Published November 8, 2018 by Grandstand Central  

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On the third episode of ‘Forward Progress’, host Gord Randall speaks with Jonathan Becher, co-president of the San Jose Sharks, about how Silicon Valley’s hockey team is using tech to enhance the fan experience, how the Sharks are cultivating a fanbase in one of America’s most crowded sports markets, and the viral sensation that is Gritty.

Published October 22, 2018 by ZDNet  

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Go behind the scenes with the president of an NHL hockey to learn about customer experience and why building community is crucial. He also explains what’s wrong with the term “digital transformation” and how to create genuine fan relationships. Watch the video and listen to the podcast!

Published October 16, 2018 by The San Jose Sharks

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“The Sharks are pleased to partner with an organization which, like the Sharks, deeply respects tradition but is constantly looking for innovative and creative solutions,” said Sharks President Jonathan Becher (@jbecher). “Partnering with Milagro Tequila brings an exceptional product to SAP Center at San Jose, consistent with our goal of providing our patrons with the highest-quality food and beverage.”

Read the full article here.

Published October 16, 2018 by ZDNet  

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This is perhaps more important for SAP than even the product portfolio’s improvement, because their historic failure, since the departure of Jonathan Becher, who was one of the best CMOs in the industry, has been their marketing. To be blunt, until SAPPHIRE, and thankfully continuing, it had been just plain terrible, unintelligible unimaginative, and wrong.

Read the full article on ZDNet here.

Published September 28, 2018 by CxO Talk

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What does digital disruption mean for sports and how do teams turn fans into customers? CXOTalk explores these topics with Jonathan Becher, who is president of Sharks Sports & Entertainment, the parent organization of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks hockey team and three ice sport facilities in Silicon Valley.

Watch the video or read the transcript here.

Event September 20, 2018 by The Churchill Club  

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Published September 14, 2018 by The San Jose Mercury News

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In the first 36 hours after the trade for Karlsson, the Sharks have seen a noticeable bump in ticket sales. Although the team did not provide exact figures, team co-president Jonathan Becher said, “We had a sizeable spike in ticket sales on Thursday, the day the trade was announced. Partial plans and individual games sales were more than two times the previous day. Overall ticket sales are trending ahead of where they were at the same time last year.”

Read the full article here.

Published September 12, 2018 by The San Jose Sharks

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“The San Jose Sharks are pleased to be partnering with Clos LaChance on this fun and unique project that brings two local brands in the South Bay together for the benefit of our fans and wine enthusiasts throughout the area,” said Jonathan Becher, Co-President of Sharks Sports & Entertainment.  “Fans who sample FINtage 408 will truly enjoy the results of this exciting partnership.”

Read the full release here.

Published Sept 11, 2018 by NBC Bay Areas

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Meanwhile, Sharks ticket sales for the 2018-19 season are ahead of what they were last year as the team offered a new option for fans who can’t commit to season tickets, team President Jonathan Becher said.

“What’s particularly popular this year is the half-season plan or even partial plan, where you can buy 11 games,” Becher said. “And you can pick your games. If you want, you can pick Pacific rivals or see the traditional East Coast teams.”

Read the full article here.

Published August 30, 2018 by The Athletic

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The Sharks’ current lease runs through 2040, including an annual renewal beginning in 2025, and the organization plans on being at SAP Center for at least that long.

Building a new arena for the Sharks is “not even on the radar,” according to co-president Jonathan Becher, who told The Athletic this week that the team is focused on continually upgrading SAP Center to meet the demands of the modern fan.

“To oversimplify, there’s been roughly $150 million put into the building since it’s opened, which that itself if you did it in one summer or over two summers would be a pretty major remodeling,” Becher said.

“We don’t think of ourselves as an old building,” Becher said. “On average, NHL teams spend 40-45 years in a building before they either blow it up and rebuild on their parking lot or move someplace else. It’s tempting to call this an old building, but if you look around the NHL, it’s still mid-lifetime.”

Click here to read the full article (paywall).