Disclaimer: This is a machine generated PDF of selected content from our products. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace original scanned PDF. Neither Cengage Learning nor its licensors make any representations or warranties with respect to the machine generated PDF. The PDF is automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. CENGAGE LEARNING AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES FOR AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Your use of the machine generated PDF is subject to all use restrictions contained in The Cengage Learning Subscription and License Agreement and/or the Gale Business: Insights Terms and Conditions and by using the machine generated PDF functionality you agree to forgo any and all claims against Cengage Learning or its licensors for your use of the machine generated PDF functionality and any output derived therefrom. Will artificial intelligence improve your next trip to Ford Field? Detroit Lions use tech to improve fan experience. Author: Jay Davis Date: Jan. 16, 2023 From: Crain's Detroit Business(Vol. 39, Issue 2) Publisher: Crain Communications, Inc. Document Type: Article Length: 617 words Lexile Measure: 1450L Full Text: Byline: Jay Davis The Detroit Lions are partnering with a New York-based artificial intelligence and machine learning company to help make the football games better for the team's biggest supporters. The Lions last week announced that Wallaroo.AI has signed on to be the NFL franchise's official artificial intelligence and machine learning partner. The Lions and Wallaroo will work together to scale the team's use of AI across a variety of areas, according to a news release. Wallaroo technology will be integrated into the new Trace3 Analytics War Room at Ford Field, established earlier last year. In the first phase, Wallaroo will work directly with the Lions' analytics team during home games to improve the fan experience in areas such as ticketing, parking, concessions, retail and fan sentiment as it relates to the in-arena experience, the release states. Wallaroo technology will be integrated into the new Trace3 Analytics War Room at Ford Field, established earlier last year. Using AI and machine learning will allow the Lions to discover trends quicker and enable team staff to react in real time, Lions Senior Vice President of Strategy and Analytics Ashton Mullinix told Crain's in an email. On the field, analytics helps coaches to optimize play-calling during games through statistical breakdowns of various plays and ingame situations. The Lions also will use analytics to learn things like when and where fans purchase concessions, where they sit in the stand, and how a team's standing affects fan spending at games. "Whether it is analyzing ticketing data, concession transactions, retail information or football data there is an opportunity to improve decision-making across our company by using the most up-to-date and accurate data for each project," Mullinix said. "Our goal is to make sure we're using data in the most effective way possible to help improve our performance on and off the field." Improving the in-game experience for fans is vital during a time when attendance is falling amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and more fans opt for an in-home experience, which includes no travel or parking fees and less-expensive drinks and snacks. NFL attendance figures remain strong, unlike a collegiate counterpart that has seen attendance decline every year since 2015. The partnership begins this month. Both sides declined to share more details on the deal. Pro sports teams such as the Lions generate mass quantities of data from sources such as ticket sales, concessions, retail, social media, vendors and player stats. The data represents a wealth of information, Wallaroo Labs CEO and founder Vid Jain said in the release. "... but it's only valuable if you can understand and apply it to make better decisions. This is where AI comes in," Jain said. "The Lions' commitment to applying AI to optimize performance and find new ways to use their data both on and off the field makes this an exciting collaboration for Wallaroo.AI." The Lions are very strategic about their partnerships, said Alex Ballew, the team's director of data strategy and insights. With Wallaroo, Ballew said, the team saw an experienced partner that has used AI to drive positive performance results. "We look forward to leveraging this technology across our business and providing a better fan experience to our fans," Ballew said. Mullinix said the deal is the culmination of the Lions working over the last handful of years to build a strong foundation of analytics across the organization. "... we're always trying to identify ways to improve our business, especially through new, innovative ideas," he told Crain's. "In order to do that, we are constantly evaluating technology partners and products to ensure we are partnering with the right companies to achieve this goal." Twitter: @JayDavis_1981 Copyright 2023 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Crain Communications, Inc. http://www.crain.com/about/index.html Source Citation (MLA 9th Edition) Davis, Jay. "Will artificial intelligence improve your next trip to Ford Field? Detroit Lions use tech to improve fan experience." Crain's Detroit Business, vol. 39, no. 2, 16 Jan. 2023, p. 0007. Gale Business: Insights, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A733773970/GBIB?u=cent1000&sid=bookmark-GBIB&xid=46cb6815. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023. Gale Document Number: GALE|A733773970
