VOL 26 ISSUE 31, Aug. 4, 2025
In a high-energy session held July 30 at Delaware North’s headquarters in Buffalo, Jamie Obletz (above), group president of Delaware North Sportservice and Patina Group, delivered a candid overview of the company’s transformation strategy.
The event, part of a summerlong series featuring the presidents of Delaware North’s businesses, drew a full house and a large virtual audience – all eager to hear how Sportservice is evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly changing sports and entertainment landscape.
Team members with business emails can watch a recording of the session here. The next session is planned for Tuesday, Aug. 26, with Glen Thornborough, president of TD Garden and chief operating officer of the Boston Bruins.
“This is a really good business today,” Obletz began. “It’s got a great reputation. It’s leading industry. It’s got scale. We just want to make it a great business for the future.”
Obletz’s presentation centered on five strategic pillars: accelerating insights from Project Moneyball (a third-party client feedback initiative), elevating foundational operations, pursuing growth and retention with renewed urgency, embracing disruptive innovation and reimagining the business beyond traditional venues.
The session opened with a video recap of Delaware North’s role in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta, showcasing immersive hospitality experiences, curated local food markets and a 300-pound tuna carving station. “This is truly about making memories,” Obletz said, emphasizing the company’s commitment to redefining the fan experience.
He also addressed the shifting dynamics of the sports industry, including the rise of private equity ownership, the globalization of sports and the increasing importance of concerts and non-sporting events.
“The profile of the owners we deal with is changing dramatically, and we need to change with it,” he noted. “Gone are the days when this was just a commodity service. Clients want true partnerships.”
On the competitive front, Obletz reaffirmed Delaware North’s strategy to remain a “pure-play” hospitality leader, focused on food, beverage and retail. “We want to be everything that Fanatics isn’t,” he said. “We’re not trying to dominate e-commerce. We want to be the best in-venue operator – focused on quality, customization and guest experience.”
The session also highlighted the results of Project Moneyball, which revealed areas where Sportservice had room for improvement compared to competitors. Obletz called the findings a “sobering but necessary wake-up call,” and used them to rally the team around a renewed focus on analytics, on-site leadership and innovation.
Looking ahead, Obletz emphasized the importance of staying uncomfortable and open to change. “We’re thinking about subscription models, all-inclusive venues and even AI,” he said. “We want to disrupt ourselves before someone else does.”
He closed by celebrating the team’s legacy and future potential: “We are doing things in Sportservice and Patina that no other company in the world can do. It’s an honor to be in this role, working with a spectacular team. We’ve got a spectacular next couple of years ahead of us.”