Artificial intelligence firm Theta Labs is partnering with the New Jersey Devils to create an agentic AI chatbot specific to the team.
Named “Bott Stevens” for the longtime Devil and three-time Stanley Cup champion Scott Stevens, the bot is expected to launch in the coming weeks and will be accessible via the Devils’ website. Powered by Theta’s EdgeCloud computing platform, it will answer fan queries ranging from gameday matters (i.e., relating to ticketing or the broadcast) to player stats or merchandise using a combination of custom data sources provided by the Devils and real-time NHL metrics.
“The look and feel will be completely integrated from a brand perspective,” said Theta Labs co-founder & CEO Mitch Liu. “And there is a personality that we’re building.”
The latter was also a tenet of the agentic platform Theta built for the Vegas Golden Knights, its first NHL team partner, last year.
Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment VP/Content & Digital, Devils and Prudential Center, Marc Ciampa said their partnerships team was intrigued by the Golden Knights' use-case and are eager to apply a “Jersey attitude” to theirs.
“We’re known for bringing a Jersey attitude to our social media channels,” Ciampa said. “The thought is to bring that to the bot as well, where it might have a little bit of fun with you.”
Therein lies the distinction between agentic and generative AI, Liu added. “AI agents take on a level of independence,” he said. “The idea in the future is these agents -- or these standalone bots or entities -- can think on their own, interact on their own. The space I’m interested in is how does that improve the fan or customer experience?”
Liu said the Golden Knights' bot is registering hundreds of thousands of users per month but could not comment on more specific engagement or revenue-related KPIs. According to him, the Devils deal will extend into the 2025-26 NHL season as well and include Theta Labs signage in-arena at Prudential Center.
