A new year-end episode of the Fandom Unpacked podcast examines how sports organizations are building deeper fan relationships at a pivotal moment for live events

New York, NY — As the global sports calendar enters one of its most visible stretches — with the Super Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship approaching, and the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games on the horizon — questions around how fandom is built, sustained, and deepened have never been more relevant.

Against this backdrop, Fandom Unpacked, the podcast exploring how modern fandom is built, has released a Year-in-Review episode examining how leaders across sports, culture, and entertainment are creating more durable fan relationships in an increasingly fragmented attention economy.

Titled “The Year in Fandom: How Sports, Culture & Entertainment Leaders Build Fans,” the episode synthesizes conversations from across the past year with executives shaping fan engagement across professional sports, major venues, and experiential entertainment.

The episode features insights from leaders representing organizations including:

• USTA (US Open)
• New Orleans Pelicans
• New York Red Bulls
• Oak View Group
• Feld Entertainment
• Round Room Live

Together, these conversations explore how sports organizations and live experience brands are expanding the definition of fandom — moving beyond single-event attendance toward year-round engagement built through community, culture, and experience design.

The episode is informed by Situation’s recent research with Ticketmaster, which analyzed ticket-buying behavior across sports, culture, and entertainment using insights from more than 20,000 live-event fans, providing additional context for many of the themes discussed.

Rather than a recap, the Year-in-Review episode focuses on shared patterns emerging across leagues, teams, venues, and experiential brands, including:

• Why fandom is increasingly built between events, not just during them
• How venues and physical spaces are evolving into platforms for identity and belonging
• What sports organizations can learn from adjacent entertainment and cultural sectors

Hosted by Damian Bazadona, Founder and President of Situation Group, and Peter Yagecic, Founder of A Mind at Work Consulting, Fandom Unpacked has featured leaders from organizations such as The Recording Academy, PBS, Southwest Airlines, Sixthman, and D23, positioning fandom as a strategic growth lever rather than a marketing byproduct.

The full episode is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449648/episodes/18501027

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Media Contact
Eliza Palter
Marketing & Communications
epalter@situationinteractive.com