Minneapolis-St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx today announced a new multi-year partnership with industry leader VenueNext to create a unified app experience where fans can access team content, arena information and ticketing, all in one place. The Timberwolves app will launch prior to the start of the 2017-18 season and the Lynx app prior to the 2018 season.
VenueNext debuted in 2014 during the San Francisco 49ers’ first home game at the brand-new Levi’s Stadium. Since then, it has secured partnerships with some of the biggest brands in sports and entertainment, including Yankees Stadium, AT&T Stadium, Amway Center, Churchill Downs and the new U.S. Bank Stadium.
“We’re thrilled to partner with VenueNext and look forward to rolling out these new state-of-the-art apps to our fans,” said Timberwolves & Lynx CEO Ethan Casson. “With 80 percent of our fanbase entering the arena on game day using a mobile device, we wanted to find a way to better serve those individuals through personalized communication and an amplified fan experience. Having been a part of VenueNext’s inception, it’s exciting for me to continue working with this company and implement their technology for Timberwolves and Lynx fans.”
The apps will include arena information, giving those experiencing the newly renovated Target Center a remote control to their game experience. Along with the new in-arena offerings, the apps will incorporate team news and content as well as ticketing within the same platform. The teams and VenueNext will look to grow the technology capabilities over time and explore ways to add even more functionality to the apps.
“We are excited about expanding our reach in the NBA through this partnership with the Timberwolves and to delighting their fans with an all new engaging mobile app experience at Target Center,” said John Paul, Founder and CEO of VenueNext. “Through our platform, the Timberwolves can also leverage valuable data to gain new insights to better service their guests and improve business operations.”
In addition, the platform generates data that gives real-time business intelligence the organization can use to positively affect operational strategies and provide customized engagements. Push notifications will provide ticket holders with their customized content and game day information, all based on their preferences and seat location. VenueNext, known for its industry leading innovation, recently won the Gartner Data & Analytics Excellence Award for ‘Best Use of Data in a Product or Service.’ They were also named one of the top ten most innovative companies in sports by Fast Company in 2015.
During the 2008-09 season, the Timberwolves became one of the first NBA teams to launch a mobile app. Continuing in that spirit of innovation, the Wolves are now just the second NBA team to adopt VenueNext.
This is the first in a series of upcoming announcements from the Timberwolves & Lynx focused on using technology and innovation to enhance the fan experience.
The announcement is the latest in a series of announcements tied to the new era of Timberwolves & Lynx basketball. The new era has three key areas of focus: being champions on the court, having world class facilities and staff, and growing the game of basketball. With new leadership on the court and in the boardroom, the franchise is poised for more significant changes in the coming months. Target Center’s renovation project, complete with new premium spaces, seating and concourse improvements, will hit the finish line in time for the beginning of the 2017-18 season.
About VenueNext:
VenueNext is a technology platform company on a mission to transform the way guests experience a venue with their smartphone. VenueNext’s platform ties together operational systems in a venue and creates customized mobile apps for visitors to access services that make their visit more convenient and enjoyable. The platform also generates valuable data that provide venue owners real-time insights to make data-driven business decisions. VenueNext powers many of today’s top Sports Venues in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and Horseracing. The company also powers venues in the Hospitality and Healthcare markets. Founded in 2013, VenueNext is backed by Aurum Partners LLC, Causeway Media Partners, Live Nation Entertainment, Compass Group Plc, Legends Hospitality and others. VenueNext has offices in Silicon Valley, San Francisco and New York. VenueNext received the 2016 Gartner Data & Analytics Excellence Award for “Best Use of Data in a Product or Service”, was named one of the top ten “Most Innovative Companies in Sports” by Fast Company in 2015, and is the recipient of a 2015 Edison Award for Innovation.