In today’s privacy-first era, data that teams collect directly from fans has become a game-changer for engagement. Sports organizations have always relied on fan support, but the playbook for understanding fans is changing. With third-party cookies on the way out and data privacy rules tightening, teams can no longer depend on big tech or ad platforms for audience insights. Instead, the spotlight is on first-party and zero-party data – the new MVPs (Most Valuable Players) of fan engagement.
These two data types are emerging as a gold mine for sports teams, helping them know their fans better and deliver the personalized experiences that modern fans expect. In this article, we’ll explore what first-party and zero-party data mean, how they differ, and why they’re revolutionizing fan engagement in a privacy-conscious world. We’ll also see how teams collect zero-party data through interactive campaigns, and look at a real case study of how one club, El Paso Locomotive FC, built a fan database from scratch that drove significant ticket sales. By the end, it’ll be clear why zero- and first-party data are the keys to winning fan loyalty when generic data from social media or ads no longer make the cut.
First-party vs. zero-party data: what’s the difference?
Not all fan data is created equal. When we talk about first-party and zero-party data, we’re talking about information that teams gather directly from fans – but in slightly different ways. Here’s a quick rundown of the difference:
First-party data – Observed fan interactions.
This is the data a team collects through fans’ behaviors and transactions on the team’s own channels. It includes things like ticket purchase records, merchandise sales, mobile app usage stats, website analytics, email subscription info, and any other data you observe from fan behavior. For example, if a fan buys tickets to five games in a season or frequently uses the team’s app to watch highlights, those activities generate first-party data. It’s essentially information the team gathers with the fan’s consent through their direct interactions. First-party data is incredibly valuable because it’s accurate and comes straight from your audience. It tells you what a fan did – such as what they bought, when they attended, and how they engage with your content.
Zero-party data – Volunteered fan preferences.
Zero-party data is information that the fan intentionally and proactively shares with the team about their preferences, interests, and intentions. It goes beyond what you can infer from behavior and lets fans tell you what they want or like. For instance, a fan might respond to a survey about their favorite player, participate in a poll selecting the “jersey of the year,” or fill out a profile indicating their content interests and jersey size. All of those details – favorite player, preferred content, even clothing size – are examples of zero-party data if the fan voluntarily provided them. The key is that this data is explicitly shared by the fan, rather than just observed. According to Forrester Research, zero-party data offers a rare blend of transparency and accuracy, making it “one of the most valuable forms of data in the modern marketing ecosystem.” While first-party data tells you what a fan has done, zero-party data tells you why they did it or what they intend to do next (their motivations and desires).
In short, both first- and zero-party data come directly from your fans (not from third-party brokers or scraped from social networks). The difference is subtle but powerful: first-party data reflects fans’ past actions, whereas zero-party data reveals fans’ personal preferences and future intentions. Together, they give a 360° view of the fan. For example, first-party data might show that a fan attended four weekend games this year, and zero-party data might tell you their favorite player is the star striker and that they’d love more behind-the-scenes content. Armed with both types, a team knows who the fan is and what they do (first-party), as well as what the fan likes and wants (zero-party). That combined insight is incredibly powerful for tailoring fan experiences.
Why These Data Are MVPs in a Privacy-First Era
So why are first-party and zero-party data suddenly the MVPs of fan engagement? The answer lies in major shifts in the digital landscape: the decline of third-party data, rising privacy expectations, and the demand for personalization.
Third-Party Cookies are Crumbling:
For years, marketers relied on third-party cookies and external data to track and target fans around the web. Those days are ending. Web browsers and regulators are shutting down third-party tracking – Safari and Firefox already block a lot of third-party cookies, and Google Chrome (which has ~63% of the browser market) plans to phase them out entirely. In other words, the easy pipeline of data from ad networks and social media platforms is drying up. “Third-party cookies – the essence of personalized marketing – have started to crumble,” notes a sports tech whitepaper. As the cookie crumbles, teams can’t rely on Facebook or ad networks to know who their fans are or what they care about. This is a profound change: if teams want rich insights on their audience, they must gather it themselves. First-party and zero-party data fill that void by providing fan insights that the team owns directly, sidestepping the need for any external data brokers.
Regulations and Trust:
At the same time, privacy laws (like GDPR, CCPA, etc.) and consumer expectations are forcing a more transparent, consent-based approach to data. Fans are understandably protective of their personal information. Zero-party data offers a way to build trust because it’s explicitly shared by choice in exchange for value. When a fan participates in a fun poll or contest, they know what they’re sharing and often get something in return (like a chance to win or some exclusive content). This transparency makes zero-party data highly privacy-friendly – fans don’t feel “spied on” since they willingly gave the info. In a privacy-first era, teams that create these transparent data exchanges with fans will earn more trust and goodwill. First-party data is also generally consent-based (e.g. you agree to terms when buying a ticket or using an app), so both data types align with the new rules of privacy.
Personalization is a Must:
Modern fans expect personalized experiences. In fact, 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated if this doesn’t happen. If a fan has shared their preferences or you’ve observed their habits, they want you to use that data to improve their experience – such as recommending relevant content, sending tailored offers, or at least not sending irrelevant spam. First-party and zero-party data are the fuel for this kind of personalization. They enable teams to tailor outreach without being creepy (since the data came directly from the fan with permission). Instead of generic one-size-fits-all marketing, a team can use their own rich database of fan info to segment and personalize.
Direct relationship = year-round engagement:
Another reason these data are MVPs is that they help teams forge a direct relationship with fans beyond game day. Relying on social media algorithms to reach your fanbase is risky – you don’t own that connection. First- and zero-party data, by contrast, typically live in the team’s CRM or databases, meaning the team can reach out to fans anytime with tailored messaging. This empowers teams to engage fans year-round with content. As Tim Harris, COO of the Los Angeles Lakers, wisely said: “There might be a million things more important today, but not many things are more important over the long haul than building up your fan database.”
In the long run, a robust fan database built on first- and zero-party data is a franchise’s most valuable asset, because it’s the foundation for all future engagement and revenue.
Collecting zero-party data through interactive fan campaigns
Knowing that zero-party data is incredibly valuable is one thing – but how can teams actually collect it? The good news is that sports fans are often eager to interact with their favorite teams, and every interaction is an opportunity to ask for preferences or feedback in a fun way. Sports organizations are finding creative, interactive campaigns to encourage fans to willingly hand over zero-party data. Here are some popular methods teams use to gather zero-party data from their fanbase:
Polls and votes: Simple polls are a low-friction way to collect fan preferences. Teams can embed polls in their apps or on social media asking things like “Who was the MVP of today’s game?” or “What’s your favorite game-day snack?” For example, a club might run a “Favorite Player of the Month” vote. Fans enjoy weighing in, and in the process the team learns about individual fans’ favorite players or interests. Over time, these polls create a profile of each fan’s preferences. (Did fan A consistently vote for defensive players? Do they favor a particular star?) All that is zero-party insight that can tailor future outreach.
Contests and sweepstakes: Contests (giveaways, sweepstakes, fantasy challenges, etc.) are excellent for data capture. Fans will gladly register for a chance to win a signed jersey or VIP experience. When they register, the team can ask a few optional questions like “What’s your jersey size?” or “Do you prefer weekend or weeknight games?” – collecting preferences directly. For instance, a minor league team might offer a “Fan of the Match” contest where entry requires answering a couple of preference questions and opting in to emails. Each entry yields zero-party data (and also a contact email for first-party data). One USL soccer league campaign, in fact, drew over 6,000 fan entries for a prize and nearly 40% of those fans opted in to receive sponsor communications, showing that fans will share data if there’s something in it for them.
Quizzes and trivia: Sports fans love to show off their knowledge. Teams can run trivia quizzes (e.g. “Test your knowledge of our team history!”) or personality quizzes (“Which of our legendary players are you most like?”). When fans participate, the team can ask for a bit of info at the end (like an email, or a favorite player pick) to get their results, thereby collecting data. Trivia responses themselves can reveal fan interests too (e.g. which eras or aspects of history the fan knows well might indicate what content they’d enjoy). Quizzes are engaging and educational, and as fans play, they willingly provide tidbits about themselves.
Surveys and feedback forms: Simply asking your fans questions can yield zero-party data – provided you make it worth their time. Post-event surveys, for example, can ask fans to rate their experience and also ask about preferences (“Which upcoming theme night are you most excited about?”). A quick poll in an email newsletter can ask “What type of content do you want more of – player interviews, behind-the-scenes, or game highlights?” Fans’ answers directly tell the team what to deliver. The key is to keep surveys short and maybe offer a small incentive (like a chance to win a team store gift card) to boost participation.
Interactive games and challenges: Many teams use gamified activations – think along the lines of “Predict the Score” contests, fantasy pick’em games, or digital scratch-and-win games on the team app. These are fun for fans and often require registration or input that yields data. A “Spin the Wheel for a Prize” game, for example, might ask fans to first fill in their name, favorite player, and email to spin. A “Predict the Score” weekly challenge can capture fans’ confidence in the team and collect their predictions (indicating how engaged or optimistic they are). Gamified campaigns not only keep fans entertained but also continuously generate data points on fan preferences and habits.
Fan profile updates & preference centers: Some teams encourage fans to fill out their profile on the team’s website or app. For instance, when a fan creates an account for buying tickets, the team might have an optional “fan preferences” section. Here, a fan could check boxes for what content they like (news, player stats, behind-the-scenes videos), their birthday (to get a birthday message), their favorite player or section to sit in, etc. This is classic zero-party data collection – letting fans volunteer personal preferences in a structured way. Often, teams will tie this in with a reward (like “Complete your fan profile for a chance to win merchandise”).
The common thread in all these methods is the value exchange: fans are more than willing to share data about themselves if it enriches their fan experience. By weaving interactive touchpoints into the fan journey, teams make data collection feel natural and fun. Importantly, teams should integrate these data-collection activities with their broader systems – for example, connecting the inputs to their CRM or ticketing database. That way, when a fan enters a sweepstakes or votes in a poll, their preferences (zero-party data) and contact info (first-party data) flow into one place. Many organizations use fan engagement platforms or dedicated tools to manage this. The result is a continuous feedback loop: fans engage and enjoy the activations, the team learns more about the fans each time, and those insights then inform more personalized future engagements. It’s a virtuous cycle of engagement driving data, and data driving deeper engagement.
Case study: El Paso Locomotive FC strikes gold with fan data
To see the power of first-party and zero-party data in action, look no further than the example of El Paso Locomotive FC. This United Soccer League (USL) club provides a real-world success story of building a fan database from scratch and reaping the rewards in fan engagement and revenue. When El Paso Locomotive FC was launched as an expansion team in 2019, they faced the classic startup challenge: no existing fan database. They needed to identify and engage fans from the ground up, and they embraced a data-driven strategy to do it.
Partnering with a digital fan engagement platform (FanCompass), the club created the “Loco Fan Zone” – a hub for interactive digital activations aimed at attracting fans online. Through the Loco Fan Zone, the team ran contests, polls, and other campaigns to get fans involved. For example, they might host a sweepstakes for inaugural game tickets, a vote for the team’s kit design, or trivia about the club’s brand-new history. Each activation was not only engaging content but also a data capture opportunity – fans would register with their email (first-party data) and share their preferences or opinions (zero-party data) as they took part.
The results were striking. In their first season, El Paso Locomotive’s digital activations helped them compile a robust fan database and drove a significant chunk of ticket revenue. According to the club’s fan engagement partner, fans acquired through these campaigns contributed roughly 20% of all ticket sales for the inaugural season. In fact, these digitally-engaged fans accounted for over 10% of the team’s total ticket buyers and more than 17% of total ticket revenue – a remarkable return for a brand new fan base.
Even more impressively, the data-driven approach cultivated loyalty: over half of those fans became season ticket holders. Specifically, 57% of the ticket buyers sourced via the Fan Zone ended up purchasing season tickets (versus about 48% of all Locomotive ticket buyers). In other words, fans who engaged through interactive campaigns were more likely to convert into committed, long-term supporters than the average fan. This demonstrates the concrete impact of zero-party data: by learning which fans were highly interested (and what they cared about), the team could target them with season ticket offers and get a great response.
Fast forward to today, and El Paso Locomotive FC continues to benefit from the fan insights it gathered. The club has kept up a steady rhythm of digital engagement year after year, continually growing its database of fans and their preferences. What started as zero-party data captured in a fun campaign is now long-term first-party data living in their CRM – enabling personalized email campaigns, targeted ticket promotions, and sponsorship deals backed by rich fan profiles.
The success in El Paso illustrates a bigger point: when teams treat fan data as a strategic asset from day one, it pays off in both revenue and fan loyalty. Building your own fan data gold mine can be the difference between scrambling to sell tickets and having a ready-made audience eager to hear from you.
Conclusion: embracing the data gold mine
As the sports industry adapts to a world without easy third-party data, first-party and zero-party data have emerged as the gold mine for fan engagement. They are the new MVPs because they empower teams to understand and connect with fans on a deeper level while respecting privacy. Teams that harness these data effectively gain a competitive edge: they can deliver the personalized experiences fans crave, foster stronger fan relationships, and open up new revenue streams from tickets to sponsorships.
On the flip side, organizations that cling to old habits – relying on social media metrics or cookie-based targeting – risk falling behind as fans gravitate toward brands that truly know them. In practice, embracing first- and zero-party data means treating data collection and fan interaction as an ongoing strategy, not a one-time campaign. It’s about weaving data touchpoints into every fan interaction, online and offline, and then actually using those insights to enhance the fan’s experience.
When a fan sees that the team remembers their birthday, or recommends content about their favorite player, or invites them to events that match their interests, it creates a sense of being valued. That feeling translates into loyalty and lifetime fandom.
To sum up, building your own rich fan database isn’t just a nice-to-have in the privacy-first era – it’s a must-have. Zero-party and first-party data, collected with consent through engaging experiences, are the path forward for sports teams to thrive. They allow teams to innovate in marketing and fan experience without intruding on privacy. As we saw, even a smaller club can punch above its weight by leveraging data to turn casual fans into die-hards. The future of fan engagement will belong to those teams who know their fans best. By investing in first-party and zero-party data now, sports organizations position themselves to win the hearts of their audience in the years to come – building not just a fan base, but a genuine community grounded in trust and personal connection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What exactly is first-party vs. zero-party data?
A: First-party data is information a sports team collects directly from fan activities – for example, ticket purchase history, merchandise bought, or interactions on the team’s app or website. It’s essentially behavioral data that shows what a fan has done. Zero-party data is information the fan proactively and voluntarily shares about themselves – like their preferences, interests, or intentions (e.g. favorite player, content they enjoy, jersey size). First-party data tells you about the fan’s past actions, while zero-party data tells you what the fan wants or prefers going forward.
Q: Why are first-party and zero-party data so important now?
A: Because third-party data (from cookies and external sources) is fading away due to privacy changes and browser restrictions. Teams can no longer rely on big tech platforms to target or understand their fans – those platforms aren’t sharing as much data now. In a privacy-first era, the most reliable data is what you collect with the fan’s consent directly. First-party and zero-party data let teams maintain rich insights on their audience without violating privacy. They also build trust, since fans see value (like personalization) in exchange for sharing data. In short, with third-party cookies crumbling, first/zero-party data have become the primary way to get the audience insights needed for marketing and fan engagement.
Q: How can sports teams collect zero-party data from fans?
A: Teams can collect zero-party data by engaging fans in interactive, voluntary ways. Common methods include running polls or votes (fans share opinions, e.g. favorite player), contests and sweepstakes (fans fill out a form or answer questions to enter), quizzes and trivia games (fans reveal knowledge or preferences when playing), surveys (fans provide feedback on experiences or interests), and other gamified campaigns like prediction games or spin-to-win challenges. In each case, the fan is choosing to participate and often sharing a bit about themselves in the process. The key is to integrate these activities so that the data (like the fan’s answer or profile info) gets captured and stored in the team’s database or CRM. Over time, these fun interactions yield a trove of zero-party data about what each fan cares about.
Q: What about third-party data? Is it totally gone?
A: Third-party data (information collected by outside entities and aggregated, such as cookie-based tracking of web behavior) isn’t entirely gone yet, but it’s becoming far less reliable. Web browsers like Chrome are phasing out third-party cookies, and privacy laws restrict how companies can use data from other sources without consent. This means even if third-party data exists, teams might not be able to legally or effectively use it to target fans. Moreover, using third-party data (like buying lists of “sports enthusiasts” from an ad network) often lacks the precision and freshness of first-party data. It also doesn’t build a direct relationship with the fan. Going forward, teams are far better off focusing on data from their own fans (first-party and zero-party), which is more accurate and ethically gathered. Third-party data served its purpose in the earlier digital advertising era, but it’s diminishing rapidly – hence the need for teams to be self-reliant in data collection.
Q: How do first-party and zero-party data help improve fan experiences?
A: They enable personalization and better engagement. With first-party data, a team knows a fan’s history – e.g. which games they attended or what they bought – so the team can reward loyalty (such as offering a discount to someone who attended many games) or tailor offers (like promoting a merch item related to a past purchase). With zero-party data, the team knows a fan’s preferences – so they can send content or deals that match the fan’s interests (for example, if a fan said they love a certain player, the team can send an exclusive interview with that player, or notify them when new merchandise of that player comes out). Together, these data types let teams treat fans less like faceless ticket buyers and more like individuals. Fans get communications and experiences that feel relevant and customized to them, which increases their satisfaction and involvement. In turn, engaged and happy fans are more likely to stay loyal, attend more games, spend on merchandise, and even promote the team to others. Essentially, first- and zero-party data allow teams to deliver the kind of one-to-one attention that fans appreciate – all at scale, thanks to digital tools that use the data. This makes the overall fan experience richer and builds a stronger bond between fans and the team.
Q: Can smaller teams or leagues really benefit from this approach?
A: Absolutely. In fact, smaller teams might benefit the most because they often don’t have huge marketing budgets to waste on broad, untargeted campaigns. Building a fan database through first- and zero-party data is cost-effective and yields long-term assets. The case of El Paso Locomotive FC (a smaller-market team) shows that even a newer team can quickly grow a loyal fan base by focusing on direct fan engagement and data collection. Those efforts translated into tangible revenue (20% of ticket sales from data-engaged fans) and high season ticket conversion. We’ve seen minor league teams, niche sports, and college programs successfully use surveys, contests, and loyalty apps to gather fan data and then achieve big improvements in attendance and fan retention. The size of the team doesn’t matter – what matters is having a strategy to continuously engage fans digitally and capture data. Small teams can be very nimble in this area, building a passionate community that feels heard and valued. In some cases, smaller organizations are even more innovative with fan engagement tech because they’re eager to find an edge. So yes, any team, large or small, can become a data-driven fan engagement powerhouse with the right approach. The playing field is quite level when it comes to leveraging first-party and zero-party data.
Q: How do we ensure we don’t overstep or annoy fans when collecting data?
A: The key is to always offer clear value and choice to the fans. Fans should feel that they are opting in and getting something beneficial in return for their information. Some best practices include:
- Be transparent about why you’re asking for info (e.g. “Tell us your favorite player so we can send you more content you’ll love”).
- Keep it optional and non-intrusive – let fans skip questions or decline, and respect that.
- Make it fun! If it’s a game, a quiz, or a chance to win something, it doesn’t feel like a chore to give some data.
- Don’t ask for too much at once. A few well-chosen questions or data points at a time is better than a long form.
- Most importantly, use the data to improve the fan’s experience. If a fan shares their preferences but still gets generic emails or irrelevant offers, they’ll feel like their input was ignored. On the other hand, if their input leads to more personalized content or perks, they’ll be encouraged and willing to share more over time.
By following a fan-centric approach – asking nicely, rewarding participation, and delivering on the promise of personalization – teams can collect valuable data without alienating their audience. In fact, many fans enjoy these interactions when done right. It all comes down to treating fan data as a two-way relationship: you give fans a better experience, and they give you insights to keep making it better.
