Know What Is Next
Want to learn more about the most talked about topics and trends in the sports business industry from the sports business executives who run it?
Join Next League’s CEO David Nugent, a sports technology industry veteran and thought leader with over 20 years experience in the ever-changing technology services business. Tune in every week for insightful and engaging discussions on everything from artificial intelligence and fan engagement to the changing media landscape and the growth of women’s sports with the sports industry’s leading executives.
For more on Next League, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.
Know What Is Next
The 'Free Agent Fan' Strategy That Doubled the Nets' Fan Base with Darolyn Pierce
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What happens when you stop benchmarking yourself against other teams and start borrowing ideas from Apple, Google, and Netflix instead?
Darolyn Pierce leads three distinct functions at Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (consumer research, advanced analytics, and sales enablement) – with her team shifting in real time between Liberty ticket performance, renewal risk, NPS feedback, arena experience, Nets fan segmentation, and next-season planning.
In this conversation, she explains how that constant overlap shapes decision-making, why her team is trying to push beyond what other clubs are already doing, and how she earned the trust to move analytics from a 3 department support function into a company-wide operating capability.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- How the Nets doubled their fan base and generated millions by identifying untapped "free agent" fans
- Why Darolyn gives every member of her team dedicated time each quarter to build passion projects
- How a 12-person team is borrowing the personalization strategies of Apple, Google, and Netflix to reshape the fan experience
- What Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment learned launching 47 AI initiatives across 10 business functions
- How an internal AI lab uses employee competition, hands-on experimentation, and financial incentives
Resources and Links:
Connect with Darolyn Pierce on LinkedIn.
Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.
Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.