NBA SVP of Product on How the NBA is Delivering an Excellent Digital Experience to Millions of Fans Worldwide | Jay Lee
E244 | #TheProductPodcast
"The problem that we're always trying to solve for the fan is how close can we get them to the game? Right. Knowing that, again, 99% of people will never step foot in the arena."
In this edition of #TheProductPodcast newsletter, we explore the world of sports technology with Jay Lee, Senior Vice President of Product at the NBA. With extensive experience in product management and sports media, Jay shares valuable insights on enhancing fan experiences through technology, leveraging AI in sports analytics, and revolutionizing the way fans engage with basketball.
There are many incredible lessons to learn from Jay Lee. Here are a few of the top ones:
Understanding the Core Problem: Fan Proximity
"The problem that we're always trying to solve for the fan is how close can we get them to the game? Right. Knowing that, again, 99% of people will never step foot in the arena."
This highlights the central challenge driving the NBA's product strategy: bridging the gap between the live game experience and the vast majority of fans who will never attend in person. Jay emphasizes that understanding this fundamental limitation shapes their approach to technology and fan engagement.
The Importance of Global Reach and Tailored Experiences
"Yeah, the fans all over the world is right. And if I can just talk a little bit about, just the NBA and its global reach in general, because I think that's important to understand, the digital aspect and the NBA app as well... we have over a billion fans in the world that are NBA fans over the ages of six."
Jay underscores the NBA's massive global fanbase and the necessity of delivering tailored experiences through platforms like the NBA app and NBA.com. He notes the significant growth of basketball fandom worldwide and the expectation from international fans for experiences designed for them. Features like multi-language broadcasts and the ability to hide scores cater to these diverse needs.
Leveraging Technology for Immersive Fan Engagement
"And so we built the platform that now powers the NBA app. And when I say we rebuilt the platform, we built everything from the streaming service, new cloud provider identity, service entitlement, service purchase flows, content management system, API layers, data and analytics platforms, and of course, the top of that tech stack, which is a new, redesigned and rebuilt NBA app across all platforms, which my team was responsible for."
Jay details the significant technological overhaul undertaken by the NBA with the "Next Gen Initiative," which resulted in a rebuilt platform powering the NBA app. This investment in technology underpins their ability to deliver various features and content to fans across different devices and locations.
Exploring the Potential of Non-Traditional Realities
"Not virtual reality, not mixed reality, but shared reality... they've built these domes, essentially half domes, these buildings, and they're streaming 8-K versions of the game in this physically immersive environment, but you're not wearing a headset to experience it."
Jay discusses the NBA's ventures into immersive experiences beyond traditional viewing, including virtual reality (VR) and "shared reality" through their partnership with Cosme. The focus is on creating a sense of presence and closeness to the game, even for fans who are not physically at the arena.
Utilizing AI for Enhanced Game Understanding
"So we've launched a product called AI insights within our game experience within our NBA app. And what AI insight solves for the user is this problem of, I have all this data... But I still am missing the context of what's actually happening in the game and why the score is what it is."
Jay explains the introduction of "AI insights" as a way to provide fans with deeper understanding and context around the game. By analyzing data, AI can deliver insights on player milestones, momentum shifts, and key plays, enriching the fan's experience beyond raw statistics.
Prioritizing Relationships Over Perfect Roadmaps
"But what I have found is that relationships are better than roadmaps anymore. Yeah. So I love roadmaps. And I just wanted to be clear for the audience I love frameworks... But in practice, that doesn't work as well as just understanding who your stakeholders are, who your partners are and what's important for them..."
While acknowledging the value of prioritization frameworks, Jay emphasizes the paramount importance of building strong relationships with stakeholders and partners. Understanding their priorities and aligning with their goals is presented as more effective in driving product decisions than strictly adhering to a rigid roadmap.
Measuring Success Through Fan Engagement
"For us, it just comes down to how much time are people spending in our products and how much are they watching... last season was the most watched regular season for the NBA. and in our products, we saw significant growth as well. we had both watch hours, live daily watch hours, video views, and average watch time per game."
Jay highlights that key success metrics for the NBA's digital products center on fan engagement, specifically the time spent and content consumed within their products. The significant growth in watch hours and video views indicates the success of their strategies in bringing fans closer to the game
🔑 Key takeaways
Enhance User Experience: Use technology to bring fans closer to the game.
Leverage AI: Apply AI to provide real-time insights and enhance storytelling.
Innovate Entertainment: Explore immersive technologies like VR and shared reality.
Prioritize Relationships: Focus on stakeholder relationships in product development.
🎧 Check out the full episode here 🎧
➡️If you found this valuable, help us spread the impact by sharing, following and rating the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts, so we all help each other learn and grow.
Credits:
Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Do you want to level up your Product Management skills? Check out our certifications, ready to help you improve your or your team’s skills wherever they are: entry, mid, or senior level.
🗞️Subscribe to this newsletter so you get to learn how Product is being done inside the most important companies, directly from the top product leaders in the industry.