NFL stadiums, but it's only publicly announced availability at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, which is located near the operator's headquarters.