Traditionally, the focal point of customer experience (CX) has been the contact center, but today’s contact center extends outwards across many channels, both digital and in-person. This has never been truer, as traditional brick-and-mortar establishments have been complemented by digital counterparts in the form of eCommerce and digital self-service channels. Customer care is especially critical in the world of sports. For as long as media has existed, sporting events have had a digital avenue dedicated to crafting the fan experience (FX). For the lucky hundreds or thousands of fans present at a single sporting event, media allows untold throngs of non-present attendees to cheer along, creating their own FX. The focus of this study, however, is on conventional college and professional sports, with discussions covering the growth opportunities awaiting customer care and contact centers in sporting venues and franchises. It delves into what organizations are doing to improve FX across customer interaction channels, from proactive outbound customer contact to the in-person FX. Growth opportunities and vendor profiles/use cases illustrate growth potential for sporting organizations and contact center providers. In this study, FX covers the following areas: • Fan-facing experience/CX • Venue infrastructure that enhances FX (e.g., kiosks, mobile apps) • Safety and security • Customer contact –inbound and proactive outbound • Extensibility of sporting venues to create a community experience Last, select growth opportunities and vendor profiles/use cases illustrate the lucrative growth potential that awaits both sporting organizations and contact center providers. Author: Nancy Jamison