A new model for modern sports fan engagement
In Episode 4 of The Evolution of Fandom, CTS’ Kyle Eichman spoke with Oli Shawyer, VP of Marketing and Growth at Komo, about how sports organizations can move beyond transactional loyalty programs and build stronger fan relationships through participation, recognition, and first-party data.
September 15, 2026
Cora Masson
At-a-glance
What is participation-based fan engagement? Participation-based fan engagement gives fans a reason to actively take part in sports experiences through activities such as predictions, voting, games, rewards, contests, and personalized content. Rather than treating loyalty as a points system or discount offering, it helps teams identify fans, understand what motivates them, and build more meaningful long-term relationships.
For years, sports loyalty programs have relied on familiar mechanics: points, discounts, birthday emails, exclusive offers, and rewards tied closely to spend. But those tools aren’t enough to explain who fans are and what they truly care about.
In this episode, Oli Shawyer of Komo argues that loyalty should be viewed less as a transaction and more as participation: a way for sports organizations to turn anonymous audiences into known fans, connect with younger and casual audiences, and build stronger first-party data strategies without reducing fandom to a coupon or point balance.
Why sports loyalty is moving beyond points and discounts
Shawyer described the evolution of fan engagement as growth from reach, to data, to participation. Sports organizations have spent years focused on audience growth, databases, and CRMs. But as he put it, “a name and an email address isn’t a relationship.”
Fans need a reason to participate. That can mean answering a question, making a prediction, voting on content, playing a game, competing with friends, or being recognized for their participation. Each interaction gives the fan a role in the experience while giving the organization a clearer signal about who that fan is and what matters to them.
Traditional rewards can train audiences to wait for the next offer. If a program is built mainly around discounts, it can become a short-term transaction engine rather than a long-term relationship builder. Shawyer's argument was not that rewards are irrelevant, but that modern loyalty has to do more than give something away. It has to make fans feel seen.
"Loyalty used to be a discount you gave away. And now it’s about that relationship you build and that modern idea of recognition over discount.” - Oli Shawyer
Giving younger fans a role, not just a reward
Younger fans were a major focus of the conversation. Shawyer was also quick to point out that the challenge extends beyond any single generation. But sports organizations can no longer assume that attendance, merchandise purchases, or season-ticket status tell the full story of fandom.
Younger and more casual fans often enter sports through short-form video, athletes, creators, culture, fashion, food, entertainment, or social influence around the game. They may care deeply, but not always in the ways legacy fan models are built to measure. A discount code is unlikely to create the sense of belonging that these audiences seek.
Once a fan engages with team platforms, say by predicting a result, answering a poll, or joining a challenge, the team learns more than whether that person bought a ticket. It starts to understand the fan’s preference and motivation. This allows the organization to create communications and experiences that feel more relevant, and ultimately are more effective.
“Fans want to belong. They don’t just want to collect points.” - Oli Shawyer
Why acquisition and retention should not be treated as rivals
Shawyer also challenged the way organizations think about acquisition and retention. In many organizations, loyalty is treated mainly as a retention tool. The program exists to keep known fans active, encourage repeat behavior, and increase lifetime value. Shawyer argued that growth depends on a much broader view.
Sports brands do not grow only by extracting more value from diehard fans. They grow by reaching more people, especially lighter and more casual fans who may become more valuable over time. Participation with these fan engagement platforms can help acquire and identify new fans, as well as deepen relationships with existing fans.
Shawyer shared a personal example that illustrated the value of knowing fans on a deeper level. His grandmother, a devoted fan who watched every game, owned all the jerseys, and saw her team as part of her identity, almost never attended a game. On a traditional database, she might have looked disengaged. In reality, she was the truest of fans.
If teams define valuable fans only by stadium attendance or ticket spend, they risk missing audiences who engage in different but meaningful ways. Participation-based engagement gives organizations more signals to work with, helping them see the fan beyond a single transaction.
“There’s a very different spectrum of people that want to engage in sport for different reasons. And it's our job to figure out how to make sure that they're relevant.” - Oli Shawyer
First-party data and the global race to own the fan
The episode also connected loyalty and participation to a larger shift in data strategy. As third-party data becomes less reliable, teams and leagues need better ways to build direct relationships with fans. But that data needs to come from an authentic value exchange.
The pressure is global, even if tactics differ by market. Shawyer noted that European soccer, U.S. leagues, and Australian sports may operate with different commercial models, cultural expectations, and membership traditions. Regardless of market, fans are more fragmented, audiences are harder to identify, and organizations are trying to understand which relationships they truly own.
In Australia, for example, Shawyer described a strong membership culture tied to ownership and belonging, not just access to a seat. In the U.S., the scale of anonymous fandom and casual consumption can create different problems. The value exchange needs to be tailored to fit the local fan culture.
Key takeaways for sports organizations
- Loyalty programs need to move beyond points, discounts, and transactional rewards
- Participation gives fans a role in the experience and helps organizations understand motivation
- Younger and casual fans may engage through short-form content, creators, and athletes
- Acquisition and retention should work together instead of competing for strategic priority
- First-party fan data is most valuable when it comes from a clear, fair value exchange
The future of fan engagement depends on understanding why fans show up
Sports organizations have to understand the market as it really is, not as insiders assume it to be, Shawyer argued. For marketers, that means getting out of the echo chamber and recognizing that fans connect for different reasons. Some come for the competition. Some come for the community. Some come through a social clip, or a cultural moment that touches the sport from the outside.
The future of loyalty and fan engagement is all about creating more opportunities for more fans to participate. Every interaction helps teams better understand who their fans are, what they care about, and how they connect with the sport, giving organizations a stronger foundation for building fan relationships over time.
For sports organizations exploring what participation-based engagement could look like in practice, Comcast Sports360 offers one path — helping teams turn the kinds of interactions Shawyer describes into owned, first-party fan relationships.
