Matthew Jafarian [#56]: How the Miami HEAT Empowered Entrepreneurship from Within

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Matthew Jafarian, Executive
Vice President of Business Strategy at the Miami HEAT. 


Over the past eight years, Matthew has led one of the most
ambitious digital transformations in American sports, overseeing
the HEAT’s approach to data, technology, and strategy. But what
really sets him apart is the fact that he hasn’t just transformed
his own organisation, he’s also helping to reshape the entire
industry.


Matthew is also the co-founder of 601 Analytics, a data and
analytics platform born inside the HEAT that’s now used by over
20% of the NBA, the league office, and teams across the NFL, NHL,
NWSL, MLB, and (soon) MLS. From fan insights to ticketing to food
and beverage optimisation, it’s become the operating system
behind some of the smartest front offices in sport.


In this conversation, we dig into how the role of data is
evolving in sport, why teams need to start acting like the
billion-dollar businesses they are, and what it means to build a
company within a world-famous organisation.





Timestamps


01:00 - Matthew's Journey to Joining the HEAT


03:00 - Digital Transformation and the Start of 601
Analytics


08:00 - Expanding to the Milwaukee Bucks


14:00 - Balancing Roles and Responsibilities


19:00 - Solving Industry Challenges


24:00 Leveraging Consumer Profiles and Loyalty


29:00 Expanding into Europe


32:00 - Court Culture and Empowering Entrepreneurial
Ventures


35:00 - Approach to Investing and Sports Technology


40:00 - Customer-Centric Growth Strategy


42:00 - Closing Remarks and Future Opportunities





Additional Links


Miami Heat: the basketball team turned tech startup
Miami Heat Tech Team Expands Data Services To NBA And
Beyond
Miami HEAT boosts season ticket sales by 30% and saves
approximately $1 million on operations






Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn - Here


Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here