Axios Event: D.C. sports leaders emphasize city's path to sports prowess

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The capital has ambitions to become the "sports capital," and efforts like the RFK Stadium development site could make that happen, speakers said at an Axios event.

Why it matters: The sports economy is growing alongside longtime, devoted fan bases in D.C. for teams like D.C. United and the Commanders.

Axios' Sara Fischer spoke with D.C. United president of business operations Danita Johnson and Mark Ein, founder of VentureHouse Group and owner of the Mubadala Citi DC Open, at the June 25 event, sponsored by IBM.

What they're saying: Johnson emphasized how D.C. United has evolved from a loyal base of faithful fans into a club attracting new ones.

• "For us, our fans, we have a core base that's been with us," Johnson said. "So we talk about our 96ers that have been there since the very beginning, us being one of the founding clubs in Major League Soccer really plays into that."
• "What's fun right now for us is it's kind of, we have our second generation. … Their parents were our fans and now they're ingrained with us."

The big picture: "We want to be the nation's capital of a sport," Johnson said.

• She explained how while D.C. is not a host city of the World Cup coming to North America next year, D.C. United and its Audi Field are hosting events to drum up excitement leading into the World Cup by hosting events like the Club World Cup.
• As D.C. United continues to grow, investing in their stadium is going to be a big piece of that, Johnson said.

State of play: The D.C. City Council is talking about bringing the Commanders from Virginia into D.C. by redeveloping the RFK Stadium site.

• If that happens, "I think it's a positive impact," Johnson said. "I think it really goes into what the mayor is trying to do here in D.C., and that's to be the sports capital," Johnson said.
• Ein, a dedicated advocate for D.C. sports, explained how a new Commanders stadium could not only bring the NFL back into the city but also serve as a hub for community transformation.

• "We have three examples of three stadiums that were built that transformed three communities," Ein said, referencing the Capital One Arena, Nationals Park and Audi Field. "For sure, that's what will happen if RFK goes through."

Content from the sponsored segment:

In a View From the Top conversation, Vanessa Hunt, IBM general manager of technology and the U.S. federal market, said AI is providing data-driven insights into sports.

• "I think the one main thing that we've really learned from our engagement in sports is really how to turn data and insights into action fast," Hunt said.
• "If you think of Formula One, you have to take millions of data points and analyze them to make split-second decisions. If you think as a viewer at the U.S. Open, or I don't know if you have the Masters app, all of the things … that enhance that experience for you are all driven by AI and hybrid cloud technology."