• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 12, 2025

Shot Callers: Don White, CEO, Satisfi Labs

(Citrin Cooperman is a proud partner of Front Office Sports)

Artificial intelligence has ushered in a new age in college and professional sports. Thanks to technology like chat bots, organizations can be much more efficient with their manpower in serving the needs of fans before, during, and after games.

FOS Editor Ian Thomas sits down with Don White of Satisfi Labs to discuss the importance of understanding fan behavior and how artificial intelligence helps teams throughout professional sports do just that.

Edited highlights appear below:

On the beginning of Satisfi Labs’ AI technology (00:52)

White: “It started with such a simple idea: looking at Citi Field, hungry, wanting something on the menu and saw the bacon on a stick was there. So we thought how could a team know the bacon on stick demand? So what teams have kind of figured out is that now by providing a conversational search, they’re able to own the dialogue with the fan and now understand their wants and needs. It always starts out typically on the guest experience side just to help the fan get what they want. Now the transition is the marketing people are getting involved, the ticketing people are getting involved and now it’s moving heavily into a sales product as opposed to just a customer service product.”

On making fan data actionable (01:50)

White: “So the concept behind our product is that it’s omni-channel. So whether a fan enters through the web or through the app or through Facebook or Alexa or what have you, there’s a trail of their queries. We call them. We track those back to devices or if there is login data, we could track it back to the actual fan. We keep profiles that are available to the team or the venue and then show them they’re intents. They’re looking for a designated driver, that means they’re probably also looking for a beer, or maybe they want to be a designated driver and they might not be interested in a beer. So now you’re going to be able to do smart offers and discounts in addition to just adding to your CRM what they want or how they operate.”

On the uses for Satisfi Labs technology in music and sports (03:58)

White: “I was at Bonnaroo, which is in Tennessee, middle of nowhere, and we were able to get a ton of data about what artists or types of bands people want to see. So there’s the lineup and the lineup is based on social demand in theory, but what about who’s really looking for who and who’s hoping who is going to be performing? So when you think about sports, we start doing more about the players they’re interested in and the merch of those players as opposed to just generic merch. What kind of merch do you want? What kind of media do you want?”

SEE MORE: Mike Trout Will Pay Nearly $57 Million in State Taxes Per His New Contract

On the future of artificial intelligence technology in sports (7:01)

White: “I mentioned products like Google and Siri, all of those engines are going to be able to tap into the knowledge we are creating very soon. It’s going to be a consolidation of access points and then the competition is going to be around ‘what more can I do with this conversation?’ Now that I’ve talked to you about your tickets, well I can maybe sell your ticket, I could dispatch someone to walk you to your seat. I could have then have your order ready when you get there. We could start to build more convenient trails of things. Right now they’re all kind of separated, broken out, but we haven’t really created the one thing that can take care of all facets of it for you in one single experience. That’s the missing link.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Feb 7, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies center Tarris Reed Jr. (5) reacts after his basket against the St. John's Red Storm in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.

After Decade Apart, ESPN and Big East Rekindle Media Rights Relationship

After a decade-plus apart, the network will stream hundreds of conference events.
Tennis

Wimbledon’s Rollout of Automated Line Judges Has Been Rocky

The electronic system briefly went down Sunday, leading to a controversial replay.

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
Jun 10, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) drops back to pass during minicamp at their South Side facility.
opinion

Steelers Win-Now Mode Is Good News for NFL Media Partners

The conservative “Steeler Way” has finally adapted—and media partners are happy.

Featured Today

Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.

Fundamentals: Andrea Williams (Women In Sports)

Welcome to the latest episode of Fundamentals, a Front Office Sports interview…
November 17, 2020

Fundamentals: Women In Esports

On this episode of Fundamentals, three guests join the show to discuss the opportunities for women in the gaming industry, as well as the challenges they face.
February 24, 2021

Fundamentals: Women in Sports

Welcome to the latest episode of Fundamentals, a Front Office Sports interview…
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
September 22, 2020

Fundamentals: USTA CEO Michael Dowse

Dowse, the CEO and executive director of the national governing body for tennis, discussed the unique challenges of a fan-less US Open and growing the sport in the U.S.
July 28, 2020

Fundamentals: RISE CEO Diahann Billings-Burford

Diahann Billings-Burford is the CEO of RISE, a national nonprofit whose mission is to use sports as a means of eliminating racial discrimination and acting as a vehicle for social justice and societal equality.
July 24, 2020

Fundamentals: MLL Commissioner Sandy Brown

Sandy Brown — commissioner of Major League Lacrosse — discusses the logistics and realities of the league’s return to play with a single-location tournament format, along with the growth of the sport as a whole.
July 17, 2020

Fundamentals: Evil Geniuses CEO Nicole LaPointe Jameson

Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of professional esports team Evil Geniuses, discusses the state of esports and what is next for the organization.