Sporting KC Finds Any Photo in Seconds, Even From 20 Years Ago

Growing team needed one reliable home for club history

Sporting Kansas City competes in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, representing the Kansas City metro area at the highest level of the sport in the United States. With a constant cycle of games, press obligations, and social content demands, the club’s creative team generates and distributes a high volume of visual assets year-round. As the organization’s digital presence grew, the team identified the need for a more robust, centralized asset storage solution to protect their expanding library.

The challenge: Scaling accessibility at the speed of the game

Tyler McBee, Social Media Manager, pulls from the club’s visual archive to fuel content across Sporting KC’s social channels, sourcing the right shot from both current and past seasons. Alex Lorenzo, Staff Photographer, captures everything from game day action to behind-the-scenes moments, fielding a steady stream of image requests from across the organization. To meet these demands, they required a sophisticated system built for modern speed.

• Establishing a single source of truth. Previously, the club’s visual archive was distributed across various physical and cloud storage accounts. The team recognized that a centralized, cloud-native platform was essential to ensure every image was accessible in a single location.
• Meeting high-velocity press demands. Game day means constant movement and tight turnarounds for press releases and social posts. Alex noted the importance of agility: “We often manage urgent requests for high-profile news agencies and need to deliver professional-grade images on a moment’s notice.”
• Protecting a multi-decade legacy. To safeguard the club’s historical narrative, the team prioritized a reliable backup system. Alex recalled that the move to PhotoShelter was sparked by the desire to create a permanent, secure digital home for the club’s entire visual history.
  

“In a high-velocity sports environment, our visual identity is our most valuable currency. We realized that to maintain the standard of excellence Sporting KC is known for, we needed to move beyond simple storage. PhotoShelter has become the central nervous system for our creative department, allowing us to stop ‘searching’ and start ‘storytelling’ at the speed of the game.”

Nate Saathoff, Creative Director, Sporting Kansas City

The solution: Workflows built for game day speed

What used to involve searching through distributed drives now runs through a single platform designed for the precision a professional sports team demands. PhotoShelter gave Sporting KC the structure to organize and activate their assets instantly.

• Custom metadata for precise indexing. The team built custom filters for players, venues, and kits, turning broad searches into precise results. Pulling the exact image for a press request now takes seconds rather than minutes.

• Al auto-tagging for instant distribution. “We’ve maximized Al tools and facial recognition so players can access their photos immediately after the game,” said Alex. “It’s a massive efficiency gain for our entire workflow.”
• Al Visual Search for one-off requests. For specific needs like sponsor logos or sideline props, Al Visual Search finds assets that haven’t been manually keyworded. “When we get a unique request for something like ‘Coca-Cola,’ Al Visual Search pulls those photos instantly,” Alex shared.
• FileFlow for mobile connectivity. During games, Tyler uses FileFlow to find and download photos directly to his phone. “Being able to stay connected and move assets while I’m away from my desk has been a total game-changer,” he said.
• Simultaneous FTP workflows. The team utilizes an FTP workflow so multiple photographers can upload images simultaneously. “The process is incredibly straightforward, allowing us to get images exactly where they need to go fast,” noted Alex.

“I’m constantly mining our archive for this season and past club history. The ability to filter by player or even specific kits makes it easy to find exactly what I need to keep our content fresh and relevant.”

Tyler McBee, Social Media Manager, Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC scores with a modern DAM that supports the whole organization

By implementing a modern DAM, the team has streamlined how they find historical moments and fulfill last-minute requests. The library grows every game, and the club’s visual heritage is fully protected.

“As we manage over 950,000 assets, the challenge wasn’t just where to put them, but how to make them actionable. By integrating Al-driven tagging and specialized FTP workflows, we’ve empowered our entire organization with instant access to our brand’s most iconic moments. It’s not just a tool; it’s a competitive advantage for our creative team and the Sporting organization as a whole.”

Nate Saathoff, Creative Director, Sporting Kansas City

“PhotoShelter allows us to provide a polished, finished product to the people who need it. I can maintain the integrity of our raw files while giving our associates direct access to the final deliverables they need to do their jobs effectively.”

Tyler McBee, Social Media Manager, Sporting Kansas City

Photos provided by Alex Lorenzo / Sporting Kansas City