By Siddharth Raman
In today’s sports ecosystem, every fan carries a stadium in their pocket. That means infrastructure must be mobile-first and infinitely scalable to meet surging demand. The most successful teams and leagues embed fan experiences into apps and messaging platforms – giving exclusive content, live stats, and real-time polls on smartphones to make every moment engaging.
This mobile-first foundation is no longer optional; it’s strategic. By prioritising direct digital channels (apps, chatbots, and social DMs) over one-way broadcasts, we create two-way conversations. Every tap and swipe becomes an opportunity to learn about a fan – their passions and habits – and tailor the experience in real time. The focus shifts from simply reaching eyeballs to truly engaging individuals through the device they use most.
Central to this approach is a modern mobile CRM powered by first-party data. Data collected from fans (app usage, ticket purchases, loyalty programs) is used to segment audiences and personalise communication. As one industry report notes, “with first-party data, sports organisations can tailor their communications, offers, and content to meet the unique interests of each fan”.
In practice, that means using AI algorithms to suggest merchandise, VIP experiences or content relevant to each fan’s profile. It also means delivering dynamic content like behind-the-scenes video to interactive polls. Gamification features (like digital badges, leaderboards or AR challenges) drive repeated engagement. Sports organisations will increasingly launch gamified “utility” platforms – akin to a digital Strava – where fans track progress and earn rewards, making every interaction game-like.
Through smart segmentation and rewards, even casual followers become active participants in a community. Engagement, not just reach, will define success. It’s no longer enough to count likes or followers; the key metric is how deeply fans interact. By owning the fan relationship on mobile, teams control first-party data, ensure privacy compliance, and unlock new monetisation paths. Recent research shows owned apps and websites generate over twice the revenue of third-party social channels.
This underscores the value of direct-to-consumer strategies that capture global audiences without intermediaries. When a fan registers on your app, you can personalise ads and offers instantly and own that precious data stream. Generative AI will only amplify this: envision AI curating a personalised news feed, serving relevant offers, and providing instant support via chat.
In sum, mobile is redefining fan loyalty, data ownership, and revenue models. The winning formula is simple: own the fan journey on mobile, deliver deeply personalised value, and measure success by engagement.
The author is CEO, Sportz Interactive