Data analytics and AI on and off the court in Orlando

At the center of the strategy

After two decades with the Magic, Riola recalls the team’s core values ​​like a mantra: teamwork, community, delivering legendary service, and in particular focus now, innovation. “We seek to create a frictionless fan experience through technology, making it as simple and smart as possible,” he says. “For the past 15 years, we’ve analyzed data and explored areas like AI to grow our fan base beyond the city of Orlando, and improve our overall business operations.” There have also been initiatives to foster real-time engagement so fans can appear in the arena and feel like they’re competing in a contest or influencing the live experience.

New technologies are constantly emerging, and Riola is vigilant about exploring opportunities as part of the NBA ecosystem. The core of the Magic’s offering in particular is based on supporting live events, where fans have to come to the arena. However, there are many other ways in which tech can interact and engage with fans. “We’ve looked at different leadership perspectives,” he says. So whether it’s through virtual reality or augmented reality, there’s a concentration on resources, efforts, and investment in various digital, AI, and biometric techniques to modernize or adapt the fan experience. 

Simply put, hyper-personalization is approached from a dual perspective. They’re first committed to providing tools to create flexible offerings fans are looking for. “It’s about designing your membership experience to your liking, personalizing, and creating what you look for each game day,” he says. Then there’s the commitment to offering content Orlando Magic fans demand in a way that’s meaningful.