Today everyone has some type of rewards or loyalty program. Whether
it’s a retail store or a sports an entertainment business, companies want to
reward loyal fans and customers. Just think about it, every time you step up to
the cashier or check out counter to pay for something, the first thing they ask
you is do you have a rewards card. If you don’t have it with you they’ll ask
for your phone number or email to access your information. These reward and
loyalty programs reward fans and customers with special rewards, discounts and
other opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have access to if they weren’t
enrolled in these programs.
Fan loyalty and engagement is important to sports
organizations because they are an incentive for fans to continue to support
their favorite teams and buy merchandise and for doing this they are rewarded
with something special. Revenue generation is affected because fans attend
events. Purchasing tickets and buying merchandise generates revenue.
More and more sports organizations are coming up with
loyalty and rewards programs for their fans. NASCAR, one of the leading sports
organizations in the world has a rewards program called RacePoints. Fans enrolled
in the program have the ability to earn points when they purchase qualifying
products and services. Points are tracked and redeemed online for NASCAR
apparel, merchandise, collectables and NASCAR experiences. The UFC (Ultimate
Fighting Championship) just launched a new rewards program called UFC Rewards.
UFC says it is a way of thanking the best fans in the world. As a UFC Rewards
member you can earn limited edition collectables and exclusive experiences.
Reward members earn points by buying pay-per-view events, subscribing to UFC
Fight Pass, reading UFC Rewards Emails, attending live UFC events, and
connecting with the UFC through social media. The Buffalo Sabres have taken their
new fan loyalty program mobile with an application that can be downloaded for
free through the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Sabres fans earn
points by scanning codes on tickets, merchandise and concessions. Fans from the
UFC, NASCAR and the Buffalo Sabres are responding well to these programs.
Enrollment numbers are steadily increasing.