The Evolution of Fandom - Episode 5: Keeping fans in the game
Most sports organizations built their fan strategy around the people in the building. The audience that follows the team on social, watches on broadcast, and never buys a ticket is far larger, and most teams barely know who those fans are.
In this episode of The Evolution of Fandom, Kyle and Miheer dig into the gap. They talk about ghost fans, why fan interactivity is different now, where OTT experiences stopped short, and what AI actually changes for teams, leagues, and the sponsors who fund them. They also take a clear-eyed look at what's overhyped, and where to invest over the next five to ten years.
What you'll learn
- Why "ghost fans" (also called invisible fans) are the biggest untapped audience in sports, and why teams need to know them
- What changed about fan interactivity, and why owned platforms matter more than rented social channels
- What first-generation OTT experiences missed when they put TV on mobile without adding interactivity and community
- How AI can orchestrate the workflows that run in silos today, from broadcast and push notifications to social and loyalty
- How personalization opens new sponsorship inventory, including emotion-based and contextual campaigns
- What to fix first: tech stack integration, identity, and unified first-party fan data
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