AEG Sports remains in touch with fans thanks to SAS Viya

2020: Implementation of SAS Viya

On May 19, 2021, SAS, a player in the business intelligence market, announced that it had helped its AEG Sports partner maintain fan engagement in the conditions of the cancellation of sporting events. Thanks to the SAS Viya platform based on artificial intelligence technologies deployed in the Microsoft Azure cloud environment, AEG Sports was able to predict audience requests and maintain interest in sports even in a pandemic.

In the spring of 2020, a sharp lull occurred in the music and sports entertainment industry due to social distancing measures. As a result, teams had to look for other ways to communicate with fans. AEG Sports, which owns many clubs, faced the same challenge.

By then, AEG Sports had already appreciated the advantages of analytics and skillfully used the data to make thoughtful business decisions. With the help of SAS Viya tools, the AEG Sports analyst team was able to create models to assess fans' opinions on the resumption of sporting events. By constantly analyzing their moods throughout the pandemic, AEG Sports was able to send personalized messages tailored to everyone's interests, thereby maintaining loyalty and engagement. This tactic allowed AEG Sports to enlist audience support and increase the economic impact of marketing campaigns.

At the same time, according to John D'Onofrio, business analyst at AEG Sports, informal communication channels were actively used and surveys were conducted. All the data obtained were entered into SAS Viya to analyze the mood and key topics: this helped to understand the general mood of the fans. Therefore, the interaction more resembled a relaxed conversation than an attempt to sell.

Life is unpredictable, but in the person of SAS and Microsoft, we got two reliable partners who will undoubtedly help us adapt and succeed even in the most difficult circumstances, "says Aaron LeValley, senior vice president of business and strategy at AEG Sports. - We do not know what will happen in the future, but we can be sure that SAS and Microsoft will help us to adequately cope with any difficulties.

AEG Sports also uses the built-in SAS Viya functionality for contingency planning. The ability to quickly process data from a variety of sources, including ticket sales, partnerships, marketing, weather forecasts, and medical data, and use them to create models, reduces uncertainty about the pandemic.

The SAS Viya platform helps us analyze various scenarios and choose the best option, "says Mike Marsocci, head of data and analytics at AEG Sports. - We can change parameters as new information becomes available and quickly develop the optimal action plan for our teams.

The choice of models and visualizations offered by the SAS Viya platform based on machine learning To help us analyze millions of data lines and determine optimal prices, "comments Mike Marsokki.

Data visualization plays a key role in our business, says D'Onofrio. - Most perceive information visually, and almost every division of our company uses data visualization to make decisions even more efficiently. This ultimately affects our sales.

I am a staunch supporter of a client-oriented approach, and I am very glad that AEG Sports is strengthening relations with its audience with the help of analytics, "says Jennifer Chase, senior vice president and marketing director at SAS. - Sports teams have a special relationship with fans, and it was obvious how AEG Sports values them, trying to understand how fans react to the cancellation of events and how best to support them in such a situation.