When I think about sports, I think about community. From the diehard fans of professional sports teams to recreational players, sports remain a core part of society because of how they forge connections and bring people together. And when it comes to Cisco’s investment in the sports and entertainment world, connection is at the heart of everything we do.
Oftentimes we mean that literally – as Cisco powers some of the biggest events in sports and entertainment, providing secure and reliable technology to allow fans to watch, share and connect during the moments that matter most. From providing on-course Wi-Fi at the U.S. Women’s Open in Erin Hills this past weekend, to deploying a full portfolio of solutions at the U.S. Open at Oakmont in just a few weeks, to elevating the fan experience at BottleRock Napa Valley, Cisco technology is keeping the sports and entertainment world connected (and protected!) week in and week out.
Today, we are excited to add a new partner to our portfolio – Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE). Our new multi-year collaboration will encompass the entire Monumental enterprise, including the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals, WNBA’s Washington Mystics, Monumental Sports Network (MNMT), and Capital One Arena. This new partnership will be an incredible platform for both our brands – highlighting what becomes possible on the strength of Cisco’s AI-ready technology. But equally as important, this is a partnership built on shared values – a belief in the power of sport to serve as a platform for community empowerment, and the central role that technology plays in making that belief a reality.
The announcement comes at a particularly exciting time for MSE, as construction is in full swing for the brand-new Capital One Arena that is going to be the new gold standard, multi-purpose venue for live events. In the heart of downtown Washington, D.C, the building will serve millions of annual visitors and provide an unparalleled platform to highlight our dynamic solutions, host customers and demonstrate the positive outcomes that are possible on the back of a unified Cisco infrastructure.
One of the most exciting features of the new Capital One Arena is the development of the first-of-its-kind Cisco Command Center – a state-of-the-art hub within the new arena that will power fan experiences, venue operations and team performance. The Cisco Command Center will be a true showcase for how an end-to-end Cisco deployment – including Cisco Wi-Fi 7 with Cisco Spaces, Cisco IP Fabric for Media, Cisco ThousandEyes, Wipro VisionEDGE and more – can power creative and dynamic experiences.
But this partnership is much bigger than just a new arena. It is an opportunity to combine the forces of our two organizations and extend our positive impact together. One of the ways we are most excited to jump into this is through our work with veterans – a group we are both incredibly passionate about serving. This fall, we’re launching a new Veterans Leadership Development Cohort at Cisco, which is about empowering veterans by providing the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to excel in tech. This is a 10-week career accelerator program, and we’re excited to host the program culmination with a celebration at Capital One Arena this November during Veteran’s Week. We hope that this is just a launching pad for one of many community-focused programs that will shape this new partnership between Cisco and MSE. I can’t wait to see the new heights we will reach together – showcasing what it means to power community through sports.
And if you are headed to Cisco Live! next week in San Diego, make sure to join MSE Founder & CEO Ted Leonsis and Brian Tippens SVP, Chief Social Impact and Inclusion Officer at Cisco for a special session on how this new partnership sits right at the intersection of Sports, Technology, and Service.
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