When a five-time NBA champion retools its communications stack, it's fundamentally testing whether AI-powered communications can withstand one of the harshest environments in business: a live event where tens of thousands of people, dozens of departments, and multiple cities must move in sync, in real time, with no margin for error.
Dialpad, an AI-powered business communications and agentic platform, has announced a new partnership with the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise renowned for its discipline, culture, and willingness to innovate on and off the court. The partnership is designed to enhance both fan engagement and internal team communications by connecting players, staff, and fans through Dialpad’s AI-first platform.
Craig Walker, CEO and Founder of Dialpad, commented:
"Partnering with the San Antonio Spurs brings together two organizations built on performance, teamwork, and innovation. The Spurs know what it means to stay connected, on the court and beyond. With Dialpad’s AI-powered communication, we’re thrilled to help keep every conversation seamlessly connected."
Beyond Branding: Why This Matters to Enterprise Buyers
At first glance, the deal looks familiar. Dialpad gains in-arena presence at the Frost Bank Center, including LED signage in the player tunnel and on basket-arm placements, and becomes a Supporting Partner of the I-35 Series, which brings the Spurs’ home-court experience to the Moody Center in Austin for two games this season.
Beneath the branding, however, the tech becomes an integral part of the Spurs’ operational fabric, supporting fan engagement, internal collaboration, and cross-city coordination.
“This partnership isn’t just about technology, it’s about creating a better experience for our fans,” said Frank Miceli, Chief Commercial Officer for Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “With Dialpad’s AI-driven communication tools, we can engage fans faster, personalize experiences, and bring the excitement of Spurs basketball to more people, whether they’re in San Antonio, Austin, or watching from anywhere in the world.”
For execs wrestling with digital transformation, that quote captures the same three priorities that appear in board presentations across sectors: engaging faster by stripping out friction and delays; personalizing at scale by using data and AI to adapt offers and messages; and extending reach by serving customers wherever they are, across regions and channels.
The difference here is that these ambitions are being tested in a high-stakes, high-visibility environment rather than a controlled pilot.
AI-Powered Communications Under Game-Day Pressure
The Spurs organization, which operates across San Antonio and Austin, offers a compact illustration of challenges facing many distributed enterprises.
According to the announcement, Spurs team members will use Dialpad for seamless communication and collaboration across departments and locations. In practical terms, that means operations, security, marketing, broadcast, and guest services can coordinate game-day activities through a single platform rather than juggling disjointed tools. AI can summarize calls, extract actionable items, and surface emerging issues before they escalate into crises, thereby reducing the risk that important details are overlooked in chat threads or email chains.
