The Evolution of Fandom

Most sports organizations built their fan strategy around the people in the building. The audience that follows the team on social, watches on broadcast, and never buys a ticket is far larger, and most teams barely know who those fans are.

In this episode of The Evolution of Fandom, Kyle and Miheer dig into the gap. They talk about ghost fans, why fan interactivity is different now, where OTT experiences stopped short, and what AI actually changes for teams, leagues, and the sponsors who fund them. They also take a clear-eyed look at what's overhyped, and where to invest over the next five to ten years.

What you'll learn:

• Why "ghost fans" (also called invisible fans) are the biggest untapped audience in sports, and why teams need to know them
• What changed about fan interactivity, and why owned platforms matter more than rented social channels
• What first-generation OTT experiences missed when they put TV on mobile without adding interactivity and community
• How AI can orchestrate the workflows that run in silos today, from broadcast and push notifications to social and loyalty
• How personalization opens new sponsorship inventory, including emotion-based and contextual campaigns
• What to fix first: tech stack integration, identity, and unified first-party fan data

Please note that the views and opinions expressed by the individuals herein are their own and do not reflect any official policy or position of Comcast. These views and opinions are provided for illustrative purposes only, and Comcast makes no warranties, whether expressed, implied or statutory, regarding or relating to the accuracy of such statements.

Loyalty used to mean a punch card. Now it means knowing exactly who your fans are, what they care about, and how to keep earning their attention, not just their next purchase.

In Episode 4 of The Evolution of Fandom, Comcast Technology Solutions' Kyle Eichman sits down with Oli Shawyer, VP of Marketing and Growth at Komo, for the series' first international conversation. Together they unpack why transactional loyalty programs train fans to wait for the next deal, why participation has become the real engine of first-party data, and why the oldest debate in sports marketing, retention versus acquisition, has been asking the wrong question all along.

What you'll learn:

• Why the shift from transactional loyalty to participatory engagement is reshaping how rights holders build relationships with fans
• How first-party and zero-party data, collected through participation, is replacing the databases that "went quiet"
• Why discount-driven programs are an acquisition problem in disguise, and what to do instead
• How to earn attention from Gen Z and younger fans who discover sport through creators and short-form video, not broadcasts
• Why retention and acquisition were never rivals, and what that means for measuring fan value
• What a "diehard fan who never attends a game" reveals about the limits of traditional fan scoring
• How fandom differs, and doesn't, across the U.S., U.K., and Australia

Please note that the views and opinions expressed by the individuals herein are their own and do not reflect any official policy or position of Comcast. These views and opinions are provided for illustrative purposes only, and Comcast makes no warranties, whether expressed, implied or statutory, regarding or relating to the accuracy of such statements.

As fan expectations continue to evolve, teams, leagues, and venue operators must rethink how content is delivered before, during, and after live events. Learn how emerging technologies are helping organizations create more immersive experiences while strengthening fan relationships and unlocking valuable audience insights.

In Episode 3 of The Evolution of Fandom, host Kyle Eichman sits down with Greg Bobolo, Founder and CEO of SEVN, to explore how in-venue streaming is transforming fan engagement through personalized content, instant highlights, direct-to-fan experiences, and new monetization opportunities.

The way fans connect with sports is changing fast. Passive viewing is giving way to personalized, always-on engagement powered by data, AI, and new content formats. 

In Episode 2 of The Evolution of Fandom, Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) explores how sports organizations are using AI-driven audio and real-time data to create deeper, more valuable fan relationships, while unlocking new monetization opportunities across digital channels.

Subscribe to the podcast series to get first access and stay ahead of what's next in fan engagement.

Social media has fundamentally changed how fans discover, consume, and interact with sports; yet many teams and leagues still treat it like a broadcast channel instead of a relationship-driven ecosystem. 

In Episode 1 of The Evolution of Fandom, Kyle Eichman sits down with Ekkobar CEO and co-founder Rhys Ryan to explore how the role of social media is evolving and why the real opportunity isn’t in more content, but in understanding the conversation.

As fan behavior shifts and digital noise grows louder, this episode breaks down how organizations can cut through that noise, uncover authentic fan signals, and turn insight into smarter engagement, stronger strategy, and real business impact.

Subscribe to the podcast series to get first access and stay ahead of what’s next in fan engagement.

Read the companion blog.