👹Manchester United ramps up its Fan Engagement strategy and Fan AI feature

👋 Welcome to fan:pulse: Industry Updates! Each week, we bring you the latest news in sports fan engagement, plus a spotlight on one AI tool shaping the future of sports fandom. Let’s decode the trends and tech shaping tomorrow’s sports experience.

FOOTBALL

Manchester United's 2025/26 Fan Engagement Plan: A New Era of Supporter Involvement

Manchester United has unveiled its 2025/26 Fan Engagement Plan, focusing on deepening connections with supporters through enhanced dialogue, loyalty rewards, global community growth, and inclusive representation. This comprehensive strategy aims to make fans integral to the club's evolution, both digitally and physically.

🎯 Why It Matters

For sports marketers, sponsors, and rights holders, this plan offers a blueprint for modern fan engagement. By prioritizing transparency, inclusivity, and personalized experiences, Manchester United is setting a new standard for how clubs can build lasting relationships with their global fanbase.

📊 The Breakdown – Key Points

✅Enhanced Dialogue: Increased consultation with fan groups via the Fans' Advisory Board and Fans’ Forum to influence decisions on matchday experiences and stadium redevelopment.
✅Loyalty Rewards: Continued outreach to over 330 official fan clubs in 92 countries, offering exclusive experiences to recognize and reward dedicated supporters.
✅Global Community Growth: Initiatives to connect with worldwide fans through digital interactions, virtual access, and grassroots events tailored to diverse communities.
✅Inclusive Representation: Appointment of a Nominated Board Level Official for fan engagement and recruitment of new representatives to the Fans’ Forum, ensuring diverse supporter voices are heard.
✅Stadium Redevelopment Influence: Fans will be consulted at each stage of the proposed new 100,000-seater stadium and surrounding regeneration project, ensuring their preferences shape the future of Old Trafford.

🏆 Key Takeaways

✅Fan-Centric Strategy: Prioritize open communication and active listening to create a more inclusive and responsive fan experience.
✅Global Engagement: Recognize the importance of connecting with supporters worldwide through tailored digital and physical initiatives.
✅Inclusive Decision-Making: Ensure diverse fan representation in strategic decisions, from matchday operations to stadium developments.
✅Long-Term Relationships: Focus on building lasting loyalty by rewarding fans and involving them in the club's journey.

FOOTBALL

Football Fans Demand More Than Goals

📝 Brief Description

Brand Finance’s research reveals deep fan engagement across Europe’s top football leagues—not just through matchday, but via digital content, products, and social connection.

💡 Why It Matters

For sports brands and clubs, understanding what drives engagement can shape marketing, sponsorships, and monetization—whether it’s via digital content, social strategies, or merchandise.

📊 The Breakdown – Key Points

✅83% of Premier League and 84% of Bundesliga fans watched matches on TV.
✅Across Europe, 60% watched behind-the-scenes content; 41% bought merchandise; 48% placed a bet.
✅In emerging markets (UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, China), >66% follow EPL clubs on social media—Western Europe sits at 48%.
✅Clubs tailor engagement regionally—some double down on digital, others on local matchday.

🏆 Key Takeaways

✅Diversify content: fans want insider access beyond the final whistle.
✅Merch & betting: core parts of the fan economy.
✅Regional strategies win: social-first in emerging markets, experiential in mature ones.
✅Expand footprint: create communities that live beyond TV broadcasts.

SPONSORSHIP

FanAI

🧾What FAN AI does & its USP

FanAI is a sports marketing and sponsorship attribution platform that helps brands measure the direct sales impact of sponsorship investments, rather than just raising awareness. It leverages proprietary technology and integrates ticketing, merchandise, and audience exposure data alongside customer purchase behavior to show how sponsorship spend drives actual revenue.

🌟 Product Explained in 5 Bullet Points

✅Causal Attribution Platform – Measures how sponsorship investments directly impact sales, not just visibility.
✅Multi-source Data Integration – Merges proprietary purchase streams with audience data like social media, ticket sales, and exposures.
✅Optimization Guidance – Identifies what's working and what isn't, and recommends how to allocate sponsorship budgets more effectively.
✅Segmented Programmatic Targeting – Enables brands to reach specific fan groups, including by athlete or region, using custom audience segments.
✅Performance-Driven Dashboards – Provides actionable insights and visual tracking to help fine-tune marketing strategies.

🚀 Features & Functionality

✅ROI-centric measurement: Links marketing spend to customer purchases, not just visibility metrics.

✅Holistic data fusion: Combines behavioral, exposure, and sales data from multiple sources for richer insights.

✅Future-proof tracking: Utilizes cookie-free causal attribution to maintain accuracy amid evolving privacy landscapes.

✅Custom audience segmentation: Supports programmatic targeting of fans by personality or region.

✅Strategic decision support: Offers metrics and recommendations to refine sponsorship spend toward sales growth.FanAI - Sponsorship Attribution

🧍 Management Team

Johannes Waldstein — Founder & CEO
Dieter Neujahr — Co-Founder & COO
David Bachowski — CTO
Jeff Katz — Chief Product & Strategy Officer
Adam Holt — SVP of Sales

This leadership team brings experience from major players like Google, Facebook, and dunnhumby, with diverse backgrounds spanning quantum physics, marketing, consulting, and technology.

📊 Case Study Highlights

PepsiCo & OMD

FanAI helped PepsiCo measure sponsorships’ retail impact and benchmark North American team partnerships, aiming for 20% or more savings and integrating revenue-based guarantees.FanAI - Sponsorship Attribution

Adam Holt (FanAI) highlighted the industry's shift toward attribution:

Programmatic Segmentation Launch

🧠 Why It Matters for Sports Marketers & Sponsors

✅Performance accountability: Offers clear ROI tracking for partnerships instead of vague awareness metrics.
✅Optimized spend strategy: Empowers smarter allocation of sponsorship budgets based on what truly drives sales.
✅Competitive edge: Brands like PepsiCo achieve cost savings and performance guarantees via measurable sponsorships.
✅Precision targeting: Segmented audience capabilities enable more focused, efficient campaigns.