The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE) and Microsoft Corp. (Microsoft) announced a strategic partnership to harness the Microsoft cloud, including Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, to transform digital fan experiences and enhance collaboration for employees. Microsoft is now ONE’s preferred cloud and data services provider, powering its digital transformation and accelerating innovation across all touchpoints.
Microsoft and ONE, through this alliance, are co-investing in digital fan experience transformation. The partnership is set to further enhance ONE’s position as a leading global sports media property and further execute its vision to engage fans through its unique brand of Asian values, world-class athletes and global appeal. As ONE accelerates its digital journey, the company will leverage the power of the cloud and data to build new capabilities and deliver cutting-edge digital experiences for its millions of fans around the world.
Empowering and enriching fan experiences
ONE will further enhance its over-the-top platform by leveraging Azure to accelerate its world-class streaming services and personalized content offers for fans around the world. AI-powered recommendation engines and analytics on fan behavior and viewing habits will allow ONE to better engage fans across all touchpoints and provide them with reimagined, tailor-made experiences.
Through Azure AI, machine learning and data analytics, ONE will expand its core data capabilities and transform its direct-to-consumer digital experiences. To further delight fans, ONE will provide them with unique sets of data and statistics to better understand the strength of a kick or a punch. Ultimately, the fans will be able to enjoy a more immersive experience when watching live events.
The collaboration between Microsoft and ONE will also allow fans to experience events remotely with the flexibility and scalability needed to address increasing demand from end users – especially during this unprecedented time when sports entertainment shifts to digital. In the future, the partnership will also enable ONE to explore other innovations such as the use of holographic computing in injury prevention; as well as the ability to improve athletic performance through AI and machine learning.
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I am thrilled to announce that ONE Championship has officially partnered with Microsoft to deliver fans the absolute best in data-driven digital experiences. ONE Championship is a global leader in live sports, and through the Microsoft cloud, we can accelerate our capabilities and digital presence.”
Jean-Philippe Courtois, EVP and president, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing & Operations, stated: “Demand for digital experiences has never been higher and our partnership with ONE Championship – a leader in sports entertainment with the largest and most rapidly growing millennial fan base – will enable them to deliver on this opportunity in innovative new ways and enhance the services they provide for supporters, athletes and employees. We’re looking forward to working with ONE to help accelerate its digital transformation for the benefit of millions of sports fans around the world.”
Expanded Productivity and Content Ecosystem
As part of its push towards digital transformation, ONE will roll out Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Teams, as the primary productivity platform for ONE employees worldwide, helping to ensure seamless collaboration in a new remote work reality.
In addition, to provide fans with a one-stop source of digital content, ONE has also partnered with Microsoft to bring its exclusive content stacks to the Microsoft News ecosystem, which reaches more than 500 million people in 180 countries every month through personalized news feeds on MSN, Bing and Microsoft Edge, as well as through dozens of global syndication partners.
World-class Global Sports Thought Leadership
ONE and Microsoft will also leverage the Global Sports Innovation Centre (GSIC), a collaborative initiative between private, public and academic partners powered by Microsoft, to support innovation in the sports industry around the world. ONE is a powerhouse of innovation and thought leadership in sports, and through its involvement in GSIC activities, initiatives and open innovation projects, ONE will connect with industry stakeholders in other continents, exchange experiences, learn and add value to the sports tech ecosystem of start-ups, companies, organizations, universities and research groups