How Sports Brands Can Keep Fans Hooked 365 Days a Year
Photo by Muyuan Ma on Unsplash
For true sports fans, the season never really ends. The passion, curiosity, and connection carry on long after the whistle blows, so much so that a recent Deloitte study found that up to 95% of sports fans stay engaged with their team in the off-season. This goes beyond just loyalty - it's about identity. For many, supporting a team is part of their family history, passed down through lineages and time-tested bonds.
The most forward-thinking teams have embraced this, using the off-season as a chance to strengthen their emotional connection with fans and expand their brand beyond game day. When we sat down with Stephanie Rogers, executive vice president of marketing at the San Francisco 49ers, she shared her perspective on this constant commitment to fan engagement: "The 49ers Faithful is one of the largest and most passionate fanbases in the world. They show up 24/7, 365. So as a marketing and content team, we have to do the same."
More and more, sports teams now operate more like media and lifestyle brands than traditional sports organisations. Leading the charge, major leagues like the Premier League, NFL, NBA, and MLB are using digital tools, first-party data, and platform-native storytelling to keep their fans informed and emotionally hooked 24/7, 365 days a year. This innovative approach is a key factor in their success in engaging fans year-round. Let's break down exactly how they do it.
How Storytelling Keeps Fans In The Game Year-Round
It’s no longer just about the action on the pitch, court, or field - it’s about the stories surrounding it. As Stephanie explains, “We’re not just telling football stories - we’re telling human stories.” That philosophy sits at the core of the team’s off-season content strategy. With just 17 regular season games, the 49ers recognise the need to sustain momentum year-round.
Fans are actively seeking meaningful ways to stay connected. “We’ll never sacrifice quality,” Stephanie notes, “but we’re also very focused on frequency and quantity.” We are beginning to see this fan-focused approach across the sporting world. Take Arsenal’s All or Nothing docuseries as a prime example. It pulled in devoted Gooners and casual fans during the off-season by offering an inside look at the club’s inner workings.
It’s the same thinking that fuels the NFL Draft’s transformation into a cultural event. It’s not just about who goes first. It’s about the stakes, the surprises, and the storylines. Over 12 million people tuned in last year to watch future stars take the stage before they ever stepped on the field. In the MLB, trade rumours and free agency updates during the ‘Hot Stove’ season generate near-constant chatter, even months before Opening Day. “It really comes down to the humanisation of the team and the brand,” said Stephanie. “And I think that’s what we all crave as people and as fans - we want to know everything we possibly can.”
The most successful teams understand this. They don’t wait for game day. They keep telling stories—through content, events, interviews, and moments that feel real. When it’s done well, the off-season feels very on.
How Social Media Fuels Fan Culture
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and, increasingly, more professional channels like LinkedIn have also helped transform sports teams into cultural brands. Game day conversations continue through behind-the-scenes clips, player interactions, community stories, and moments that feel spontaneous and real.
Across the sporting world, teams and clubs are adopting this strategy. Crystal Palace F.C. once teased a managerial appointment with a nod to the beloved local restaurant Tasty Jerk. Chelsea offered free matchday ad space to small London businesses. And Arsenal has gone further still, producing promotional content that directly supports local independent shops and cafes.
The NFL and NBA have become experts at turning off-season moments into viral content, keeping players, teams, and storylines front of mind. Even Major League Baseball, long considered the most traditional of the major leagues, is evolving. With mic’d-up moments, bat flips, and short-form video content, the league is actively reshaping its image for a younger, digitally native audience.
As Stephanie puts it, “We try to find ways to tell those stories of who [our players] are, celebrate them as people, and celebrate the work they’re doing in their communities.” Social media gives teams the space to do just that - to share stories that resonate, reflect the brand, and build a stronger emotional connection.
The Off-Season is an Opportunity, Not a Pause
Today’s fans stay connected year-round. They follow trades, watch behind-the-scenes content, engage with team culture, and wear the story on their sleeves - sometimes literally.
Sports hold a unique and significant place in culture, and as Stephanie eloquently puts it, “Sports are still the last true bastion of live, shared viewing. That immediacy and community experience are hard to replicate anywhere else.” It’s that deep sense of connection - of being part of something - that fans now expect even when there’s no game on.
That connection doesn’t disappear in the off-season. “You’re not just a fan when the team is on the field,” Stephanie explains. “Most of us, when we think about our fandom with our favourite teams, it really is a part of our identity, and that identity doesn’t change depending on the season. It’s year round.” This shift is clear across the Premier League, NFL, NBA, MLB, and beyond. From celebrating local culture to collaborating with fashion brands, teams recognize that meaningful engagement is a year-round effort.
