Artificial intelligence is one of the latest tech crazes, taking the world by storm seemingly overnight. Sports fandom, a centuries-old tradition, can connect people across generations.
The two make an unlikely combination, but some savvy sports teams, like the Los Angeles Clippers and San Francisco Giants, are experimenting with AI to enhance the fan experience.
“I definitely feel like fan experience can be improved at sporting events,” said Matthew McDonald, junior in LAS and Business who also plays on Illinois’ club hockey team. “Some problems that annoy me at sporting events are parking, wait times and concession prices.”
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer recently opened his new multi-billion dollar Intuit Dome, which aims to address some of those exact problems.
According to The Associated Press, the Intuit Dome uses facial recognition technology instead of digital tickets, which replaced paper tickets within the last decade. The lack of ticket scanners means a much shorter line to enter the stadium.
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Facial recognition at the Intuit Dome goes beyond just tickets. Cashier-less concession stands now allow fans to pay with their face, according to KCRW.
Not everyone thinks that these advancements are currently necessary.
“I think that fan experience could definitely be improved, but I personally don’t see any need for it,” said Tyler Sass, freshman in Business. “Of course, I find no problem making improvements, but it’s not something I see an immediate or big need for.”
The Intuit Dome doesn’t just contain amenities designed to make the game day atmosphere more enjoyable to the average fan. It also includes a unique testament to team fandom.
“The Wall,” a 51-row, unbroken seating area open only to approved Clippers fans, has garnered significant media coverage due to its foreboding name and one-of-a-kind concept.
“I mean, fan sections are kind of nice,” said Cyrus Lui, freshman in LAS. “They do have that in (Nippon Professional Baseball), and I think it brings a sort of team pride energy into the stadium, which is kind of nice. I feel like it’s nice for the fans and the players, especially if they get motivated by that.”
The Wall takes the idea of the traditional fan section to another level.
If a fan sitting in The Wall so much as briefly cheers for the opponent, as determined by facial recognition technology prevalent across the Dome, they will lose access to the section, according to the Clippers.
It should be noted that one can gain access to The Wall by following the team on Instagram, subscribing to a newsletter, having attended a single game within the past three seasons and submitting an application on the Clippers’ website. It’s a relatively low bar for the status of “diehard fan,” but it seems to be working in terms of fan support.
After the Clippers’ first home game this season, two star NBA players — Kevin Durant and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns — cited The Wall in a USA Today article as the reason they missed free throws against the Clippers.
A few hundred miles up the California coast, the San Francisco Giants are experimenting with AI to recognize when to run certain promotions.
A PureStorage release said the team has tried to use AI and machine learning to determine when to offer certain giveaways and ticket packages and who to offer them to.
“I think AI can definitely improve fan experience, especially in baseball, where the public perception of baseball is that it’s a boring sport,” said Lui. “I think it could bring more fans to the game.”
California is no stranger to technologically advanced baseball teams. The Giants’ now-former Bay Area rivals, the Oakland Athletics, were once at the forefront of the sabermetric revolution.
McDonald recalled how Billy Beane and Paul DePodesta (Peter Brand in the movie “Moneyball”) used statistics to recognize under-valued players, which allowed the team to compete with a shoestring budget. Today, every team in the league evaluates players using advanced statistics.
Time will only tell if the AI-sports connection goes a similar way.
