(Courtesy of MiLB/Satisfi Labs)
If you’re a fan of either the Hillsboro Hops or the Hillsboro Lúpulos, you’re in luck. The Diamondbacks’ Class A affiliate is one of 33 minor league teams whose fans will have access to an AI assistant this season. Built by Satisfi Labs in partnership with MiLB, the bot is designed to be fluent in both English and Spanish.
The computer assistant will work through Facebook Messenger, and will answer fans’ questions about routine details like ticketing, parking, and stadium amenities, as well as more important facts about the teams themselves. Hola! Bienvenido al Hillsboro Lúpulos bot, the assistant would say on Messenger, Como te puedo ayudar?
“Our new partnership with Satisfi Labs reinforces our tech-infused strategy specifically designed to improve the fan experience any time they engage with MiLB,” said David Wright, Minor League Baseball Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, in a statement.
This year, the assistant will only be available for fans of the 33 MiLB teams that play in the Copa de la Diversión (Fun Cup) series that runs until early September. That season-long series aims to embrace the culture of the Hispanic and Latino communities where those teams are based. Next year, MiLB plans to roll the bots out across the entire minor league system.
“We’ve developed several unique platforms for brands across entertainment, retail, and sports, but this is the first tool we’ve created that can communicate as efficiently in Spanish as in English,” said Don White, CEO and Co-Founder of Satisfi Labs, in a statement. “We’re excited to expand our offerings in AI conversation platforms to the Hispanic community.”
SportTechie Takeaway
Fans of teams in 19 states will be able to ask a Facebook Messenger bot for help in both English and Spanish this season. The 33 teams with an AI assistant this year will include the Hillsboro Hops (Oregon), San Jose Giants (California), Brooklyn Cyclones (New York), and Oklahoma City Dodgers (Oklahoma).
Sports organizations are turning to Facebook Messenger assistants as a way to better engage with fans. A year ago, the Warriors used a bot to interact with fans during the NBA playoffs. In February, ScoreStream announced it would use Messenger to share high school sports scores. And yesterday, the Heineken Urban Polo series launched its own Messenger bot for polo fans.
