Beyond the Buzzer: How the Orlando Magic and SAS Viya Are Redefining the Fan Experience with Data and AI

In the competitive landscape of professional sports, success isn't solely measured by wins and losses on the court. While the pursuit of a championship trophy remains the ultimate goal, franchises are increasingly recognizing the critical importance of engaging fans on a deeper, more personalized level. The Orlando Magic, a team with a rich history and two NBA Finals appearances since its inception in 1989, is at the forefront of this digital transformation, leveraging the power of data analytics and artificial intelligence to revolutionize the fan experience.

Understanding the energy and motivation that sellout games provide, the Magic have strategically expanded their long-standing partnership with SAS, a global leader in analytics and AI software. This enhanced collaboration centers around the SAS Viya platform, a powerful engine designed to unlock operational efficiencies, elevate the gameday atmosphere at the Kia Center, and tailor digital interactions to the unique preferences of each fan.

"We continue to find ways to improve the fan experience," states Jay Riola, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of the Orlando Magic. "SAS Viya will allow us to go deeper and create an even more personalized experience for the teams' followers." This commitment to going 'deeper' signifies a shift from broad, generalized fan engagement to a nuanced, individual-centric approach, driven by actionable insights derived from data.

Orlando Magic basketball court with data analytics overlay — Data analytics and AI are playing a significant role both on and off the court for the Orlando Magic. Credit: Orlando Magic.

The core mission underpinning this technological push is the creation of 'legendary experiences'. Riola emphasizes that the "observability of data and the insights derived will allow us to continually evolve and grow while keeping our fans at the top of our game." This highlights a continuous feedback loop where data informs strategy, leading to iterative improvements in how the team interacts with its fanbase.

The Data-Driven Fan Engagement Strategy

At its heart, the expanded partnership with SAS is about understanding what motivates fans, what keeps them engaged, and what encourages them to return. The SAS Viya data and AI platform serves as the central nervous system for this understanding. By analyzing fan engagement data generated through the team's official app and other digital touchpoints, the Magic can build comprehensive profiles of individual fans.

Every click, every interaction, every piece of content consumed provides a data point. When aggregated and analyzed by SAS Viya, these data points translate into powerful insights. This allows the Magic to move beyond generic communications and offers, delivering personalized interactivity, exclusive content, and promotions that resonate uniquely with each fan's demonstrated interests and behaviors. Imagine receiving a notification about merchandise from your favorite player, or an offer for tickets to a game against a rival team you've shown interest in – this is the power of data-driven personalization in action.

Beyond digital engagement, the platform's enhanced data visualization, modeling, and estimation capabilities have a tangible impact on core business operations. The Magic can optimize ticket sales forecasting with greater accuracy, predicting demand for specific games based on a multitude of factors including opponent, day of the week, team performance, and even external events. This improved forecasting directly supports their success with dynamic pricing strategies, ensuring that ticket prices are optimally adjusted based on real-time demand, maximizing revenue while also managing ticket availability effectively for different fan segments.

Innovation at the Core of the Magic's Philosophy

For Jay Riola, who has been with the Magic for two decades, the team's core values serve as a guiding mantra: teamwork, community, delivering legendary service, and crucially, innovation. "We seek to create a frictionless fan experience through technology, making it as simple and smart as possible," he explains. This pursuit of a 'frictionless' experience means removing barriers and simplifying interactions, whether it's purchasing tickets, navigating the arena, or engaging with team content online.

The Magic's exploration of data and AI isn't a recent endeavor; it's a journey that began approximately 15 years ago. Their initial focus was on leveraging analytics to grow the fan base beyond the immediate Orlando area and improve overall business operations. Over time, this evolved to include initiatives aimed at fostering real-time engagement during live events, allowing fans in the arena to feel more connected and even participate in contests or influence the live experience.

Being part of the dynamic NBA ecosystem means constantly evaluating and adopting new technologies. While supporting live events at the arena remains central, Riola and his team are vigilant about exploring how emerging tech can enhance fan interaction in myriad ways. This includes looking at different leadership perspectives and investing resources in various digital, AI, and even biometric techniques to modernize and adapt the fan experience. Concepts like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are on their radar as potential avenues for future fan engagement, offering immersive ways to connect with the team and the game.

The concept of hyper-personalization is approached from a dual perspective. Firstly, it's about providing fans with the tools and flexibility to design their own membership or gameday experience. "It's about designing your membership experience to your liking, personalizing, and creating what you look for each game day," Riola notes. This puts control in the hands of the fan, allowing them to tailor their package or experience based on their preferences, budget, and schedule.

Secondly, it involves delivering content that Orlando Magic fans demand, but doing so in a way that is meaningful and relevant to the individual. This could range from personalized game highlights featuring their favorite players to exclusive behind-the-scenes content delivered based on their viewing history or stated interests. The goal is to make every digital interaction feel curated and valuable.

The Indispensable Value of Technology Partnerships

Achieving the ambitious goals of technological innovation and digitalization requires significant effort and expertise. The Orlando Magic openly acknowledges that this mission would be impossible without the support of strategic partners like SAS. "In the sports business, it's inevitable to rely on a variety of different technologies to create the entire operation," Riola explains. This necessitates collaboration with a large number of technology providers and partners to execute their initiatives effectively.

The relationship with SAS specifically in the realm of analytics and data management dates back to 2010. Riola was involved from the beginning of this initial partnership, which he credits with significantly shaping the future of the team's operations. This was a pivotal time when 'big data' was emerging as a significant field, and the traditional ticketing industry was facing disruption from online resale markets.

"We realized our data had enormous value as a business, as did the data we had on the teams," Riola recounts. In those early days, the Magic were pioneers, building their own webcast and recognizing that valuable information was siloed across different systems – data about the business itself and data about their fans. The critical need was to integrate these disparate data sources into a single environment and then apply analytics tools to make predictions, generate business intelligence, and automate processes.

This historical context underscores the foundational role SAS played in helping the Magic establish a robust data infrastructure. What was needed then, and remains crucial today, is a partner capable of effectively managing and leveraging that data within a complex technological ecosystem. "We've used SAS for a long time to ingest data, design our warehouse, and work with third parties, like Snowflake, which is our cloud database," Riola says. Operating on AWS further necessitates a partner that can seamlessly integrate with other technology components, from databases and storage to various business intelligence tools.

The ability of SAS to interact and work alongside these other technologies is paramount. As Riola emphasizes, "in the sports business, we use many different technologies also used by the gatekeepers of the company that contain value and information." This interoperability ensures that data flows freely and insights can be generated across the entire operational spectrum, not just within isolated systems.

Navigating the Data Landscape: Privacy and Personalization

With the increasing volume and value of data being handled, the Orlando Magic places a strong emphasis on data privacy and compliance. "We're very careful about privacy and consent, and comply with all privacy laws and restrictions," Riola states. This commitment is non-negotiable, ensuring that fan data is handled responsibly and ethically, building trust with their fanbase.

However, this commitment to privacy exists in parallel with the goal of collecting sufficient data to enable deep personalization. "Yet our goal is to collect as much data as we can about the fans so our relationship with them is as personalized and meaningful as possible," he adds. This highlights the delicate balance between respecting individual privacy and leveraging data to enhance the fan experience. It requires transparent data collection practices, clear consent mechanisms, and a focus on using data to provide value back to the fan.

The insights gained from analyzing fan data extend beyond just personalization. They can inform strategic decisions across the organization, from marketing campaigns and content creation to operational improvements within the arena. Understanding fan preferences can help the team tailor everything from music played during timeouts to the types of promotions offered, creating a more engaging and enjoyable environment.

The partnership with SAS Viya provides the analytical horsepower needed to process this vast amount of data and extract meaningful insights. The platform's capabilities in areas like machine learning and predictive modeling allow the Magic to anticipate fan needs and behaviors, enabling proactive engagement rather than reactive responses. For instance, predictive models could identify fans who are at risk of not renewing their season tickets, allowing the team to reach out with targeted offers or personalized communications to encourage retention.

The Future of Fan Experience: A Continuous Evolution

The collaboration between the Orlando Magic and SAS is not a static agreement but a dynamic partnership focused on continuous evolution. As technology advances and fan expectations shift, the strategies and tools employed will also adapt. The exploration of VR, AR, and biometrics mentioned by Riola suggests a future where the fan experience could become even more immersive and integrated, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds.

Consider the potential of AR overlays in the arena, providing real-time player stats or interactive content through a fan's smartphone, or VR experiences that allow fans to feel like they are sitting courtside or even participating in a virtual practice session. Biometric data, collected with explicit consent, could potentially be used to personalize in-arena experiences further, perhaps tailoring promotions or content based on a fan's real-time engagement levels.

The foundation for these future innovations lies in the robust data infrastructure and analytical capabilities provided by platforms like SAS Viya. By having a single, integrated view of fan data and the ability to apply advanced analytics and AI, the Magic are well-positioned to explore and implement these cutting-edge technologies effectively.

Moreover, the partnership exemplifies a broader trend in the sports industry: the increasing reliance on technology and data science to gain a competitive edge, not just on the field of play, but also in the business of sports. Franchises are recognizing that optimizing the fan experience is crucial for building loyalty, driving revenue, and creating a sustainable, passionate fanbase.

The Orlando Magic's commitment to innovation, coupled with SAS's expertise in data analytics and AI, creates a powerful synergy. It's a partnership that extends far beyond a simple vendor-client relationship; it's a strategic alliance aimed at pushing the boundaries of what's possible in sports fan engagement.

The insights gleaned from this partnership also have implications for the broader sports and entertainment industries. The strategies employed by the Magic in areas like hyper-personalization, dynamic pricing, and integrated data management can serve as a blueprint for other organizations looking to deepen their connection with their audience in an increasingly digital world.

As the NBA season progresses and technology continues its rapid advancement, the Orlando Magic and SAS will undoubtedly continue to explore new ways to leverage data and AI. Their ongoing collaboration promises to deliver even more innovative and personalized experiences, ensuring that being a Magic fan is not just about watching a game, but about being part of a truly legendary and technologically advanced journey.

This focus on data-driven innovation is becoming a hallmark of successful sports franchises. As noted in discussions around the industry, organizations like MLSE are also exploring how digital R&D labs can revolutionize the sports experience, highlighting a widespread recognition of technology's transformative potential. Read more about how MLSE is looking to revolutionize sports experiences.

Furthermore, the broader context of AI's evolution, as discussed in articles covering companies like SAS itself, underscores the timeliness and strategic importance of the Magic's investment in platforms like Viya. Learn more about SAS entering a new AI era.