Weekly Newsletter 6/7
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INNOVATION IN ACTION
THROWING OUT THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF BASEBALL
America's pastime is often synonymous with tradition and folklore. The Savannah Bananas are reinventing the game of baseball in the field of play and the experience at the ballpark. They've brought TikTok dances to the batter's box and the mound, created their own fast-paced brand of play called 'Banana Ball,' and are actively encouraging fan participation in the game. The team's TikTok account has over 2.5 million followers, which is more than the NY Yankees and NY Mets combined. They have sold out every home game of their 4,000-seat stadium since the team was founded in 2016, and they are the reigning 2021 Coastal Plain League Champions. This type of dedication to the fan experience and the power of social media starts at the top of the organization. Jesse Cole is the owner of the Savannah Bananas and author of “Fans First: Change the Game, Break the Rules, and Create an Unforgettable Experience.” Sports can be steeped in tradition, but that doesn't mean you can't innovate for the future.
Sports Innovation Lab Events
EVERYONE'S FAVORITE SPORTS PODCAST HAS RETURNED!
The Fluid Fan Podcast is BACK! Sports Innovation Lab's Head of Innovation, Abe Stein, joins the show to give a deep dive into our latest piece of research The Top 25 Most Innovative Teams in the World 2022 Report. Learn about the methodology and the data collection behind the ranking, who scored the highest, and why. Find out how the market will need to continue to innovate through Revenue Diversification, Technology Enablement, and Organizational Agility. Catch all that and more when you tune in on iTunes or Spotify.
The Fan Project Spotlight
ANOTHER VIEWERSHIP RECORD SHATTERED
Women’s college sports viewership continues to grow with the latest milestone coming in lacrosse. The NCAA Championship Game between the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Boston College garnered more viewers than any other women’s college lacrosse game in history. An average of 428,000 viewers watched the UNC Tar Heels take home the title, according to ESPN PR. Viewership peaked at 590,000. Less than 24 hours later, ESPN announced that Saturday’s softball game between Texas and Arizona set a record of its own. The game boasted an average of more than 1 million viewers, which is more than any other regional or Super Regional in ESPN history. To paraphrase Field of Dreams, "If you air it, they will watch it."