And the longer you wait to transition fans to owned experiences, the harder—and more expensive—it becomes to win them back. Rights holders who wait for fans to show up on their terms are already behind.
For leagues, teams, and broadcasters, maximizing fan lifetime value (LTV) it’s strategically creating a fan journey from acquisition to engagement to monetization. By owning the relationship and optimizing each stage of the funnel, rights holders can drive sustainable revenue and long-term growth. Let’s break it down top to bottom.
Reach & Acquire: Building a Strong Foundation
Content is more than a hook, it’s the foundation of the fan journey. Every piece of content is a bridge: from discovery to download, from passive viewership to active participation. But it only works if it’s intentional. The right format at the right moment turns content from entertainment into actions like sign-ups, app installs, and purchases. Without that, even great reach turns into missed opportunities.
The first step is to cast your net as wide as possible. But catching new fans here and there isn’t enough—what matters most is converting them into long-term, engaged users on owned platforms where you get valuable data and the ability to monetize.
-
- Capture first-party data: Encourage sign-ups, downloads, and subscriptions to establish a direct relationship and learn more about who your fans are and what they like
-
- Use content as a tool: Strategically use highlight clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive interviews to draw fans in—-but more than that, to also nudge them toward sign-ups, app installs, and personalized journeys on owned platforms
-
- Distribute smartly: Optimize content for each platform, ensuring the right format and messaging for maximum reach and acquisition
Who’s doing it best?
LALIGA is the most popular football league in the world, with over 219 million followers across multiple platforms. They’re leveraging their massive following on social media to build a connected fanbase on their mobile app. Hear more about how they did it:
Engage & Retain: Driving Habitual Behavior
Engagement is the key to maximizing fan value. Once fans enter your ecosystem, they need reasons to stay and return frequently—just like they do on their other favorite apps, websites, and streaming platforms. At the end of the day, your brand’s goal is to entertain.
Create must-see moments. Those could be real-time highlights, push notifications for breaking news, personalized recommendations, and deal offers on tickets or merch. True engagement happens on your owned platforms where you have full control.
Include interactive experiences. Gamification, like polls and trivia, or even the use of proper graphics, like statistics and captions can create deeper connections with fans. It’s never too late to build out some of these products inside your ecosystem, or to simply link to a relevant site to start creating that customer journey.
The team to watch
The Cleveland Cavaliers might be at the top of the East as of late, but would you have guessed they’re the 11th most-followed sports team on Instagram? A lot of credit goes to their social team who have packed social media and the team app full of must-see moments. Read the full case study to learn how they did it.
Monetize: Maximizing Commercial Value
Time spent is money earned, but only if it’s being spent in places you own. The more time fans spend in your ecosystem, the greater the opportunity to generate revenue through direct and indirect monetization strategies.
-Ad monetization at scale: Leverage programmatic advertising through networks like Google Ad Manager to unlock new revenue streams
-Offer personalized subscriptions: Tiered membership models, exclusive content, and pay-per-view options maximize revenue potential
-E-commerce & sponsorship integration: Merchandise, ticket giveaways, events before and after games, and sponsor activations are all ways to generate revenue
Turning content into revenue
FZ Sports, operator of the streaming platform Fanatiz, which caters to a global audience of Spanish-speaking sports fans, 6X’d their revenue thanks to a massive increase in content production. Read the full interview with VP of Product and Tech, Rafa López, to learn how they did it.
Continuous Optimization with Fan Data
The fan funnel isn’t static. If you’re not evolving your experience faster than fan expectations, you’re losing attention, which is the same as saying, you’re losing revenue. Leveraging fan data allows for smarter decision-making and refined strategies at every stage.
-AI-powered insights: Understand fan behavior and predict what keeps them engaged
-Automated content distribution: Deliver the right content to the right fan at the right time.
-Performance-driven adjustments: Constantly test, analyze, and optimize for maximum engagement and revenue.
Conclusion: A Playbook for Sustainable Growth
The most successful rights holders aren’t just chasing views – they’re building engaged communities that generate long-term value. Creating a fan funnel, from reach and acquisition to engagement and monetization, helps leagues and broadcasters take control of their audience and unlock full revenue potential.
Want to know if your content strategy stacks up, or just want some help creating one? Our platform gives you the content you need to build a funnel. Let’s talk.