The sports & entertainment industry today generates well over half a trillion dollars each year, and projections suggest its momentum will continue to grow. As audiences demand more seamless and personalized experiences, technology has become the driving force behind this growth, fueling the latest wave of transformation across sports and entertainment.
For more than two decades, Greg Kish has been at the forefront of reshaping how fans engage with and experience events—whether in the stadium, from home in real time, or through on-demand access after the fact. From stadium projects to hospitality ventures and fan engagement strategies, Kish has seen how sports entertainment has expanded beyond the action on the field. It now involves building full ecosystems that weave together technology, architecture, retail, and emotional connection, reshaping how people experience and participate in sports and entertainment. “Sports entertainment is not about data,” says Kish. “It is an emotional business. People are wanting to be a part of this, not needing to be a part of this. Technology can measure and scale those emotions, but it should never replace them. It should amplify them.”
The future of the industry lies in blending both emotion and data with the systems that drive day-to-day operations. This belief has guided his work on large-scale projects such as SoFi Stadium, where technology was woven into the fabric of the fan experience without overshadowing it. “When you get your strategy, your storytelling, and your operational systems all pulling on the same side of the rope, that is when you have real impact,” says Kish, who sees innovation as a way to first build trust with fans.
Technology with Purpose
The conversation about innovation often focuses on the tools themselves. Kish believes that is the wrong approach. “Technology can only really create impact when it is embedded with purpose,” he says. “If you implement something cool but it does not deliver on outcomes, it is a waste of money.” To avoid this trap, Kish outlines three factors that drive successful technology integration: clarity, belief, and accountability. The strategy must be digestible enough for anyone to understand. Teams and partners must believe in it. And leaders must hold themselves accountable for measurable results. Without these elements, organizations risk deploying “technology for technology’s sake.” Equally important is scaling technology effectively. “It cannot just work for a few hundred fans. It has to be seamless for 20,000, 50,000, even 100,000 people,” he says. “The wins come when it feels effortless to the fan but intuitive to the operator.”
The Next Decade: Personalization and Presence
Looking ahead, Kish sees personalization and omnipresence as the defining shifts. He points to golf as an example. At an event like the Ryder Cup, fans no longer want to see highlights of select holes. They want to experience every hole, every shot, and personalize how they consume it. Artificial intelligence will accelerate this shift, both by predicting fan behavior and by boosting efficiency in core functions such as scheduling, staffing, and resource allocation. Kish sees AI not just as a tool for engagement but as a way to streamline operations across departments like legal and HR, freeing resources for fan-facing experiences. “AI can turn static data into actionable insights at a fraction of the current cost,” he says. “But the disruption will not come from the tools themselves. It will come from how leaders use them.” The key lies in balancing empathy with intelligence. “You need to build a community of fans,” he explains. “That cannot just be driven by numbers on a page. It has to be driven by trust in your brand, your product, and your experience.”
Understanding the Value of Discretionary Spend
Sports and entertainment are “want” products, not “need” products. That distinction means organizations must be acutely aware of how consumers view discretionary spending. “Every fan feels the same way you do when you spend on something you want, not something you need,” he says, urging leaders to consider how they themselves feel when making big purchases for their families. “They want to get every bit of value out of that dollar. If leaders can take a step back and understand that perspective, they will make better decisions about how to serve their audience.”
Finding the Balance
Technology is only transformative when it deepens the human connection at the heart of sport. Fans still crave the collective energy of a live event. They still go to bars to watch games for the feeling of community that cannot be replicated at home. At the same time, digital enhancements are now inseparable from the live experience. “The adjustment is inevitable,” Kish says. “Generational shifts and technology ensure that. The challenge for organizations is to find the right balance, keeping the purity of sport while enhancing it through innovation.”
To learn more about Greg Kish, connect with him on LinkedIn.
