How This NBA Team Is Using AI to Change the Game for Fan Engagement

Detroit Pistons fans are about to hail from far and beyond Detroit, because the NBA team launched Detroit Pistons World on Dec. 5. It’s billed as the first-ever “digital twin arena”—meaning it’s an exact virtual replica of the Michigan basketball team’s home court. 

Yes, there are even locker rooms and merchandise stores to explore, just as players and fans would if they were on site at Little Caesars Arena. It was all created in partnership with MeetKai, a browser-based immersive AI platform, and it aims “to continue to find innovative ways to engage with the next generation of Pistons fans,” said Mike Donnay, vice president of marketing operations for the Detroit Pistons. 

The conversations around the brainstorming table with MeetKai were about just that, Donnay said, admitting that his team was “blown away by the endless possibilities for customization and just how realistic the modeling of the environments was.”  Fans who enter Detroit Pistons World will be able to take a tour of the NBA team's locker room—just as it appears IRL at Little Caesars Arena.Photo: Courtesy of MeetKai

The working relationship between the Pistons and MeetKai was “almost instantaneous,” MeetKai’s vice president of business development, Kevin Bresnahan, told BizBash, noting that a mutual contact introduced the two brands. 

“From a technical perspective, the capabilities already existed,” Bresnahan said, noting that Detroit Pistons World, though considered a type of metaverse experience, is “purposefully designed [to be] web browser-based, allowing accessibility via any device.” 

Donnay teased that there are many Easter eggs throughout the experience for fans to discover, adding that there’s still room for future development to keep it fresh.

Donnay remained coy as to what those surprise-and-delight moments for fans will actually be once they enter Detroit Pistons World, though there will certainly be experiences modeled after the game day experience. Take, for example, a T-shirt cannon game that offers real prizes. Digital experiences were modeled after the real-life game day experience, such as a T-shirt cannon game that offers real prizes.Photo: Courtesy of MeetKai

In addition, customizable tools on the MeetKai platform will allow guests to show up virtually to the Pistons’ home court decked out in Pistons gear. And for those who want the latest and greatest the NBA team has to offer, there’s also an exact replica of the Pistons Team Store to explore, where it’s possible to “try on” items and purchase.  

As if that weren’t enough, the digital landscape also offers an opportunity for exclusive merchandise drops and digital collectibles that are only available in the metaverse—which unlocks a new revenue stream for the Pistons. 

Speaking of diversified inflow—and perhaps in the most impressive form of virtual reality—Detroit Pistons World will also serve as an entirely clean canvas for brand activations and sponsorships. Just as the hard court and surrounding arena would in real life, the digital iteration of the space allows brands to show up and engage with more fans and in more ways. A team store is also available. And yes, it's a replica of the Pistons Team Store at the home arena. Here, virtual customers can "try on" and purchase official Pistons merchandise.Photo: Courtesy of MeetKai

MeetKai's platform allows guests to dress their avatar for the occasion—and there's plenty of jerseys and athletic, Pistons-themed apparel to choose from.Photo: Courtesy of MeetKaiIn order to track its success, Donnay said he has his eye on KPIs such as “unique visitors, profiles created, profiles that are net new fans to our brand, [and] time spent on site.” However, considering this is a first-of-its-kind metaverse experience, it’s hard to speculate how many fans to expect. 

This is “truly a new medium for engagement,” Bresnahan said. Seeing is believing—check it out for yourself here.