NY Islanders teaming with AI company for industry changing fan experience upgrades

The business of the New York Islanders never stops.

On Friday, the organization announced a new partnership to build upon UBS Arena's reputation as a tech-forward-looking building. The strategic initiative is with Viam, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology brand intended to improve and refine the fan experience.

The Viam logo was featured on the team's helmets for the first time on Friday night for the team's game against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. This is the second new partnership that has found its way onto the uniform after Solo Stove became the team's first advertising partner to have its logo on the Islanders sweater.

"The number-one complaint from fans is ‘it’s not fast enough, I can't find my seat quick enough, the food line is long, there aren't enough bathrooms,' said Dan Griffin, the president of global partnerships at Oak View Group, told FOX Business.

To combat this, Viam is to implement wait-time technology to inform fans of bathroom wait times, where food is the freshest, the shortest lines, and the best locations to enter and exit the building. "If we can remove food waste, great. If we can let people idle less while trying to get out of the parking lots for the best routes in and out of the arena, great."

The founder of Viam is Elliot Horowitz, a lifelong New Yorker, and self-described Islanders and New York Jets fan that has a long-standing relationship with co-owner Jon Ledecky.

"We're excited about what we're going to roll out at UBS Arena," said Horowitz. "The thing that really makes me excited to work with them is they're always innovative, they're always thinking about the future, and they are so focused on using technology in interesting ways to improve the fan experience to make sure everyone that comes through the doors has an unbelievably good time,"

Now, if only Artificial Intelligence can help the Islanders hold onto a third period lead. I'm sure they're working on that solution as we speak.