Loyalty Blogs

When it comes to the sports sector, fan engagement is one thing that is much more than just raw viewership, which means sports firms are privileged to have fans- individuals who are highly engaged and inherently more loyal than average customers. These sports fans are emotionally connected to their beloved teams and are willing to spend money on sports merchandise. The report says these fans are so engaged that they spend more than $30 billion on sports merchandise showing the importance of loyalty for sports organizations.

In this blog, we will find out how a reliable Loyalty Solution Provider can help in building effective customer loyalty programs for sports to enhance fan experiences & build long-term loyalty.

Significance of Sports Loyalty Program

Unlike traditional loyalty programs used in the retail sector, sports loyalty programs must resonate on an emotional level and ensure they cater to the hearts of fans to foster a genuine sense of belonging and connection. Sports loyalty program plays a huge role in building and maintaining a strong connection between sports franchise and their fans.

A sports loyalty program can be defined as a reward system that is offered by sports teams or organizations to their fans and supporters. With the motive to incentivize fans and make them engage more deeply with the teams, these programs help fans attend games, purchase merchandise, or take part in other activities. Fans will earn points and rewards that can be redeemed for various perks like discounted tickets, exclusive merchandise & early access to special events.

These loyalty programs offer unique experiences, and personalized interactions with the team and players along with insider access, which helps in building stronger connections between fans and teams. The best thing about these programs is that they help enhance fan engagement to a huge extent and increase the emotional investment of the fans in the teams. Here are some of the benefits of using sports loyalty programs.

– Boost Fan Engagement

– Increase Merchandise Sales

– Unlock Fan Insights

– Build Community

– Strengthen Brand

Examples of Top Sports Loyalty Programs

Here are some of the top sports loyalty programs and their offerings to help you come up with new loyalty program ideas when you design your sports loyalty program.

1. Manchester United Membership

Known as one of the most famous football clubs with a global fan base, Manchester United has a membership program aimed at bringing fans closer to the team with a variety of membership options to fulfill different fan needs. This subscription-based loyalty program has different benefits like Matchday priority, exclusive content, discounts, members members-only competitions, digital membership cards, etc.

2. New York Yankees Universe

The next one is the New York Yankees, the professional baseball team, which has a loyalty program called Yankees Universe that allows fans to show their support while getting access to exclusive team benefits. This membership-based loyalty program offers benefits like discounted tickets & merchandise, VIP experiences, special event invitations, charity support, news and updates, etc.

3. Liverpool FC Official Membership

Liverpool FC is another successful football club in England that offers a membership program called Liverpool FC Official Membership providing different levels of engagement from full membership to light membership based on different needs. This subscription-based loyalty program offers several benefits like match ticket priority, members-only content, discounts, competition and global access to Liverpool FC events.

4. LA Lakers Fun Club

The Lakers are an NBA team known for their high-profile players and offers a loyalty program called the Los Angeles Lakers fan club which focuses mainly on building a global community of Lakers fans through multiple member benefits. This membership-based loyalty program offers exclusive perks like merchandise discounts, exclusive digital content, fan events, ticket priority, exclusive promotions, etc.

5. Real Madrid Socios

Real Madrid is another prestigious football club in the world and has a program called Real Madrid Socios. More than just members, Socios of Real Madrid are part of the club’s heritage and contribute to its operations. This is a membership-based program with benefits like voting rights, priority ticket access, exclusive merchandise offers, club events, discounted tours, etc.

6. Boston Celtics Green Team

The Boston Celtics are a historic NBA franchise and has a loyalty program called Green Team which focuses on enhancing the Celtics fan experience with special benefits and exclusive rewards. This subscription-based loyalty program offers multiple benefits like exclusive content, fan events, discounted merchandise, game day experiences, and community involvement.

7. Chicago Bulls Nation

Chicago Bulls is the NBA franchise created in the era of Michael Jordan and has a sports loyalty program called Chicago Bulls Nation that helps to engage Bulls fans with exclusive content and experiences. This is a point-based loyalty program that offers benefits like earning points, redeeming for rewards, exclusive content, member events, and fan recognition.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs Leads Nation

Toronto Maple Leafs is one of the original 6 NHL teams and has a loyalty program called Leafs Nation, which is exclusively designed to engage hockey fans and reward them for their continuous support and loyalty. This point-based tiered loyalty program offers benefits like earning points, redeeming for rewards, special discounts, exclusive content, fan appreciation events, and more.

9. FC Barcelona Membership

FC Barcelona is another globally recognized football club that has a loyalty program called FC Barcelona membership where members play a huge role in the club’s governance and operations. Similar to Real Madrid Socios, this membership-based program has benefits like voting rights, match tickets, exclusive tours, special discounts, and member events.

10. Dallas Cowboys Pro

Dallas Cowboys is an NFL team known for their significant fan following and their loyalty program called Dallas Cowboys Pro is built to connect more deeply with the fans through many benefits. This membership-based tiered loyalty program offers benefits like Pro Shop discounts, exclusive digital content, event invitations, VIP experiences, and loyalty rewards.

Final Takeaways

As we can see sports loyalty programs are quite essential for cultivating and maintaining a loyal fanbase. Rather than focusing on transactional rewards, these loyalty programs are relational which means they must provide fans with a platform to express their support while receiving value through program benefits. Ensure that you integrate exclusive experiences, insider excess, and personalized communications in the programs, which will help enhance the overall fan experience and make supporters feel like an important part of the team.

To build a well-planned sports loyalty program, you can connect with the experts of Novus, an enterprise loyalty software that holds expertise in building such loyalty programs that offer genuine value and resonate deeply with their fan base. Book a demo of Novus to see how we can help enhance fan experiences with sports loyalty programs and unlock immense benefits.