Summary
Fan engagement in sports and entertainment is evolving fast. Audiences now want interactive, personalized experiences—not just passive viewing. Presidio Captivate, built with AWS, helps teams and content owners deliver immersive, tailored content that boosts fan involvement, monetization, and operational efficiency. With proven results and flexible, modular technology, Captivate is setting a new standard for digital fan experiences.
Learn more about Presidio Captivate and Sports, Media and Entertainment solutions here.
Redefining Fan Engagement: How Presidio Captivate and AWS Are Transforming the Sports and Media Experience
The way fans consume sports and entertainment has changed. Watching the game on TV is no longer enough. Today’s audiences want to be immersed, involved, and in control of how they experience content. With so many media options available, the challenge is no longer just attracting attention: it’s about holding it.
That’s where Presidio Captivate comes in. Developed in partnership with AWS, this solution is helping teams, leagues, venues, and content owners reimagine what fan engagement looks like.
In a recent conversation, Allec Brust sits down with Neerav Shah, Managing Principal of Industry Solutions at Presidio, and Jason Dvorkin, Head of Industry Specialist Business Development at AWS, to talk about Captivate’s impact, what makes it unique, and how it’s already delivering measurable results.
From Passive Viewers to Active Participants
“What we’ve been seeing over the last several months—and even decades—is the fact that fans are not as engaged in sporting events,” Neerav says. “Whether it be in a venue or in a streaming app, we’re seeing declines in engagement levels because there’s a second-screen device that people are scrolling on.”
He shares an anecdote of a sports exec’s daughter who, while watching a live game, was glued to her phone. “She said, ‘I’m trying to stay engaged with what’s going on with the stats,’ when the big screen and the TV were right there.”
Jason adds that fans increasingly expect a personalized viewing experience, from custom camera angles and real-time stats to food delivery and merchandise purchasing options—all without leaving their seat.
A Modular, Customizable Approach
Captivate was built to match this shift in expectations. “It’s a solution, but really it’s a collection of Lego blocks,” Neerav says. “We call them accelerators at Presidio. It’s a way to capture content and stack solutions on top of each other.”
“[Captivate] is a solution, but really it’s a collection of Lego blocks. We call them accelerators at Presidio. It’s a way to capture content and stack solutions on top of each other.”
The platform uses AWS services like MediaLive, MediaConnect, and Direct Connect to simplify and personalize the media experience—from ingest to enhancement to delivery. “I use three words to describe Captivate: simplify, enhance, experience,” he says. “This is where we use the tagline, ‘your content, your way.’”
The flexibility extends across the media ecosystem, including teams, coaches, venues, and fans. “It’s not just how you create the fan experience,” Neerav explains. “It’s about how you build the platform to immerse everyone in it.”
Real-World Use Cases: Highlights, NIL, and Legacy Content
One of Captivate’s most impactful features is its support for creating custom highlights. “We built Captivate with the ability to create custom plays or events from different viewpoints or angles,” Neerav says. “It puts the power of those cameras in the hands of coaches and individual users.”
That flexibility applies beyond pro teams. “Captivate really helps you create custom highlights to drive NIL revenue,” he says. “At large universities, coaches struggle with player retention. There’s a 50% turnover year over year. Captivate helps players showcase their value and monetize their content.”
Jason emphasizes the scale of unused video data: “There are 180 cameras around a golf course just for scoring. When you start thinking about what you can do with these video feeds and how to personalize them, that’s where the opportunity lies.”
“There are 180 cameras around a golf course just for scoring. When you start thinking about what you can do with these video feeds and how to personalize them, that’s where the opportunity lies.” – Jason Dvorkin
Captivate is also revitalizing archival media. Neerav shares, “We worked with a major league that had content from the 1960s sitting in a vault. We helped them catalog it and make it searchable, bringing the past to the present.”
Jason adds that when you tailor historic content to match a viewer’s preferences, it can become a valuable asset rather than a cost center.
Monetizing Attention with Smart Personalization
Monetization is built into the engagement model. With detailed insights about fans’ preferences and behaviors, broadcasters and content owners can serve personalized ads that resonate, improving both engagement and conversion. Instead of relying on generic campaigns, organizations can now tailor promotions in real time, directly within the viewing experience.
Neerav adds, “If you know what I’m watching, why not send me a jersey or signed item right then? That’s a $10 or $20 opportunity that creates loyalty and brand connection.”
Jason points out that even in live broadcasts, viewers can now take action: “If I can order the match special and have it delivered two days later, that creates lifelong fandom.”
Built for Every Level
Captivate was designed to scale. “We personalize by bringing this technology and tools down to the lowest level,” Neerav says. “Universities can now show games that wouldn’t have been televised. As you get families more engaged, you see a 20 to 30% increase in dollars that go back to the university.”
Jason reinforces the accessibility: “You have flexibility to provision what you need, spin down what you don’t, and tailor the experience to every audience. That works for pro leagues and high school teams alike.”
From Sports to News, Politics, and Beyond
While sports is the initial focus, Captivate’s architecture works across industries. “We’ve been in discussions with news outlets about personalizing their content,” Neerav says. “Political candidates want to tailor messaging. Media is pervasive, and these tools can apply anywhere.”
He adds, “If you create the right building blocks, you can stack and build solutions wherever you want to go.”
Business Impact: Captivate by the Numbers
Captivate is delivering measurable impact:
● 10% increase in revenue from personalized video and social content
● 20% growth in participation in fantasy sports and betting integrations
● 15–25% increase in engagement from regionalized media content
● 30% rise in social and donor funding for schools using family-focused streaming
Organizations are also saving time and costs by reformatting for different screen types using automation. “That makes it more advantageous and lowers the barrier for content owners,” Jason says.
A Turning Point for the Industry
“I’ve been in broadcasting for 35 years,” Neerav says, “and this is the first time I’ve been excited about a transition in the industry.”
He sums it up: “Captivate is about simplify, enhance, and experience. We’re doing that across the viewership—and improving fan immersion.”
Listen to the full conversation with Neerav Shah and Jason Dvorkin on The Digital Decode available on Apple Podcasts, below on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
