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MLS Real Salt Lake

Utah Royals FC and Real Salt Lake Partner with KAGR (Kraft Analytics Group) to Drive Club Innovation and Enhance Utah Fan Experience

March 14, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, UTAH - Today, Utah Royals FC (National Women's Soccer League) / Real Salt Lake (Major League Soccer) and KAGR (Kraft Analytics Group), a leading sports technology and analytics company, announced a multi-year partnership to accelerate the Utah soccer properties' joint data-first approach to growing soccer fandom in Utah. KAGR will help enrich data strategies for both RSL and URFC, while providing best-in-class lenses into consumer behavior on both RSL / Royals FC matchdays and beyond. The KAGR data platform will empower the Club's Sales & Marketing and Gameday Experience teams through foundational data warehousing, data management, predictive analytics, business intelligence visualizations, and strategic marketing capabilities.

With Saturday's upcoming "inaugural" match, Utah Royals FC returns the NWSL to Utah for the first time since the 2020 Challenge Cup, the Club aiming to recapture its 10,000+ average attendance established in the 2018/19 seasons - only Portland topped Utah in attendance in those years - the new era aiming to take community engagement and civic partnership to entirely new levels. Real Salt Lake recently kicked off its 20th season in MLS and boasts one of the most avid fan bases in the league, selling out its America First Field home over 30 times in the last two years, while boasting new attendance and revenue records since David Blitzer, Ryan Smith and associated entities assumed Ownership in January, 2022.

Working closely with the RSL / URFC teams, KAGR will build a new foundational data layer for both initiatives, breaking down silos across data sources from ticketing, email, and CRM to SMS, ecommerce, and surveys. KAGR will integrate survey and web form responses collected from Qualtrics, a global company founded by Owner Ryan Smith and regarded as a leader in its space worldwide, to both enhance the consumer profile and create predictive models for decision-making, including retention, lead scoring, and customer lifetime value.

"Ownership has prioritized building the foundation for the Utah Royals to be on the cutting edge of data analytics on both the business and sporting sides," said Utah Royals FC President Michelle Hyncik. "Integrating the KAGR suite of tools and learnings to foster innovation, growth and attention to detail in all our practices, both externally and internally, will both accelerate and heighten our cohesion with the already outstanding Utah Royals FC fan base."

KAGR will also provide strategic consulting services to support the development of a holistic data and technology roadmap, including identifying near-term fan acquisition and engagement strategies and creating new metrics to measure and monitor fandom in all its forms: home attendance and experience, digital and linear broadcast consumption, social sentiment and customer service.

"Our world is moving incredibly fast, and we are extraordinarily excited to work closely with KAGR to know our customers better and react more quickly to their needs," said Real Salt Lake President John Kimball. "We look forward to utilizing these amazing tools and learnings to predict needs and proactively engage and provide world-class service to our fans, the lifeblood of any and all sports organizations."

Real Salt Lake is the third MLS team to use KAGR's SaaS data and analytics platform, joining the New England Revolution and Charlotte FC. The Utah Royals are KAGR's first NWSL client.

"The Real Salt Lake / Utah Royals FC organization is a leader in the region and in the community, helping drive innovation and providing unique and engaging experiences for its fans," said Jessica Gelman, CEO of KAGR. "We are thrilled to be a part of the Club's collective growth and a partner to enhance their abilities to connect with fans in new and personalized ways."

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