Major League Baseball: Adapt to Today’s Fan or Die!
Baseball has a major problem, and it’s not whether the team wins or loses.
Team owners want a championship team, but not winning the World Series is not the problem with their business.
The biggest challenge baseball faces today is adapting their business to meet the wants and needs of a new kind of baseball fan.
Most ballparks are still trying to cater to an old school mentality, when the reality is, today’s baseball fans want a new, exciting experience.
Stadiums who wait too long to revive their fan experience will suffer – fans won’t come to games, sponsors will lose interest if it’s not lucrative, and the franchise’s revenue will simply die.
Yes, wining on the field is important. However, creating an experience is a bigger priority when it comes to the business of baseball.
Think about the world we live in currently…
Everything is instant. We don’t have to wait for much. Want to watch your favorite TV Show? Easily binge an entire season in a weekend … there’s no more waiting for Monday night to catch the next episode. It’s given to you all at once.
Too hot outside to sit in the sun at the stadium? We can easily stream our favorite team on our phones or from the comfort of our living room AND have our food delivered to our door, which you can be certain will be better than a steamed hot dog.
Have you been to an MLB game lately? There’s almost no incentive to go to the stadium. They are long, boring (unless there’s an amazing double play or your favorite player hits a home run) and severely lack entertainment. The last time I went to a ballgame was back in July. Now, being a Hospitality Consultant, it’s damn near impossible for me to turn off my fan experience radar. As I observed what people were doing, the majority were not engaged in the game. Instead, they were more interested in TikTok videos on their cell phone than enjoying the game.
Why is that?
It’s simple. Social media is used as a form of entertainment and its accessible anytime, anyplace. And where there is no other entertainment available, people can access whatever they want whenever they want.
And to make matters worse, when walking through the concourse to find food, guests were not enjoying social spaces or exploring what the stadium had to offer in terms of entertainment – because there was none!
The secret to building a stronger baseball business lies within the fan experience and keeping fans engaged and entertained throughout nine long innings.
Unfortunately, today’s MLB experience is outdated, and teams are falling short when it comes to creating destinations that fans truly enjoy.
In all sports today, not just baseball, the concepts that work are those that emphasize getting fans out of their seats and engaged in a variety of fan-centric options throughout the stadium. When fans are engaged throughout the stadium, it drives sales and revenue, but to create that revenue they need to feel a sense of FOMO.
There needs to be a shiny new toy at every corner that they MUST experience.
How do we do it?
Get creative! It starts with bigger ideas.
I'm about to share some inside baseball on ways to deliver a grand-slam hospitality experience! (pardon the pun)
I have personally implemented these concepts with my clients and they have proven to be great revenue drivers when they become part of the in-stadium experience culture.
-Teams need to attract younger families to the ballpark and foster a new generation of fans by giving them family-friendly destinations. Parents struggle to bring young kids out to a game when they are forced to sit still in uncomfortable seats for hours at a time. We need to give them activities and fun family-friendly entertainment that keep parents happy and kids busy.
-Teams need to provide more social spaces and party decks with brand specific amenities that reflect the uniqueness of each ballpark and city.
-Teams need to build affordable, all-inclusive ticket packages up front and include things like parking, food, entertainment, etc. People want a deal, and the right deal may be the difference between selling tickets or not. With prices at an all-time high, you better believe they will either be looking for better ticket prices through a third-party app, so why not offer more attractive packages? That way you get the direct sale AND get to build a lasting relationship.
Perhaps giving them multi-game incentives is an option. After all, it works well for theme parks and gets people to come back for more fun.
-Your diehard fans are getting bored and begging for a change. Give them an exclusive area that they feel belongs to them and rewards their fan loyalty.
-It’s time for new traditions! Everyone appreciates the seventh inning stretch, hotdogs, and peanuts, but it’s not enough. The smart teams know that food and beverage are key revenue drivers. We can upgrade F&B offerings to add excitement and increase fan satisfaction. When the food is amazing, people will spend more money.
In between innings is a perfect time for entertainment and get people on their feet! There’s more we can do beyond the “Kiss Cam” and T-shirt toss.
We must give them the unexpected and get them moving around the stadium to experience something new.
I like to think about it like a cruise ship. Guests are being entertained for several days at a time – it’s the food, drinks, shows, activities, destinations, pools, etc. It’s an all-encompassing, engaging experience.
In the case of baseball, we are entertaining fans for two and a half hours, or longer depending on how those nine innings go. Who is your cruise director? Who is the person that’s going to give fans that something extra to make the day memorable?
And remember – it’s not just about that one game … we need to make people comfortable and excited to be at the ballpark because that’s how we create repeat customers and loyalty.
And getting fans in the stadium is what equates to revenue.
With revenue, sponsors are happier and signing bigger deals, the staff is more excited to work, products are better, and you have a place that people can’t wait to go to.
If you’re not doing all the above, or things are not going as well as you expect, then bringing in an advisor or consultant is your next move. When you work with me, for example, it’s my job to protect your interest, think outside the box, and manage the details. I hold your “cruise director” accountable to doing the absolute best job possible at delivering an incredible fan experience so that fans are happy, sponsors are happy, and you make more money.
To your success,
Luis Rivera, Founder, First Star Solutions
Let's work together to upgrade your hospitality experience!
