Game Promotion Made Easy with PlayOn

Been chatting with GM's of sports teams. Getting one-time ticket buyers to come twice, or three times, is the name of the game right now. More fan engagement, and more sponsorship as a result of it. What we're trying to see is, if you text your casual fans, on gameday, reminding them that they can catch the game tonight, will they sell more seats? And beyond just sending messages out... what kind of insights do you capture when fans can actually reply, and start having convo's with your team. Is this valuable? What else do teams need?

Stealing the Show: How Cheerleaders Became the CPBL’s Most Powerful Demand Shifter  Written by Fang-Chang Kuo. The article examines how the CPBL transformed from a sport-centred league into an entertainment-driven spectacle, fuelled by celebrity cheerleaders like Lee Da-Hye. It argues that entertainment talent can rival superstar athletes in driving attendance, while highlighting how branding, social media, and novelty increasingly shape modern sports economics and fan culture....

Nearly two years ago at G2E, I convened leaders from the NCAA (Mark Hicks), WTA (Lindsay Brandon), NASCAR (Joseph Solosky), and Jonathan Hirshler w/ Signify Group to discuss athlete wellness in the era of legal wagering. I started that discussion - stating emphatically - that any harassment of any athlete, coach, or official resulting from a bet is unacceptable, and our industry must step up. Yesterday's announcement from the leaders at Fanatics, IC360, and Signify is tremendous progress and hopefully a boost in our industry's awareness of and support of athlete wellness. The work continues to end this abuse and support all athletes. https://lnkd.in/e6j-UBrk

The FM-Style Player Card™; how serious players track their own development. Most players rely on feelings to measure progress. "I've been training hard." "I feel sharper." "I had a good week." Feelings are not evidence. Evidence is evidence. At PW, every player in the Pipeline builds a personal FM-Style Player Card™ — a Football Manager-style rating system applied to their real-world development across 8 attributes. The 8 attributes we track: Role Clarity — how precisely defined is your function and positioning? Evidence Depth — how complete is your proof stack? Profile Consistency — how aligned are your platforms, visuals, and messaging? Outreach Activity — how regularly are you contacting the right people? Pathway Clarity — how realistic and mapped is your next level? Physical Readiness — are your standards (sleep, nutrition, recovery) pro-level? Tactical IQ Signal — are you demonstrating game understanding in your content? Gatekeeper Credibility — would a scout trust what they find when they search your name? Each attribute is scored 0–20. Max score: 160. Every week, you update your card. The goal isn't a perfect score. The goal is a rising score; proof that the system is working. Most players don't track themselves because they're afraid of what the number will say. The players who take the Opportunity Readiness Diagnostic already know: the number is the starting point, not the verdict. Take yours today. #PlayerDevelopment #FootballTracking #BecomeUndeniable #FMPlayerCard #FootballSystem #PitchedWisdom #FootballCareer

Thinking of creating a new Sport? It’s no easy feat. The odds are extremely low — probably of success is less than one in several thousand, maybe closer to one in ten thousand or worse. Very few new sports ever break into that top tier of ~130-300 with real global federations, international competitions, and lasting infrastructure. It’s way riskier than launching a typical business — But Billionaires chasing prestige (usually over return) flock to the same handful of marquee sports, yet there are roughly 300 established sports modalities actively operating worldwide. All are less costly to operate. Luckily interest in all Sports will likely grow exponentially as our workload and lives become automated and we fill up our idle time with healthy mainstream & obscure sporting activities. https://lnkd.in/eSHZh7zK

People don't stay engaged in racquet sports because they have access to courts. They stay engaged because they have a reason to come back. That's where leagues, ladders, and competitive play become so important. At their best, they create structure, goals, accountability, and connection. They give players something to work toward and make it easier to build relationships within the community. The most successful clubs understand that competitive play isn't just for highly competitive players. It's one of the most effective ways to increase participation, strengthen engagement, and keep members active over time. I took a deeper look at why leagues and ladders have become such powerful drivers of retention and community growth, and what separates the programs that thrive from the ones that struggle. https://lnkd.in/eWcfQnAq

Every sportsbook wants more players. But some of the biggest acquisition opportunities aren't found among existing bettors, they're found among sports fans. With the World Cup currently capturing the attention of fans around the globe, that opportunity is on full display. Millions of people are making predictions, debating outcomes, competing with friends, and becoming emotionally invested in every match. In many ways, they're already exhibiting the same behaviours that make sports betting so engaging. The challenge isn't creating interest in sports, it's clear that the interest is already there. The real challenge is creating a natural path from fandom to participation. In our latest blog, we explore how operators can bridge that gap through free-to-play experiences, social competition, and lower-friction engagement strategies that help convert sports fans into sports bettors. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/g932a-rf

Last week, Michael Broughton wrote an excellent piece on sport's media business that everyone should read this week. His framing; clubs are building on rented land. The passion goes onto platforms they do not own, and the relationship, the trust, the habit, the first-party data, ends up with whoever owns the platform. He is absolutely right, and I want to build on it, because the constructive half is where it gets exciting. The way you bring the relationship home is a value exchange. At the moment of real emotion, give the fan something they genuinely want, recognition, access, status, a voice, and they will step into a relationship you own. That opens a return path: a real conversation instead of a broadcast, inclusion instead of impressions. And here is the part that makes it sing. Those known, valued, fans do not just convert. They bring others. They share, they advocate, they carry you back across the very platforms you used to reach them, and they make every impression you buy worth more. Which is why this is never reach versus relationship, or platforms versus owned. Done well, everyone wins: rights owners own the relationship and the data, the platforms see more engaged activity and more valuable inventory, and brands get a named, measurable, genuinely engaged audience instead of a number. Turn rented reach into known, valued, passionate fans. 🔗 I have put a link to Michael's post in the first comment below 👇 #FanEngagement #SportsBiz #FirstPartyData

Sports Business Journal spotlights PS&E's major creative milestone: Jas Bell has been named global design & product director in a multiyear deal, bringing his culture‑shaping vision, from SZA to “Stranger Things,” to the Pacers and Fever. His work will drive limited‑edition capsules, global fan expression, and PS&E’s push to fuse sports and culture on a worldwide stage. 🔗 Read more: https://buff.ly/bSio85n

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has launched a new consumer-facing arm PLYRS UNTD that effectively replaces their previous Think450 business unit. The kickoff includes a "film" from Kendrick Lamar's creative agency narrated by Kyrie Irving that debuts at Cannes. The PA generated nearly $300 million in revenue during its 2024 fiscal year.