Live sports and entertainment are becoming one of the most demanding proving grounds for modern application development. Fans now expect personalized, real-time experiences before, during, and after events, and those expectations are reshaping how engagement systems are designed.
In a recent AppDevANGLE episode, I spoke with Chris Kohler, Chief Marketing Officer at Twilio, and Nick Baker, President and Chief Operating Officer of AEG Global Partnerships, to unpack Twilio and AEG’s newly announced strategic partnership and what it means for developers building real-time engagement platforms at scale.
From Ticketing Events to Continuous Engagement
Historically, fan engagement has revolved around isolated moments: buying a ticket, entering a venue, receiving a notification. What’s changing is the expectation that engagement is continuous and contextual, shaped by who the fan is, why they’re attending, and how they interact across channels.
As Nick Baker explained on the podcast, a single fan might attend a hockey game as a season ticket holder, a concert with friends, and a family event in the same venue, each requiring a different experience.
“The messaging needs to be different and ever-changing,” Baker said. “We’re collecting enormous amounts of data, but this is about having a trusted partner who can help us use it in the right way.”
For developers, this shift translates into new architectural requirements: persistent customer profiles, real-time data activation, and low-latency communications that adapt as context changes.
Data + Communications = Engagement Infrastructure
At the center of the Twilio–AEG partnership is the combination of customer data and real-time communications. Through Twilio Segment, AEG can unify fan data into actionable profiles, while Programmable Messaging and Twilio Verify enable secure communication across SMS, mobile apps, and digital touchpoints.
Chris Kohler framed the developer challenge succinctly: “How do we take the data we have, create a profile around the fan experience, and then reach them where they are?”
This is the same problem developers face across industries: turning systems of record into systems of engagement that operate in real time, at scale, and with security built in.
Execution at Scale, Not Experimentation
What differentiates this partnership is operational maturity. Twilio already powers secure messaging and authentication across AXS, supporting ticket delivery, transfers, and fan communications globally. The expanded agreement builds on proven systems rather than introducing experimental workflows.
“This isn’t about selling a future vision,” Baker noted. “This has already been working. We’re expanding it because of that success.”
From an Efficiently Connected perspective, this is an important signal. Real-time engagement platforms must be production-ready, not prototypes. They need to handle peak loads, identity verification, and latency-sensitive workflows without degrading the experience.
AI Accelerates Engagement But Doesn’t Replace Intent
Artificial intelligence adds another layer to the engagement stack, helping make one-to-one personalization feasible at scale. We are seeing rapid growth in AI adoption across developer workflows, particularly in connecting data sources and automating engagement logic.
Still, both leaders emphasized that AI is an enabler, not the driver.
“At the center of all of this is the customer,” Kohler said. “Focus on the problem you’re trying to solve. The technology comes second.”
For developers, that means AI only delivers value when it’s layered on top of strong foundations: clean data, real-time pipelines, and secure communications.
Why Developers Should Pay Attention
The Twilio–AEG partnership highlights a broader shift happening across application development:
- Engagement systems are becoming event-driven and real time
- Identity and security are now part of the experience flow
- Data platforms and communications APIs are converging
- AI is accelerating personalization but only when the platform is ready
Live sports and entertainment may be the proving ground, but the patterns apply across retail, media, financial services, and beyond.
Looking Ahead
If you’re building real-time applications, integrating customer data platforms, or exploring AI-driven personalization, this partnership offers a concrete, production-scale example of what modern engagement systems look like.
- Watch the AppDevANGLE podcast with Twilio’s Chris Kohler and AEG’s Nick Baker to hear how this platform came together and what success looks like in practice.
- Read the Twilio–AEG press release to understand the scope of the rollout and where these capabilities are already live.
Together, they provide a practical blueprint for developers navigating the next phase of real-time, personalized engagement.
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