VP of Phoenix Suns - Business 97% of Fans Will Never Visit Your Stadium, Now What

Only 2-3% of Manchester City fans will ever set foot in the stadium. So how do you build a business around the other 97%? Ron Li has spent his career figuring that out.Ron Li is VP of Data Intelligence & Strategic Partnerships at the Phoenix Suns, where he oversees AI and data strategy across five properties — the Suns (NBA), Mercury (WNBA), Valley Suns (G League), Footprint Center, and the team's hospitality portfolio.Before the Suns, Ron was employee #4 on the PGA Tour's international business team and helped build EA's competitive gaming division from scratch. He's also a former professional esports player.In this episode, Ron breaks down:Why sports teams can't think of themselves as an events business anymoreHow the Suns use visual AI to measure sponsorship value in real-timeAI agents handling season ticket billing, lapsed fans, and new prospect listsThe Verizon 5G practice facility partnership and what "strategic" really meansWhy a clean data foundation matters more than any AI toolHis hiring philosophy: curiosity over credentialsIf you lead a team figuring out where AI fits in your business, this conversation is a blueprint — not theory.Subscribe and follow AI for Business Leaders wherever you listen.