Capturing the Magic: How Momento Immortalizes Seattle Sports Fan Reactions
In the digital age, the thrill of attending a live sports event has gained a new dimension thanks to Momento, a Chicago-based company revolutionizing fan photography at major sporting venues. As the Seattle Seahawks prepared to face the San Francisco 49ers in their January 2026 NFL playoff showdown at Lumen Field, more than 68,000 passionate fans would not only witness potential game-changing moments but also have their emotional reactions preserved forever through Momento’s innovative camera system. This technology, which first partnered with the Seahawks in October 2023 and has since expanded to capture Seattle Mariners and Kraken games, offers fans a chance to relive their in-stadium experiences long after the final whistle.
The sophisticated system relies on 16 strategically positioned cameras throughout Lumen Field, operated by technicians who capture images during pivotal moments when fan excitement reaches its peak. Following the game, attendees can easily navigate to the Seahawks/Momento website and search for their specific section, row, and seat number to discover photos of themselves in the midst of celebration or anxiety. The platform even categorizes images by memorable plays, allowing fans to find their reactions to specific game-changing moments. For instance, during the Seahawks vs. Rams “Thursday Night Football” game in December 2025, fans could search through a dropdown menu featuring plays labeled with catchy phrases like “JSN is in!” and “O-M-G Shaheed!” – creating an intuitive way to connect emotional memories with photographic evidence of the live experience.
The popularity of Momento’s service speaks volumes about fans’ desire to preserve these fleeting moments of sporting passion. According to Momento founder and CEO Austin Fletcher, Seahawks supporters had already downloaded an impressive 48,000 images during the 2025-26 season, while Mariners fans downloaded a staggering 100,000 images during their postseason run. In a Facebook post from three years prior, Fletcher aptly compared the technology to the commemorative photos taken on roller coaster rides – except these capture the emotional rollercoaster of sports fandom. The business model extends beyond mere photo downloads, as Momento partners with teams to boost fan engagement and create revenue opportunities through the sale of photo prints and commemorative physical tickets featuring these captured images.
The 2025 season marked significant expansion for Momento in the NFL market as they added the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, and Washington Commanders to their growing portfolio of team partnerships. This expansion demonstrates the increasing value that sports franchises see in offering fans tangible mementos of their gameday experiences. By creating these visual keepsakes, teams strengthen the emotional connection with their supporters while simultaneously opening new merchandising avenues. It represents a modern evolution of the traditional souvenir, transformed through technology to capture the precise moment when tens of thousands of fans collectively experience the emotional highs and lows that make live sports so compelling.
Naturally, the widespread photography of attendees raises questions about privacy in public venues. While concerns exist, it’s worth noting that fans largely waive certain privacy rights through the NFL’s and Lumen Field’s terms of use agreement for ticket holders. Nevertheless, Momento has implemented measures to address these concerns, including honoring opt-out requests from individuals who prefer not to have their images displayed. Additionally, as Momento COO Todd Albright explained during a FOX 13 Seattle appearance, the company limits website visitors to searching only a couple of seat locations rather than allowing unlimited browsing of crowd photos, providing a balance between accessibility and privacy protection.
As the Seahawks and 49ers prepared to face off in their NFC divisional round playoff game that Saturday evening in Seattle, Momento stood ready to capture whatever dramatic moments might unfold – whether another legendary “tip” to send the Niners packing or completely new memories that would become part of Seattle sports lore. The beauty of the system lies in its ability to preserve not just the action on the field, but the human experience of being present for those moments. In an era where smartphone photos and videos often dominate our documentation of life events, Momento offers something different: professionally captured images of genuine, unfiltered reactions as fans collectively experience the emotional journey of supporting their team. These photos serve as powerful reminders of the community aspect of sports fandom – the shared joy, heartbreak, anxiety, and exhilaration that binds strangers together in the stands and creates the electric atmosphere that makes live sports an irreplaceable experience.
