Redefining how fans connect to sports

The Evolution of Fandom is a new podcast series hosted by Kyle Eichman, exploring how technology, media, and culture are transforming fan engagement.

Subscribe now to get first access and stay ahead of what's next in fan engagement

About the series

The Evolution of Fandom explores how the relationship between sports organizations and their audiences is changing.

Each episode features industry leaders unpacking new approaches to fan engagement, challenging traditional thinking, and sharing what’s next for teams, leagues, and media companies.

Recent Episode

Episode 5: Keeping fans in the game

The biggest audience in sports isn’t in the stands. It’s the millions of fans who follow on social and watch on broadcast but never buy a ticket, and most teams barely know who they are.

In episode 5, Kyle Eichman is joined by Miheer Walavalkar, Founder & CEO at LiveLike, to explore:

  • Why “ghost fans” are sports’ biggest untapped audience, and why teams need to get to know them
  • Why owned platforms beat rented social channels as fan interactivity evolves
  • Where first-generation OTT fell short by putting TV on mobile without interactivity or community
  • How AI can orchestrate siloed workflows across broadcast, push notifications, social, and loyalty
  • How personalization creates new sponsorship inventory, from contextual to emotion-based campaigns
  • What to fix first: tech stack integration, identity, and unified first-party fan data

Listen to Episode 5 now

 

Frequently asked questions

Stay ahead of the trends shaping the future of sports, media, and fan engagement.

  • Hear directly from leaders across sports, media, and technology
  • Explore how fan behavior is evolving from passive audiences to active participants
  • Gain insights on monetization, data, and community-driven engagement
  • Understand what’s next and how to prepare your organization

  • Sports marketing and digital leaders
  • League and team executives
  • SportsTech innovators and operators
  • Brand partners and media professionals

New episodes are released on the CTS website first. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Both. Each episode blends strategic insight with practical discussion of the technologies, platforms, and data models enabling modern fan engagement, making it valuable for both business and technical leaders.