The Fan Experience Revolution: AS Roma’s Digital Playbook

In today’s digital-first world, sports clubs aren’t rewriting the rules of the game—they’re reimagining how fans experience it. Traditional revolutions are giving way to digital remixes, and AS Roma is at the forefront of this movement in Serie A.

1. Blockchain and Crypto Integration
In 2021, AS Roma partnered with Zytara Labs in a €36 million deal, integrating blockchain via DigitalBits. The result? Fans could purchase merchandise using cryptocurrency and collect exclusive NFTs—digitized memorabilia from club moments and player appearances. This wasn’t just hype; it was a strategic step to engage younger, tech-savvy fans.

2. Fan Tokens and Interactive Voting
Roma was an early adopter on Socios.com, offering fan tokens that allowed supporters to vote on club decisions, such as kit designs or walk-out songs. These tokens transformed passive viewers into active participants, whether in Rome or across the globe.

3. Mobile-First Engagement
Roma’s revamped mobile app and MyASR portal give fans access to behind-the-scenes content, live commentary, AR features, and prediction games. For example, fans can virtually try on jerseys or take selfies with 3D players. These features have made the app a digital “season ticket” for fans worldwide, especially during match days when up to 80% of app traffic spikes.

4. Physical Meets Digital: Toyota Fan Zone
AS Roma’s pre-match Toyota Fan Zone brings digital immersion into real-world settings. Fans enjoy AR games, esports booths, and VR experiences outside Stadio Olimpico. It’s part of a growing trend where the matchday experience stretches beyond 90 minutes, blending entertainment and technology.

Takeaway:
AS Roma is pioneering how clubs can build global loyalty through digital storytelling, immersive tech, and blockchain-powered engagement. The game isn’t changing—but how we experience it is.

FC Barcelona's Barça Vision Partners with Qloo to Deepen Fan Engagement Through AI

FC Barcelona’s Barça Vision, the club’s innovation hub, has partnered with Qloo, a leading artificial intelligence firm, to power the next generation of digital fan engagement through cultural intelligence and data-driven personalization.

🔍 Deep Audience Insights Through AI
Qloo will provide Barça Vision with real-time insights into fans’ cultural, entertainment, and behavioral preferences across global markets using its proprietary Taste AI™. These insights will help Barça create hyper-personalized digital campaigns and content tailored to diverse audiences.

📈 Driving Growth and Engagement
The partnership will support targeted marketing strategies, enhance commercial opportunities, and fuel immersive fan experiences on platforms like Discord, home to the largest professional sports server.

🌍 Expanding Global Presence
According to FC Barcelona’s Director of Data and Innovation, Jordi Mompart, the collaboration is central to expanding the club’s reach in strategic markets and building stronger digital connections with fans worldwide.

💬 A New Era of Fan-Centric Strategy
Qloo CEO Alex Elias emphasized the importance of understanding audiences in real time, positioning the partnership as a model for how sports organizations can use AI to drive engagement, innovation, and value.

Reimagining the Fan Experience: Inside Halo Sports CEO Gillian Zucker’s Vision

Gillian Zucker, CEO of Halo Sports & Entertainment and President of Business Operations for the LA Clippers, is transforming how fans interact with sports, blending innovation, emotion, and operational excellence. On Fortune’s Leadership Next podcast, she shared how the new Intuit Dome sets a new standard for immersive, tech-driven engagement.

🎮 Tech-Driven Fan Interaction
At the center is the “Halo Board”—a two-sided, acre-sized LED screen with 3D graphics and real-time crowd tools. Innovations like decibel tracking and Game Face ID (facial recognition entry) personalize the experience, rewarding fans and removing friction.

🍔 Data Meets Dining
With 31 kitchens and real-time menu analytics, concessions are optimized for speed and freshness. Even owner Steve Ballmer’s favorite dish was cut after low demand, highlighting the team’s responsiveness to fan behavior.

🏀 Emotion + Community
From “The Wall” of 1,500 high school jerseys to Loud Cups as noisemakers, the Dome creates emotional moments and fan energy. There’s even a standing-room section for die-hard fans.

♻️ Sustainable by Design
The solar-powered roof, waste-reduction systems, and water reclamation reflect a deep commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.

💡 Culture and Leadership
Zucker credits Ballmer’s clarity and simplicity for fostering innovation. Her career—from PR to operations—shapes her people-first leadership, focused on curiosity and empathy.

🌍 Beyond Basketball
With 100 locker rooms and 51 seating rows, the Dome is ready for the 2028 Olympics. Concerts, women’s sports, and global events expand its impact far beyond the NBA.

Featured Fan Engagement Product - KissCam

🧾What Kisscam does & its USP

• KissCam LLC owns the globally recognized KissCam trademark and a patented “Contest in the Arena” mobile/web app allowing venues to run fan‑generated photo/video contests via QR code or app upload.

• Unlike the traditional in‑arena kiss cam, which is a one‑off on the jumbotron, their platform turns it into an interactive, data‑driven contest, monetizing the nostalgic moment via sponsorship, branded frames, social sharing, and first‑party data collection.

• They claim industry‑leading fan engagement, averaging 9% participation per game, with peaks at 11% during sponsored activations.

In a nutshell: They took a beloved stadium tradition, made it digital and viral, and turned it into measurable engagement that sponsors can quantify.

🚀 Features & Functionality

• Mobile/Web Contest Engine: Fans participate via QR code or app, upload a photo/video into a branded KissCam frame, then per‑event voting chooses winners—prize from the sponsor, plus social exposure.

• Geo‑fencing: Contest runs only within a venue/arena’s footprint, ensuring authenticity and exclusive reach.

• Data Capture: Participants provide opt‑in info—emails, demographics, etc.—for sponsors and rights‑holders to use hypesportsinnovation.com.

• White‑label App Versions: Custom versions available for individuals, events, celebrities (e.g. Danny Morrison cricket app).

• Extended Use Cases: Beyond sports—concerts, esports (with ESTV partnership in 2021), corporate or charity events, photobooths, even holiday promotions globally.

🌟 Key Stats That Matter

🧠 Why It Matters for Sports Marketers & Sponsors

• Turns a nostalgic moment into strategic value: Leverages a familiar brand to power sponsor visibility, data capture, and digital buzz.

• GDPR‑compliant lead collection: Sponsors can build their own CRM from contest entrants.

• Scalable across venues, geographies & event types: Works in stadiums, live-stream contexts, concerts, esports, corporate events.

• Exclusive IP advantage: They own the only patent and trademark for KissCam contests—no direct competition