Minor League Baseball has entered into a partnership with artificial intelligence engagement platform Satisfi Labs in a move designed to enhance the fan experience across more than 30 teams.
The MiLB, a series of leagues that acts as a feeder to Major League Baseball, has signed a wide-ranging partnership with Satisfi Labs that will focus on leveraging Satisfi Labs’ AI capabilities.
According to the MiLB, it marks the first time that a sports league will communicate with its fans in both English and Spanish through the company’s AI capabilities.
The solution will amplify MiLB’s multi-cultural initiative, Es Divertido Ser Un Fan (It’s Fun to Be a Fan) and the new Copa de la Diversion (Fun Cup) series. The interface will initially be made available to teams in the Copa.
The platform will operate within teams’ Facebook Messenger pages and will seek to answer fans’ game-day questions relating to matters such as ticketing, parking and other common needs surrounding the venue, game and teams. Unique answers will also be provided depending on the users’ locations.
The bilingual capabilities of the platform will also allow teams to effectively engage with fans in the language of their choice, ensuring the right information can be provided in good time. An expanded AI conversation platform and league-wide fan engagement tool are also in the works for the 2019 MiLB season.
“Our new partnership with Satisfi Labs reinforces our tech-infused strategy specifically designed to improve the fan experience any time they engage with MiLB,” David Wright, Minor League Baseball’s chief marketing and commercial officer, said. “This cutting-edge technology will better our ability to understand the fan journey by providing a platform for our teams to engage a more diverse audience and turn data into intelligent action.”
Don White, chief executive and co-founder of Satisfi Labs, added: “We’ve developed several unique platforms for brands across entertainment, retail, and sports, but this is the first tool we’ve created that can communicate as efficiently in Spanish as in English. We’re excited to expand our offerings in AI conversation platforms to the Hispanic community and support one of the largest sports leagues in the US in its effort to better connect with all of its fans.”
Meanwhile, MiLB has extended its partnership with financial services and payment technology company FIS. The new deal will run until 2022 and will see FIS retain its position as the official payments and loyalty technology provider of the league.
As part of the deal, FIS’ advanced payment, loyalty and other solutions will be integrated within MiLB’s ‘Ballparks of the Future’ initiative. Its technologies are used to power a range of fan experiences across MiLB ballparks such as payment transactions and loyalty programs.
Image: Shane Raynor
