Cisco, Magic Johnson TelePresence team-up points to larger goals for Cisco in sports

By Jim Duffy on Thu, 11/06/08 - 5:48pm.

Cisco's sport division is getting its showcase next week. Cisco is teaming up with Magic Johnson on Nov. 14 to promote TelePresence, while on Nov. 11, Cisco CEO John Chambers, along with a "marquee sports franchise" will be in Manhattan to announce a new product for "venue and stadium operators that will help deliver the next generation sporting fan experience," according to the media invite. Nov. 11 is also the launch date of another 'big Cisco announcement' that's thought to be of a new edge router.

Next Friday, the NBA legend will take part in a roundtable discussion to chat about how he has worked with Cisco to "transform his small business, Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE), through deploying unified communications and other technologies," according to the media invite. Cisco will use TelePresence at the roundtable as Magic will be in LA, while Cisco VP, Enterprise and Mid-Market Solutions Alan Cohen will be in San Jose.

While the events sound like fun gigs there's big money riding behind Cisco's sports and entertainment franchise. In the recent Harvard Business Review interview with Chambers, the Cisco top dog said the company has a Sports and Entertainment Board. Boards are tasked with developing initiatives that will propel Cisco into the No. 1 or 2 position in a particular market.

Here's what Chambers said about the SEB in the HBR:

One opportunity the team came up with was to stream video in big stadiums. Right now, all stadiums are equipped with TV screens where you can watch the game while you’re waiting to buy a beer and a hot dog. Turning all these TVs on and off is labor intensive and expensive. So the Sports and Entertainment Board detailed a proposition for the stadium franchises: “What if we networked the TVs so you could turn them on and off through a central location and also push advertising during game breaks?” Once we approved the initiative, the leaders of the board collaborated with other internal organizations, assigned some experts and sports enthusiasts to a short-term project to help, and moved quickly to offer the franchises the solution. In the end, the board achieved what could become a huge opportunity for us—all without asking for any additional people or dollars.

Cisco is also building Cisco Field, a new 226-acre ballpark for the (Oakland) A's in Fremont, Calif. And you can bet your bottom dollar that it'll be full to the gills with Cisco technologies.

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