The Fan Engagement Podcast

#4 Rob Johnson, The Hundred: A disruptive engagement strategy to attract new audiences to watch cricket

Rob Johnson is Head of Digital and Content at The Hundred, a professional 100-ball franchise tournament run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
The Hundred launched in 2021, with a revitalised format and disruptive strategy to attract new audiences to watch cricket, including female fans and Gen Z’ers – and it’s been a mega success.
But how, in just two seasons, did the league attract 4.9 million fans to watch women's cricket, achieve record-breaking TV viewing fixtures and in 2022 draw 500k fans into stadiums across the UK?
In episode four of The Fan Engagement Podcast, you’ll learn:
01:12-03:40: Why the ECB needed to launch a new, disruptive product
03:41-05:26: How The Hundred attracted over 500k fans into stadiums last year
07:14-08:47: What The Hundred has learned about its audience since 2021
09:05-12:41: How The Hundred achieved record-breaking viewing figures
12:42-15:23: Why the new 100-ball format is the biggest innovation in cricket this decade
15:24-17:30: How The Hundred has attracted new FMCG sponsors like KP Snacks and Robinson’s
17:31-18:48: How The Hundred is building on ownable database of fans

#3 Aidan Lyons, Williams Racing – The race to monetize F1 fans after Drive to Survive

Aidan Lyons is Chief Growth Officer at Williams Racing, one of the most successful and prestigious Formula 1 teams in the history of the sport. Founded by Frank Williams in the 1970s, Williams Racing boasts over 391 million global fans. Aidan joined the F1 team in 2021 following a decade at the NFL, responsible for revitalizing Williams Racing’s fan engagement strategy hot on the heels of series one of Netflix’s Drive to Survive. But how is Williams Racing capitalizing on sport’s exciting international growth?
 
In episode three of The Fan Engagement Podcast, we uncover:
04:03 - 06:37 How Aidan and his team unlocked 300% social media growth in two years
06:38 - 07:29 The power of interactive O&O content for fan monetisation
10:08 - 12:14 How Williams Racing captured new U.S. audiences after Drive to Survive
12:15 - 14:12 Why the F1 team created exclusive behind-the-scenes content to engage fans
14:13 - 15:35 Williams Racing’s unique approach to physical fan activations
16:57 - 19:11 The best digital channels for engaging and monetising fans at scale
19:12 – 20:32 The secrets to more meaningful, measurable sponsor activations

#2 Grant Cohen, Fan Controlled Sports – What happens to engagement when fans take control?

Grant Cohen is the co-founder of Fan Controlled Sports + Entertainment. He runs a fast-growing portfolio of interactive sports leagues that allow fans to vote on everything from team names to jerseys and play-by-play tactics.
Fan Controlled Football is broadcast to millions of live viewers around-the-world on Twitch, NBCLX, DAZN and FuboTV. Meanwhile, Cohen and his team recently launched Fan Controlled Hoops and secured $40M Series A funding, with high-profile team owners including NFL stars Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman and Austin Ekeler.
In episode two of The Fan Engagement Podcast, we explore:
The impact on engagement when fans have a meaningful voice
A new model for attracting and retaining Gen Z fans
How Fan Controlled Football grew its online audience
Plus much more!

#1 New York Jets’ Jeff Fernandez – Building personalized 1:1 relationships with NFL fans

Jeff Fernandez is Vice President, Business Development + Ventures at the New York Jets.
For 20 years, Jeff has helped the Jets to drive audience growth, innovation and commercial value. He previously worked for the Buffalo Bills.
In the first episode of The Fan Engagement Podcast, award-winning host Megan Cain speaks to Jeff to uncover:
How the Jets grew its first-party database by 1000% in four years
The strategies Jeff and his team utilize to drive UK market growth
The difference in fandom when the Jets win and lose
Plus much more!