How Do You Value a Fan?

When sports clubs focus on ticket sales, memberships, and merchandise, they risk missing something far more powerful—the emotional connections and lifelong loyalty that truly define fan value.

This raises a more fundamental question every club should consider:

How do we truly value a fan?

For too long, fan value has been measured primarily by direct revenue. But fandom is about far more than transactions. It’s about emotional connection, influence, audience value, and long-term brand impact.

Understanding Fan Value: Beyond Transactions

A fan’s full value can only be measured when considering financial, social, and emotional contributions. Through our work at metafan Pty Ltd profiling fan engagement and emotional connection, we’ve identified four core fan types, each representing a unique relationship with the club:

• Spectator: Rarely engages with the club. Occasionally watches a match with minimal emotional connection and is unlikely to hold a membership.

• Follower: Emotionally connected but with limited direct revenue contributions. Often watches games on TV, owns some merchandise, may go to the occasional game, and stays connected through media but rarely contributes much financially.

• Supporter: A paid member who attends some games, contributes financially, and identifies with the club but engages on their terms.

• Fanatic: The heartbeat of the club. Membership isn’t optional—it’s a core part of their identity. Fanatics plan their lives around the team’s schedule, attend regularly, buy merchandise, and are deeply emotionally connected.

Knowing where a fan sits on the loyalty spectrum—and their potential to be moved up the ladder—is critical for building engagement strategies and forecasting membership growth.

Is Revenue the Best Measure of a Fan?

If clubs measure fan value only by direct revenue, they risk overlooking significant contributors to long-term success.

Consider this:

Is the Follower who has supported the club for decades, barracking from home, loyally watching nearly every game on TV, and passionately defending the club in online forums—yet never holding a membership—less important than a Supporter who’s been a paid member for just two years, attended a few games, and only occasionally watches on TV?

This question matters because it shapes how clubs engage their audiences. If we measure fan value only by direct revenue, we risk overlooking the audience value of those who still watch, cheer, and emotionally invest in the club—often driving media ratings, sponsorship value, community influence, and lifelong brand loyalty.

Some clubs will reference the often repeated phrase:

“If you haven’t bought a membership or season ticket, you’re just a barracker, not a supporter.”

But is that truly fair? Or does it reduce fandom to a financial transaction, instead of recognising the emotional connection, loyalty, and advocacy fans bring?

A Different Way to Think About Fan Value

We’ve already established that small actions can create massive ripple effects. An emotionally connected fan can inspire others, creating generational loyalty that can far outweigh the direct revenue of some members.

The Fanatic who renews a premium membership every year is undoubtedly valuable. But so is the Follower who inspires their children to support the club, introducing new generations to the sport.

True fan engagement requires understanding both who the fan is and why they are a fan. This is where segmentation becomes and invaluable tool.  But clubs also need to understand where a fan sits on the loyalty spectrum so they can nurture their connection, not just their spend.

This was the core message of The Missed Opportunity; membership isn’t about the transactions—it’s about the relationship.

A Broader Framework for Fan Value

True fan value extends beyond direct financial contributions. Our analysis of fans from working with clubs shows that clubs should consider:

• Audience Value: Fans who drive broadcast ratings, follow club news, and amplify the club’s reach.

• Community Influence: Passionate fans who introduce new supporters, share stories, and influence others online.

• Legacy Loyalty: Long-term supporters with deep emotional ties, even if their financial contributions vary.

• Transactional Value: Membership fees, ticket sales, merchandise purchases, and event participation.

Each of these measures provides actionable insights that clubs can use to calculate fan value more holistically.

The Seven Value Tiers: A Model for Measuring Fan Value

To help clubs understand fan value more comprehensively, we’ve developed a seven-tier framework based on both emotional engagement and financial behaviour. This model provides a more holistic way to assess a fan’s contribution and measure the fanbase as an audience:

1. Indifferent Fans: Minimal engagement, contributing only through indirect media exposure.

2. Eyeballs: Passive viewers who watch games through broadcast platforms, indirectly driving sponsorship and advertising revenue.

3. Followers: Emotionally connected but with limited direct revenue. They follow closely via media but rarely attend games.

4. Members: Financially committed fans who hold memberships and contribute through game attendance.

5. Collectors: Strong emotional ties, purchasing club memorabilia and actively showcasing their support.

6. Attachers: Engaged in fan experiences—attending family days, community events, and meet-and-greet campaigns.

7. Advocates: The pinnacle of fandom. Their emotional and financial investment is profound, and they often influence new supporters while amplifying the club’s reach .

These tiers build progressively, like a pyramid, with Indifferent Fans at the base and Advocates at the pinnacle, reflecting increasing emotional connection and financial impact.

Why a Broader Definition of Fan Value Matters

If sports clubs focus only on direct revenue, they risk undervaluing their most passionate supporters—those who amplify the brand, promote the club’s culture, and sustain long-term interest.

A more holistic approach, , that utilises segmentation, passion and fan value metrics, helps clubs:

• Recognise Emotional Loyalty: Identify fans with deep emotional ties, even if they aren’t the highest spenders.

• Identify Untapped Segments: Find fans with the potential for deeper engagement who could be converted into higher-value supporters.

• Design Targeted Strategies: Customize experiences for different fan types, from Spectators to Fanatics.

From Data to Deeper Connection

So, when is a fan not a fan?

A fan stops being a fan when they are treated as nothing more than a transaction rather than a valued part of the club’s identity, audience, and community.

By embracing segmentation models like the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) and tools such as the Fan Passion Score®, sports clubs can:

• Understand their fanbase with greater depth.

• Create targeted engagement strategies that reflect different fan journeys.

• Transform casual spectators into lifelong, passionate supporters.

Because fandom, at its core, is about far more than revenue—it’s about belonging, emotional connection, and the stories fans carry for life.

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