Sports are a profoundly human experience—emotional, visceral, and passionately followed. While AI won’t replace athletes anytime soon, it’s increasingly shaping how fans engage with their favorite teams.
In this episode of The Bridgecast, Scott Kinka sits down with Doug Kramon, Head of Customer Care and Fan Support at ESPN, to explore the evolving role of AI in sports customer experience. They discuss how generative AI plays a role in CX transformation and fan support, the power of emotional connections in customer care, and the challenges of balancing automation with human-centric service.
Doug also shares insights on leadership, the impact of big data on AI-driven insights, and the importance of curiosity and storytelling in professional growth.
Tune in for a fascinating look at the intersection of sports, technology, and fan engagement.
ESPN is the leading multiplatform sports entertainment brand that features seven U.S. television networks, the leading sports app, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, leading social and digital platforms, ESPN.com, ESPN Audio, endeavors on every continent worldwide, and more.
Topics covered in this episode:
• Why understanding different fan needs is crucial for effective support.
• How generative AI can support CX transformation but not replace human interaction.
• Why the evolution of customer experience is driven by technology.
• How AI can handle routine tasks, freeing humans from complex interactions.
• Why building relationships with partners is key to success in customer care.
• How the sports fan’s story is central to enhancing their experience.
• Why curiosity and storytelling are vital for continuous learning.
• How summarization tools can save agents valuable time and significantly enhance customer service efficiency.
• Why big data is essential for actionable AI insights.
• How catharsis scoring helps identify customer sentiment changes.
• Why generative AI must be integrated with existing tech stacks.
• Why bundle confusion in streaming services remains a challenge.
• How work-life balance is crucial for employee satisfaction and open communication fosters a healthy workplace culture.
ESPN Customer Experience (CX) Case Study
https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/espn/
About Douglas Kramon
Douglas Kramon leads Customer Care and Fan Support at ESPN. This includes a fan base of tens of millions of rabid sports content consumers! He oversees all fan support initiatives at ESPN, focusing on the fans in the stands, suits in the suites and everything in between. He provides consumers of ESPN content the tools to experience an exceptional journey in their ESPN fandom!
Contact Douglas
LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglaskramon/
Web. http://espn.com