A groups of Corinthians fans celebrate during a match between Corinthians and Cerro Porteno at Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Friedemann Vogel/Getty Images)
IBM has won a 10-year services agreement with Corinthians Sports Club in Brazil to facelift arena technology and build artificial intelligence into a new front-facing app.
The deal will help to personalize the products and services provided to Corinthians’ more than 33 million fans and to visitors who attend games live at the Corinthians Arena. The team is Brazil’s second-largest soccer club and one of the most valuable in the Americas. Corinthians has 117,000 fans currently enrolled in its “Fiel Torcedor” (“Faithful Supporter”) loyalty program, but aims to double the number of registered fans over the next 18 months by launching new products and services.
As part of the deal, IBM will help Corinthians redefine its fan experience and engagement using an app powered by Watson AI. The scope of their partnership will span from fans attending games in person at the São Paulo-based stadium to those watching from their couches at home.
With a focus on providing new experiences to immerse fans in the game, IBM plans to implement mobile replays, team stats, match statistics, instant scorecards, ticket promotions, and team performance data. The tech company will also provide cloud services to capture data collected from players on the field. Corinthians ultimately aims to provide insights for its coach and technical staff.
“There will be one way to support before and a whole new way after this contract, which will allow unprecedented ways of immersion in the most loved club of Brazil,” said Luis Paulo Rosenberg, the club’s marketing director. “Everything will change, and the passion, that’s always the same, will find new ways of expression from today on.”
The company additionally plans to use an AI to process natural language questions from end users, as part of a new virtual assistant that will be omnipresent on the Corinthians’ app.
IBM will manage the entire information technology environment of the Corinthians Arena as well, and integrate with technology from third parties to bring the club’s infrastructure into the modern age. Once the app is established, Corinthians will use it as a tool to integrate with technology services providers, such as banking services and concessions. IBM will upgrade and manage the team’s legacy system as well, doing things such as ensuring current access turnstiles are in compliance with FIFA standards and managing ticket sales.
“Corinthians is leveraging Watson Artificial Intelligence to redefine the way we will experience soccer through its digital reinvention,” said IBM Brazil General Manager Antonio Martins in a statement. “The club has been pioneering and innovating to improve the experience, comfort, connectivity, engagement and communication of its fans in the games, in addition to expanding its opportunities of business and partnerships. We are excited to be the partner of choice in leading a new era of soccer experience.”
SportTechie Takeaway
IBM has long powered next-generation digital experiences at sports venues, ranging from the Atlanta Falcons’ Mercedes-Benz Stadium to the Los Angeles Football Club’s Banc of California Stadium. It also worked with Fox Sports to deliver a digital experience for the 2018 FIFA World Cup using AI to bring fans real-time video and updates of live game action. As Corinthians turns toward technology to power new in-stadium experiences, its relationship with IBM will complement technology the club already uses on the pitch, such as RFID chips that collect player data.
