The age of immersive technology has reach a new threshold in the way people want to enjoy entertainment. In the sports industry, most leagues are embracing mobility technology. They are doing this to enhance the fan experience.
Golden State Warriors & Technology
Since the rapid increase of digital and social media, sports organization have quickly adapted to the potential of mobility technology to increase fan engagement and streamline operations. The Golden State Warriors are a great example of utilizing this concept. By integrating mobility in various operations, the Bay Area team has leveraged mobility to enhance fan experiences. It also allowed for the Warriors to provide exclusive content and streamline access to what they organization would offer the community. According to Accenture (2023), leveraging new technologies and partnerships to transform the core of the Warrior’s business will allow for the fan experience to redefine a new standard for sports and entertainment. Features like pre-game analysis, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes content creates layers of connectedness to expand beyond the court.
OPERATIONS
Beyond fan involvement, mobility is changing how teams work within. Analyzing the team strategies mobility solutions have allowed for player tracking, real-time communication among coaching staff. The partnership between the Golden State Warriors and Oracle displays game and practice data in real-time. Additionally using this technology provides metrics to understand how a player’s shot performance differs alongside the league’s averages. According to Oracle Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Ariel Kelman (2023), data insights from dashboard’s infrastructure offers the Warriors how to shape their player performance strategy to compete in the upcoming season. Furthermore, implementing this technology can further develop the connection between the Warriors’ organization and fan experience.
AUGMENTED REALITY
Sports teams gain even more from creative uses of mobility by leveraging augmented and virtual reality technologies. The use of this technology can offer a more immersive and interactive way to engage fans. This also create new opportunities for partnerships and sponsors to improve upon the first investment. Augmented reality, can engage fans both in-person and at home, maximizing the number of people interacting with the brand. Tom Emrich, states a study suggesting augmented reality users in the U.S. is projected to hit 97.1 million and U.S. spending on mobile advertising will also rise over the next two years, reaching $235.67 billion by 2025.
Technology will allow fans to control their viewing experience. Live event can further explore ways to enhance smart navigation in stadiums, mobile app usage, and improve player performance to correlate with a unique experience for fans. Using mobile app and Chase Center infrastructure, the Golden State Warriors is a prime example of a sports organizations creating a highly engaging fan experience that will connect fans and their favorite teams beyond the court.
Resources
Accenture. (2023, February 7). Reimagining fan experience for the Golden State Warriors. Accenture.com; Accenture. https://www.accenture.com/us-en/case-studies/communications-media/golden-state-warriors-fan-experience
Armato, L. (2023, March 2). NBA tech summit shows sports aim to revolutionize the sports fan experience. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/leonardarmato/2023/03/02/nba-tech-summit-shows-sports-aim-to-revolutionize-the-sports-fan-experience/
Chase Center, & Golden State Warriors. (2022, October 30). Warriors + Chase Center Mobile App. Chase Center. https://chasecenter.com/app/
Emrich, T. (2023, May 17). Enhance the fan experience with augmented reality. Adweek.com. https://www.adweek.com/sponsored/enhance-the-fan-experience-with-augmented-reality/
NBA. (2024, October 15). NBA App launches new digital features highlighted by multiview ahead of the 2024-25 season. Nba.com. https://www.nba.com/news/nba-app-launches-new-features-ahead-of-2024-25
NBA, & Golden State Warriors. (2022, October 4). Golden state warriors and Chase Center elevate immersive fan experiences with Aruba WI-Fi 6E. Nba.com; NBA. https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/warriors-chase-center-elevate-immersive-fan-experiences-with-aruba-wifi-6e-20221004
Rooney, P. (2023, June 7). The NBA’s digital transformation is a game-changer. CIO. https://www.cio.com/article/481600/the-nbas-digital-transformation-is-a-game-changer.html
DeShawn Ellis 