Fandom Unpacked

Can sports fandom solve the loneliness epidemic? Harvard professor and behavioral scientist Todd Rogers reveals how sports culture serves as critical social infrastructure to fight America’s connection recession.

In this episode of Fandom Unpacked, host Damian Bazadona sits down with Todd Rogers (Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School) to break down the research behind his Fandom and Social Connection Initiative. Discover why sports fandom is a scalable solution to isolation, how rivalries function as "cosplay conflict," and how live event brands and sports teams can drive massive business and social value by designing for human connection rather than just entertainment.

Subscribe, share this with a friend you watch with, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What fandom ritual keeps you connected?

Recorded Tuesday, October 6th, 2026
Host: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation
Guest: Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy, The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work

Op-Ed: We Surveyed 50,674 Americans. This Is What Brings Them Together: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/opinion/sports-team-identities.html

https://fandomandconnection.org/

Ahead of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, we revisit our conversation with Jonathan Linden, producer of the F1 Exhibition. Explore why fandom isn't always about comfortable, quiet consumption, and how leaning into the loud, visceral, and overwhelming rush of a crowd creates the irreplaceable thrill that live event fans chase.

Hear the full conversation with Jonathan in Season 1, Episode 3 of Fandom Unpacked: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/16825471-the-secret-to-building-and-engaging-a-global-fanbase-with-f1 

The moment someone walks through your venue's doors, you can feel it: they’re carrying expectations, nerves, excitement, and a very specific picture of how the night should go. We sit down with Ashley Voorhees, VP of Patron Services at Omaha Performing Arts, to talk about what happens when venues treat patron services as far more than ticketing and treat every touchpoint as part of the show.

We dig into the real mechanics of building loyalty in live events and performing arts: the “know before you go” communication that prevents a bad parking experience from souring a great performance, the power of active listening when a patron is frustrated, and why flexible policies often create more long-term value than rigid rules. Ashley shares how empowering staff with de-escalation training, coaching, and scenario practice turns customer service into confident, cross-department problem-solving.

We also explore accessibility as experience by design, including Omaha Performing Arts’ Sound Shirt testing and how inclusive planning affects everything from reservations and sizing to arrival logistics and promotion. Then we look forward: one-click buying patterns, 24/7 purchasing behavior, frictionless entry, and the privacy questions that come with emerging technology in arts and culture.

If you care about audience development, customer experience, accessibility, and the future of ticketing, hit play and take notes. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review telling us what detail venues still underestimate.

Recorded Friday, September 25th, 2026
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Ashley Voorhees, Vice President of Patron Services at Omaha Performing Arts
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work

September brings an industry-wide reset across Broadway, television, museums, and performing arts centers. But as PBS Vice President of Multiplatform Marketing and Content Amy Wigler points out, past loyalty and nostalgia are great hooks, but they can't be the final destination. Discover why launching a new season is all about taking that baseline emotional connection and redirecting it toward what your brand is doing today.

Hear the full conversation with Amy in Season 1, Episode 7 of Fandom Unpacked: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/16825707-turning-audiences-into-a-multigenerational-fanbase-at-pbs

A baseball season gives you 81 chances to get it right, and 81 chances to lose someone if you don’t. We sit down with Anthony Esposito, Senior Vice President of Ticket Operations for the Atlanta Braves, to unpack what actually creates lasting fandom when the calendar is packed and the expectations are high.

We start with what makes Braves fans distinct, including the long reach of the “TBS effect” and the way baseball becomes a family routine across generations. From there, Anthony shares how changes like the pitch clock and the new balls-and-strikes challenge reshape fan attention and even improve the in-venue flow, from bathroom breaks to concession timing. If you care about fan experience design, this is a rare look at how rules, rhythm, and predictability can strengthen engagement.

Then we go deeper on loyalty beyond the game itself: Truist Park as a destination, The Battery Atlanta as a live-work-play entertainment district, and the year-round relationship with A-list members through events, access, and intentional touchpoints. We also talk concerts, postseason ticketing whiplash, All-Star Week complexity, and the modern ticketing skill set that blends customer service with analytics, dynamic pricing, and clear reporting.

If you’re building a live experience brand in sports, music, theater, or attractions, you’ll leave with practical ideas on CRM-driven relationship building, “know before you go” communication, and the Braves’ simple “three bases of service.” Subscribe, share this with your team, and leave a review with the one touchpoint you’d improve first.

Recorded Tuesday, September 8th, 2026
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Anthony Esposito, SVP of Ticket Operations, Atlanta Braves
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work

What turns attendance into loyalty? In this episode of Fandom Unpacked: In Case You Missed It, Heather revisits a conversation with Mel Barry of the New Orleans Pelicans about the rituals, energy, and sense of place that keep fans coming back. Because when an experience starts to feel familiar, meaningful, and shared, showing up can start to feel a lot like coming home.

Hear the full conversation with Mel in Season 1, Episode 2 of Fandom Unpacked: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/16825422-converting-local-fans-into-lifelong-brand-advocates-with-the-new-orleans-pelicans

Ticketing works best when it disappears, and that’s exactly why we wanted this conversation. We’re joined by Andrew Bragman, VP of Ticket Operations for SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park, to unpack what it takes to deliver a seamless fan experience for everything from NFL crowds to global pop tours and World Cup matches. When tens of thousands of people show up with sky-high expectations, “just scanning a ticket” becomes a chain of tech, process, and human decisions that can either build trust or break it.

We talk about what fandom has in common across wildly different audiences, then get practical about where friction still lives today: the on-sale moment, the dreaded queue,  app download resistance, and the realities of mobile ticketing when phones break or lose power. Andrew shares how the best ticketing teams operate in the shadows, plus why strong SOPs and real contingency planning matter more than flashy features when something goes sideways.

We also explore what the next five years could look like, including biometrics, facial recognition for faster entry and concessions, and personalization that helps fans without crossing into “creepy.”

If you enjoy smart conversations about fan engagement, venue technology, and the future of ticketing operations, subscribe, share this with a friend in live events, and leave us a rating and review.

Recorded Friday, August 28th, 2026
Hosts: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation & Maureen Andersen, President & CEO, INTIX
Guest: Andrew Bragman, VP, Ticket Operations, SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theatre & Hollywood Park
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work

As the US Open returns to New York, we revisit our conversation with Nicole Kankam, Managing Director of Pro Tennis Marketing & Entertainment at the USTA. Nicole shares how the US Open's Fan Week has become a more accessible and diverse entry point to tennis, and how that experience is helping to build the next generation of players, attendees, and fans.

Hear the full conversation with Nicole in Season 1, Episode 14 of Fandom Unpacked:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17559771-serving-the-future-how-the-us-open-became-a-culture-first-sports-brand

With D23 2026 just days away, we revisit our conversation with Michael Vargo, Senior Vice President of D23, Corporate Events, and the Walt Disney Archives. Michael reflects on Mousequerade, D23’s fan costume competition, and what makes it such a powerful example of fans becoming active participants in the experience rather than just spectators.

Hear the full conversation with Michael Vargo in Season 1, Episode 12 of Fandom Unpacked:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/17321112-from-club-to-kingdom-the-power-of-the-disney-fanbase-with-d23

A period-instrument orchestra relocates to a working-class public school, teams up with student street dancers, and suddenly Bach becomes a sold-out, standing-ovation collaboration. That real story, “Breaking Bach,” is our jumping-off point for a bigger question: how do arts and culture organizations grow by shrinking the distance between the stage and the street?

We’re recording live at the 2026 Tessitura Learning and Community Conference near Washington, DC, with returning guest Andrew Recinos, President and CEO of Tessitura. We talk about what arts leaders are feeling right now: ongoing uncertainty, higher costs, and more careful consumer spending, plus the surprising optimism that shows up when creative teams commit to new ways of working. Andrew lays out why “community” can’t just be a department or a calendar of one-off events. When it becomes the mission, it changes fundraising, relevance, and the story people tell about who the arts are for.

We also revisit technology for live experiences: ticketing, customer service, and the temptation to automate away the very human moments that build loyalty. We get honest about AI ethics, bias, environmental impact, and what it means to innovate with integrity. We wrap up with a lightning round of 2027 growth opportunities, from immersive and interactive experiences to finding “shadow audiences,” measuring wellness benefits, and having the discipline to say no.

Subscribe for more conversations on fandom, audience engagement, and the future of live events, then share this with a colleague and leave a review. What’s one way your organization could reduce distance and build real belonging?

Recorded Tuesday, August 5th, 2026
Host: Peter Yagecic, Founder, A Mind at Work Consulting
Guest: Andrew Recinos, President and CEO, Tessitura
Lightning Round Guests: 
Fernando Masterson, Director of Marketing, New York City Center
Toni Garcia, Marketing Coordinator, The San Francisco Symphony
Brad Dunn, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Matt Zarracina, CEO & Co-Founder, True Tickets
Parker Krug, Director of Partner Development - Broadway, EBG
Jill Robinson, CEO & Owner, TRG Arts
Producer: Heather Gault, Event Operations Manager, Situation

https://situationinteractive.com
https://amindatworkconsulting.com
https://www.tessitura.com