A game plan for enhancing fan engagement

Sports loyalty: A new game plan

Home field advantage is no longer simply packing a stadium or arena with your best fans. It’s about engaging distinct groups of fans inside and outside the game venue, during winning and “rebuilding” seasons, 365 days a year. Based on our analysis, we have identified five tenets that sports organizations should consider as they examine their approach to fan engagement:

1. Know your target. To design effective engagement programs, teams must be clear—and specific—regarding the target with whom they seek a relationship.
2. Make it personal. Programs designed to speak to everyone run the risk of speaking to no one.
3. Think holistically about experience. The live game experience is a focal point for fan interaction and franchises alike. What lies beyond it?
4. Engage year round. Meaningful relationships don’t start and stop with the sports season.
5. Recognize loyalty. Recognize, reward, and record each fan interaction.

Watch the recording of Pete Giorgio, US Sports Consulting leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP, presenting the results of Deloitte’s sports loyalty research at the 10^th Annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

Download the sports loyalty infographic

In 2015, Deloitte conducted primary research with more than 4,000 adult US professional sports fans whose interests span the five major US sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS).

We asked them about their attitudes and behaviors—in-season and off-season, in-stadium and out—to explore the links that bind affinity and engagement for professional sports fans and to understand how teams and leagues should continue to evolve their approach to fan engagement in order to create greater value for fans and teams alike.

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