The Golden State Warriors soak up fan insights in the cloud

Future. The Golden State Warriors have gone through a tech upgrade after moving to the Chase Center in 2019, using both its proprietary app and in-stadium sensors to track every data point imaginable about what their fans consume (food, merch, entertainment). With sports betting becoming a legal practice, the data points could give the team insight into how to best roll out those features during games.

Fan playbook
The Warriors want to know the stats of their fans just as much as the fans want to know the stats of players.

• Using the Chase Center app, the team is able to collect data on what fans like to eat through its online-order feature, what their musical tastes are through app experiences and questionnaires, and other info through interactive games.
• The team also uses QR codes to access experiences, including letting fans send in short videos that can be displayed on the arena’s scoreboard.
• The organization then derives insights from all that data using Google Cloud, which the team struck a deal with in 2019.

And don’t worry, privacy-hounds; the organization says that the app only collects data if fans opt-in.

Court connection
Daniel Brusilovsky, the Warriors’ vice president of technology, expressed that the cloud-based data-harvesting system was a top priority when the team moved to the Chase Center from its original home (the Oracle Arena in Oakland). “It gave us an opportunity to rethink our technology and really start from scratch.”

Other than the app innovations, the stadium itself is outfitted with hundreds of “beacons” that allow for “precise indoor location and navigation,” according to Axios. Additionally, cellular and WiFi tech is installed in every other row to make sure everyone always has a connection. Can’t collect data without that.