Sports fans today are digital-first consumers. According to Deloitte’s 2023 Sports Fan Insights report, most fans and nearly all Gen Z fans engage with their favorite teams via mobile devices—scrolling through social media, watching highlights, and interacting with content in various ways.
So as long as our marketing manager posts 3 times a week on third-party platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), we are doing all it takes to succeed digitally, right?
Wrong—this reliance on social media presents a major problem: limited control over reach, engagement, and revenue.
Organic reach on social platforms continues to decline, with studies showing that posts reach only less than 10% of total followers unless boosted with paid ads (Social Media in Sports Report, 2024). Additionally, clubs do not own the data of their social media followers—these platforms do. This makes it difficult to monetize their engagement effectively.
Top sports organizations are moving toward club-branded apps to take back control. With a dedicated app, teams can:
Gamification isn’t just a trend—it’s a proven business strategy used successfully in multiple industries. Sports teams can look at these sectors to understand why club-branded apps with interactive elements are the future.
Retail: Starbucks Rewards Program
Starbucks turned routine coffee purchases into an addictive game with its mobile-based loyalty program. Customers earn "Stars" for purchases, unlock tiered rewards, and complete challenges for bonus points.
The impact: 34.3 million active U.S. members (up 13% YoY), with Rewards members contributing 57% of U.S. store sales. Gamification not only boosted spending but also fueled Starbucks' record $35.9 billion revenue in 2023, proving that rewarding engagement builds long-term customer loyalty.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Snoonu, Qatar-based food delivery app, launched an in-app game where users could collect 32 country flag badges (each earned by ordering from a restaurant corresponding to that country’s cuisine). Customers who managed to collect all flags entered a lottery.
These gamification elements – collectible achievements, visible progress bars, and enticing prizes for completion – turned one-time transactions into an ongoing, playful experience.
The impact: A 30% increase in order frequency and a 40% revenue boost, with a 10% rise in average order value. This is a remarkable growth in a short time frame, directly attributable to the gamified strategy.
Now the epitome of gamification, Duolingo transformed language learning into a competitive game with streaks, leaderboards, and achievement badges.
The impact: Daily active users surged to 19 million, retention skyrocketed (55% of new users return the next day), and revenue soared from $13M in 2017 to $161M in 2020.
Gamification made learning addictive, showing that even traditionally difficult tasks can drive user retention and monetization when designed as an engaging experience.
Marvel Stadium (Melbourne, Australia) used gamification to engage tens of thousands of fans during a high-profile exhibition basketball game. At halftime, they launched a live mobile trivia contest called “Are You The Biggest Basketball Fan?” where spectators could compete for prizes.
Key gamification features included a real-time challenge accessible to all attendees, a leaderboard of top scores, and real-world rewards (signed team merchandise and free event passes for winners).
The impact:
For sports clubs, owning the fan relationship is essential for sustained growth and revenue. Relying solely on social media means missing out on direct engagement, monetization opportunities, and valuable fan data.
A club-branded app with gamification provides the ideal solution by offering:
Launching an official app doesn’t have to be complex. The key is to focus on engagement-driven features, such as:
Clubs that embrace this strategy now will have a competitive advantage. Don’t wait—start building your digital fanbase today.
And here at Useaward we’ve made it really simple for you to launch a gamified fan platform—no technical expertise needed.
Book a demo with UseAward today and take your fan engagement to the next level!
