Real-time personalization and the future of fan engagement

As live sports and entertainment evolve beyond ticketing and sponsorship models, real-time personalization is emerging as a core requirement for fan engagement. What fans increasingly expect (i.e., tailored experiences that adapt before, during and after events) is forcing venue operators and platform teams to rethink engagement as a data and application platform problem, not just a marketing initiative.

Nearly nine in 10 fans say they are more likely to return to venues that deliver personalized experiences, according to theCUBE Research’s data. That shift provides the backdrop for Twilio Inc.’s newly expanded, multi-year strategic partnership with AEG, the global sports and live entertainment company.

The partnership extends Twilio’s customer engagement platform across Crypto.com Arena, the LA Kings and AXS, AEG’s global ticketing platform, with the goal of enabling more contextual, real-time fan engagement at scale.

In the latest episode of the AppDevANGLE podcast, theCUBE Research’s Paul Nashawaty spoke with Chris Koehler, chief marketing officer of Twilio, and Nick Baker, president and chief operating officer of AEG Global Partnerships, about what this partnership signals for the future of fan experience platforms.

“Live entertainment continues to be such a competitive landscape,” Baker said. “What fans expect is higher each year, and aligning with a partner like Twilio helps us communicate in a way that’s authentic to the individual while improving the business overall.”

From isolated moments to continuous fan engagement

Fan engagement in sports and entertainment has been previously defined by isolated moments, such as buying a ticket, scanning into a venue or receiving a promotional message. What’s changing is the expectation that engagement is continuous and adaptive, shaped by who the fan is, why they’re attending, and how they interact across channels.

A single individual might attend a hockey game as a season ticket holder, a concert with friends and a family show in the same venue, each requiring a different tone, message and experience.

“The messaging needs to be different and ever-changing,” Baker said. “We’re collecting enormous amounts of data, but this is about having a trusted partner who can help us use it in the right way.”

Twilio’s platform brings together customer data through Twilio Segment with real-time communications across channels such as SMS, email and in-app messaging. That combination allows AEG to build richer fan profiles and activate them in real time.

“How do we take the data we have, create a profile around the fan experience and then reach them where they are?” Koehler said. “That’s really our wheelhouse.”

Execution at scale, not experimentation

While personalized engagement has been an industry goal for years, execution has often been constrained by complexity, skills gaps and fragmented systems. Both executives emphasized that the significance of this partnership lies in its operational maturity.

Twilio already powers secure messaging and authentication across AXS, supporting ticket delivery, transfers and fan communication at global scale. The expanded agreement builds on that proven foundation rather than introducing an untested model.

“This isn’t about selling a future vision,” Baker said. “This has already been working. We’re expanding it across other parts of AEG because of that success.”

Artificial intelligence adds another layer, helping make one-to-one engagement practical at scale. But Koehler stressed that technology must remain secondary to intent.

“At the center of all of this is the customer,” he said. “Focus on the problem you’re trying to solve. The technology comes second.”

The bottom line

Beyond AEG’s venues and platforms, the partnership reflects a broader shift across sports and live entertainment as organizations look to turn data, communications and AI into competitive advantage. “There’s no doubt others will look at what’s possible here,” Baker said. “That’s how innovation spreads.”

For developers and platform teams, the Twilio–AEG partnership highlights how fan experience is evolving from disconnected touchpoints to continuous, data-driven engagement delivered in real time and built around the individual.

Here’s the full conversation with Paul Nashawaty, Chris Koehler and Nick Baker, part of theCUBE Research’s AppDevANGLE podcast series, where they break down how the partnership came together and what it means for real-time engagement platforms:

Image: SiliconANGLE