The global soccer industry is shifting from a B2B rights economy to a direct-to-consumer fan economy. As digital platforms become popular destinations for people to enjoy sports content, teams and leagues are putting greater focus on building direct relationships with fans.
That was one of the key messages out of the FT Business of Football Summit in London last week, where broadcasters, team and league executives, investors, and technology companies gathered to discuss the sport’s future, including senior leaders from the Premier League, LaLiga, and UEFA.
Here are some of the key themes that emerge from the conference.
From Rights Holders to Data Owners
Historically, soccer leagues and teams generated revenue by selling broadcast rights, sponsorship inventory, and licensing agreements to third parties. Those partners then monetized the fan relationship.
Today, clubs increasingly see fan relationships and the data behind them as central drivers of long-term growth.
As one participant explained: “We’ve got to become not sellers of rights or not holders of rights, but holders of data.”
Building around that idea requires clubs to rethink how they manage technology, operations, and the fan experience itself.
The Data Paradox
teams have made progress in learning more about their fans by developing first-class fan apps but there’s so much more they can learn. And turning the information they collect into actionable insights has remained a challenge.
One participant said teams were still working out what data points are most important. “The biggest challenge that a lot of us face is what’s useful data rather than what’s data. And I don’t think we are yet right at the point where we understand that.”
Rights holders see significant gaps at the end of the fan journey.
“There is just not enough understanding of the fan base in order to drive all the way through from awareness, trust, all the way to conversion,” another participant said.
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The Matchday Blind Spot
Even among the most loyal supporters, teams often lack a complete view of the fan experience.
Organizations typically know who purchased a ticket and when they entered the stadium. Many other parts of the matchday journey remain invisible.
One executive described the issue:
“We provide free transport to the stadium. We don’t know when they get on the train, when they arrive… if they buy chicken, buy a beer, we don’t know who they are, what they bought.”
From Selling to Serving Fans
Another theme focused on how teams engage their audiences.
For years many soccer clubs promoted the same products to every supporter, whether it was the new team jersey or other merchandise.
A global audience is more fragmented than ever, and fans increasingly expect more tailored experiences.
One participant shared a telling example of the shift in practice: “We have a whole segment of supporters who told us, ‘We will never buy a shirt from you. Stop sending me emails asking will you buy my first, second, third kit.’”
Teams are working on understanding what fans actually want and how those preferences are different between generations and by geographic location.
Women’s Soccer as a Growth Opportunity
Women’s soccer presents an opportunity to build new commercial models.
The women’s game continues to attract younger audiences and strong digital engagement, making it easier for teams and leagues to enter modern fan ecosystems.
One participant described the opportunity: “We can actually use the fact that we started later to go straight to the future.”
The mistake, another participant said, was approaching women’s soccer in the same way as the men’s game. “They sell it like it’s men’s soccer with the same KPIs… and that’s not what you’re selling.”
The next phase of growth will depend on commercial strategies built specifically for the women’s game.
Learning From Other Industries
Participants also encouraged soccer to learn from industries that have already built advanced audience ecosystems.
Take the retail world as an example. Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Tesco use purchases and loyalty programs to collect substantial shopper data,.They use that data to build media networks that allow brands to advertise using the retailer’s first-party shopper data.
“They’ve managed to define their own ecosystem and define their own value themselves… Now sport doesn’t have that transactional data, but it’s got something that’s arguably more important… which is emotion and high attention.”
Entertainment provides another lesson. A speaker with experience in the music industry emphasized the importance of emotional connection.
“You can’t just sell the 90 minutes on the pitch,” the participant said. “if what you’re selling is brand equity… you need to give more emotional storytelling in the same way as a consumer brand would.”
Balancing Monetization and Fan Experience
Digital platforms such as club apps and social channels are essential fan engagement spaces. These platforms also represent growing commercial opportunities.
One speaker summarized the tension:
“It’s a tricky balance when you want to make sure your digital channels are staying as pure as possible for fan engagement, but equally you’re bringing in the revenue from commercial sponsors.”
Overcoming Legacy Tech
Today’s top teams and leagues are prioritizing fan relationships, data capabilities, and direct engagement.
The next chapter of soccer will depend on how effectively teams combine technology, storytelling, and fan insight to create meaningful experiences both inside and beyond the stadium.
