Modern Fan Engagement: How Young Sports Leagues Build Online Communities
By Dylan Fister
Donald De La Haye (#13) of the San Antonio Brahmas, lines up for a field goal attempt
In today’s rapidly evolving sports landscape, new and emerging leagues, such as the United Football League and unique organizations like the Savannah Bananas, face significant challenges in establishing themselves alongside dominant professional leagues Building sustainable and engaged online communities has become increasingly important as both the sports and technological worlds continue to flourish and advance. As new sports leagues rise and fall with fluctuations in popularity, strong digital networks can give up and coming organizations long-term success with target audience marketing, engaging social campaigns, and fostering prolonged trust with a loyal community online.
The Importance of Local and Targeted Marketing in Sports
For emerging sports leagues, success depends on their ability to find and engage the right audiences. In sports, the target market is particularly crucial, as marketing to individuals who aren’t already fans or potential fans of the team or league is an inefficient use of resources. Leagues would consider factors such as geographical location and age group when planning a campaign. A targeted approach in these areas will ensure that marketing efforts are efficient and impactful. Regional specific marketing holds a unique importance for fostering fan engagement, with professional teams in leagues such as the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA typically dominating the TV and mass media marketing in their respective regions. Given the importance of marketing to the team in their own geographic location, it is crucial for up-and-coming sports leagues to find a way to accomplish this style of marketing online.
Leagues must tailor their marketing strategies to the various ways different generations consume digital content. While younger age groups including Gen Z and Millennials engage mostly through TikTok and Instagram, older generations such as Gen X and Boomers are more active on Facebook and YouTube. By leveraging platform-specific strategies, emerging sports leagues can maximize their reach and engagement across diverse demographics. A well-executed digital marketing plan will help emerging leagues carve out a loyal fan base, and secure long-term success.
Case Study: The UFL’s Strategy to Build a Fanbase
Once a sports league identifies its target audience, it must create compelling content that strengthens its brand and highlights the unique factors that set it apart. A great case study of a young league leveraging strong digital campaigns to build a fanbase comes from the United Football League. The UFL's inaugural season in March 2024 presented challenges common to new sports leagues, including establishing brand recognition and attracting a dedicated fan base. However, the league's strategic use of digital platforms through content creation played a pivotal role in taking positive steps forward as an organization.
One key element of the UFL’s digital marketing strategy involved a player by the name of Donald De La Haye, a popular YouTuber and social media influencer, who helped the UFL attract a young audience. De La Haye, known most notably for his stage name “Deestroying,” jump started his internet success as a student athlete, kicking for the University of Central Florida Football team, where he documented his daily life and the journey to try and make a professional team. After De La Haye was given his shot with the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL, the league was sure to leverage his pre-existing audience. The UFL was able to generate excitement for the league through strong campaigns featuring De La Haye, giving fans behind-the-scenes access to his experience, something many viewers already enjoyed seeing on his channel. By featuring specifically his involvement in UFL events, the league started to build a loyal community by building on Destroying's already engaged audience. This influencer-athlete hybrid marketing strategy demonstrated how a growing league was able to attract engaged fans without relying on traditional media.
The Savannah Bananas: Turning Viral Fame into Lasting Success
Building a loyal online community requires more than just attracting user’s attention with a good product. Achieving the level of trust and consistency in online communities it takes to be a sustainable professional sports league requires prolonged activity and engagement from the organization. The Savannah Bananas provide another excellent example of how a sports organization can build a thriving online community through creative digital engagement.
The Savannah Bananas, unlike traditional baseball teams, have attempted to build an enterprise by redefining a sport that is already one of the most popular in the world. The group is comparable to The Harlem Globetrotters, but they play their own version of baseball. First going viral on TikTok and Instagram reels, The Savannah Bananas have achieved most of their success through a strong social media presence. By highlighting their unique rulebook, play-style, and fan-driven atmosphere over almost a full decade, the company has built long-term trust and loyalty with long term, continuous fan engagement. This league’s level of consistency has established it as a sustainable and recognizable brand in the sports world.
The Future is Digital
Digital engagement determines the success of emerging sports leagues in today’s digital world. The United Football League and the Savannah Bananas have shown how a strong online presence, targeted marketing strategies, and consistent fan interaction build a loyal audience and sustain long-term growth. While still young and growing, these leagues have stayed relevant despite competing with dominant professional organizations by leveraging social content, and maintaining engagement in the digital age.