CLIENT
INDUSTRY
Sports
Entertainment
FEATURING
AI and engineering
Anthropic
San Francisco 49ers: Game on, year-round
5M+
impressions generated
10+ min
average dwell time
3x
more countries reached compared to the previous app
PwC supported in building a smarter fan platform, so the 49ers can turn engagement into business growth
SITUATION
Striking digital gold: a new era of fan engagement
A storied football franchise, the 49ers set the standard for excellence on the field. From Montana to Rice and five Lombardi trophies, the expectation is clear: lead the league, don’t follow it.
In Silicon Valley, where innovation is part of identity, that same mindset shapes how the organization shows up digitally, too.
For fans, that means an intuitive, personal experience that feels less like a tool and more like a companion—whether at the stadium or cheering around the world. For the business, it means a year-round relationship that turns engagement into growth.
But their legacy platform wasn’t built for that. The 49ers were working within templated, vendor-led systems that limited flexibility. Engagement spiked during the season and dropped off after. Personalization was limited, and it left the fans wanting more.
For a franchise looking to define the gold standard, that gap was hard to ignore—and impossible to accept. It was time to rethink what their digital platform could deliver.
Fans mean business: A PwC and 49ers story
SOLUTION
Built around the fan, enabled by AI
To meet that ambition, the 49ers turned to PwC—its Official Digital Consulting Partner—to build something entirely new: an AI-native digital platform engineered from the ground up to elevate the fan experience and power the next phase of engagement and business growth as the central cog in the 49ers’ strategy.
Drawing on deep sports industry expertise, PwC delivered the platform end-to-end, from strategy and design to feature prioritization, application engineering, data architecture, and privacy.
AI-native, not AI-additive
AI was built into the platform from day one.
From analyzing fan input and shaping requirements to generating hundreds of screens and automating testing, PwC engineers helped design a human-led, AI-accelerated approach with oversight at each step. AI-enabled tools, powered by Anthropic, accelerated delivery by writing a significant amount of production code, with seasoned PwC engineers fine-tuning and validating to the finish line. The result: accelerated delivery without sacrificing quality. The platform launched in just six months, with a leaner team of engineers than a traditional build.
AI also helps drive the front-end experience, powering personalization that adapts to each fan’s preferences and behaviors. Behind the scenes, the PwC team helps manage the platform in real time, detecting issues early, releasing updates faster, and continuously improving performance.
The Faithful had opinions. We listened.
PwC worked with the 49ers to ground the platform in real fan input. They surveyed more than 2,000 members of the Faithful to prioritize 150 app features and create an experience shaped by how fans actually interact, not assumptions.
Across the globe—in the 134+ countries the app has reached—fans can connect in ways that matter to them:
Community groups—like Pride, Women of the Niners, Kids Club—bring people together locally and beyond.
Content adapts to the individual. Whether a football fanatic, a stats lover, or here for the culture, the experience evolves with the fan, surfacing what matters.
The season ticket member hub delivers exclusive experiences for the fans that are always there. Everything is consolidated and accessible in one place, on gameday and beyond.
And the basics just work. Easy ticket access, logins that last 6 months instead of 7 days, biometrics sign-in. Small details that add up to an experience fans can rely on.
RESULTS
Attention that converts
A more engaging experience can create value on both sides: deeper fan connection and stronger business performance.
By increasing both the frequency and depth of interaction, the platform has extended average dwell time from just 30 seconds to more than 10 minutes. That sustained engagement can create something more valuable: attention that converts.
The platform architecture introduced more flexible digital inventory, creating additional space for sponsors and more dynamic ways to activate these relationships. Instead of isolated placements, brands can now connect with fans in more personalized moments throughout the year.
PwC helped engineer a shift from maintaining an app to running a digital business. From a seasonal tool to a core operating layer for fan experience, data, and monetization.
- Dwell time of over 10 minutes per session
- 150% increase in daily active users in the offseason
- 99.9% uptime across all device platforms
- 134+ countries with active users
- 6 months from project kick-off to platform delivery
Digital built to drive business, not just support it.
“We weren't looking for a better app. We were looking for a better way to know our fans and earn their attention year-round. What PwC built gave us that—and then some.”
“The platform we launched on day one is already different from what it is today. That was always the goal: not a finish line, but a foundation. PwC understood that from the start, and it shows in how they built it.”
PRODUCT AND PLATFORM ENGINEERING
Build platforms with AI at the core, not bolted on—shipped fast, built to evolve.
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