There was a time when sports marketing was simple. Buy signage in the stadium, run a TV spot during the game, maybe sponsor the pregame show. Done.

That’s not how sports works anymore. And it’s definitely not how fandom works anymore. Today, sports fandom is constant, borderless, social, and creator-driven. And for brands, that’s not a challenge. It’s an opportunity. 

In a recent conversation with former NFL running back and WFAN host Tiki Barber and Genesco Sports COO Kit Geis, we talked about the business of sports fandom — how fans behave today, how brands are showing up differently, and where sports marketing is heading next.

Here are a few of the biggest takeaways from the conversation on the business of sports fandom.

One of the biggest changes in sports fandom is access. Fans don’t just watch games; they follow players, analysts, debates, highlights, podcasts, and social content all week long.

As Tiki Barber put it during the discussion, “You can find out the score anywhere. What you really want is the discussion about why or how it happened.”

That’s where audio plays a powerful role. Sports talk radio and podcasts aren’t just recapping games; they’re explaining why things happened, debating decisions, and becoming part of fans’ daily routines. The conversation around the game has become just as important as the game itself.

For brands, that means the opportunity isn’t just on game day. It’s every day in between.

For years, sponsorship was about awareness — logos on the outfield wall, signage in the arena, commercials during the broadcast. Now the focus is fan engagement.

As Kit Geis explained, the goal has moved from static awareness to active participation: “The shift is from that passive visibility to really active experiences — amplified by media.”

Brands are building fan experiences, fly-away contests, digital challenges, social content, and real-world activations that are amplified through media. The goal isn’t just to be seen. It’s to be part of the fan experience.

As Geis explained, the most successful campaigns today combine live experiences, trusted voices, social content, media amplification, athlete or creator partnerships, and data capture for ongoing engagement.

In other words, sports marketing has become an ecosystem, not a media buy.

This came up over and over again in the conversation: host or athlete partnerships only work when they’re authentic.

Fans can tell immediately when an endorsement is scripted versus real. But when an athlete or host genuinely uses and believes in a product, it works, and it works really well. 

That’s why brands are now evaluating athletes and creators not just by fame, but by social engagement, audience fit, brand alignment, personality, and authenticity. 

The best partnerships today don’t feel like advertising. They feel like recommendations.

One of the more interesting moments in the conversation came when Tiki talked about his kids and how they consume sports. They don’t just watch games. They create content about sports. They post reactions, highlights, commentary, and opinions. They want to go viral. They want to be part of the conversation.

In many ways, today’s fans aren’t just fans anymore — they’re creators. That matters for brands because it means fans are now helping distribute sports content and brand moments themselves. A branded moment, a celebration, a product, or a partnership can spread because fans share it, not just because a brand promotes it.

For Gen Z in particular, sports isn’t just something you watch. It’s something you participate in, talk about, post about, and build identity around. To win with this generation, brands need to shift from simply broadcasting a message to actively equipping fans with shareable moments and the tools to create.

One of the most interesting shifts in sports is geography. Fans still care deeply about their local teams — maybe more than ever. But at the same time, sports leagues, teams, and brands are thinking globally.

The NFL is playing international games. European soccer is exploding in the U.S. And global fan bases are forming through social and streaming. Fandom is no longer limited by where you live. You can be a Yankee fan in Texas, a Liverpool fan in New Jersey, or an Eagles fan in Europe.

For brands, this changes how partnerships are built. Campaigns now need to work locally, nationally, and globally at the same time.

When asked where brands should be paying more attention, a few areas stood out:

These are all growing audiences with highly engaged fans. And highly engaged fans tend to have higher purchase intent. That’s why brands are increasingly investing in these areas now, before they become expensive.

If there was one takeaway from the conversation, it’s this:

Sports marketing isn’t about buying media anymore. It’s about becoming part of fandom. That might mean partnering with athletes or creators, sponsoring podcasts, creating fan experiences, or activating locally around teams. And it definitely means targeting the most passionate fans. As Genesco Sports Enterprises COO Kit Geis explained, “High engagement means high purchase intent. It’s why we like your show, Tiki and the podcasts on Audacy. It’s because those are our avid fans, our most engaged fans, and they’ve got greater purchase intent. So we want to market to that group, not just to the casual fan.”

The brands that win in sports marketing today aren’t the ones with the biggest logos. They’re the ones that show up in the fan conversation. And increasingly, that conversation is happening on radio, podcasts, streaming, and social media. Audio has become the connective tissue of this modern, 24/7 ecosystem — the place where fans go to live inside the game, every single day.

To catch the full panel discussion on the Business of Sports Fandom, view this on-demand recording.