A baseball team can have a talented roster and winning record and still give fans an average night at the ballpark.
The game matters, but so does everything around it. Buying the ticket, getting into the stadium, finding food, interacting with staff, and feeling like the experience was worth the money: all of these shape a fan’s night at the ballpark. The experience surrounding the game is just as important as what happens on the field.
The Savannah Bananas, a baseball team known for blending the sport with choreographed dances, on-field stunts, and fan participation, have made those details central to their business. Their continued expansion raises a different question for traditional sports organizations: What can teams take from their model to make their own fans want to come back?
The biggest opportunities involve decisions teams already make every day, from ticket packages to sponsor activations and the way they follow up after the game.
Quick Highlights
- Banana Ball sold 2.2 million tickets across 113 shows in 2025, with a 91% ticket redemption rate, showing the scale of demand for its blend of sports and entertainment.
- Across all its teams, the organization reported more than 35 million social media followers and 18 million YouTube live views in 2025, extending its reach well beyond the fans attending in person.
- Fans ordered 1.97 million merchandise items in 2025, giving the Banana Ball brand a presence beyond the stadium through products supporters could wear and share.
- The organization’s 2026 Fan First Report outlines more than $10 million in live-show investment, putting resources behind the entertainment and memorable moments fans come to experience.
- The ESPN and Disney Banana Ball package grew from 12 games in 2025 to 25 games in 2026, giving its mix of competition, player personalities, and fan interaction a larger national platform.
- Banana Ball listed starting ticket prices of $35 at minor league parks and $40 at MLB and NFL stadiums, with taxes paid and no added ticket or service fees on its own tickets, making the advertised starting price easier for fans to understand.
Build Value Around What the Team Can Control
Winning games gives people a reason to celebrate.
However, winning can be a difficult foundation for a team’s guest service strategy. Guest service is about the way a team welcomes fans, supports them throughout their visit, and makes their time at the ballpark enjoyable. No team can promise a win every night, but it can commit to helpful staff, efficient concessions, and a welcoming atmosphere that gives fans a reason to return regardless of the final score.
Teams have more control over how fans are treated and what they can enjoy throughout the visit.
For an MLB club, that could mean turning a quieter weeknight game into a family outing with an easy-to-understand ticket bundle and pregame activities. An NBA team could use scheduled breaks for recurring fan competitions that people recognize and look forward to. A college athletic department could build a student section tradition that gives attendees a role beyond filling the seats.
These are ways to create value alongside the competition. They give a first-time guest or casual fan something to enjoy even if the team is struggling. This is exactly what Banana Ball does by making entertainment and fan participation central to the experience, giving fans reasons to come back beyond the final score.
The practical question for a team is whether someone could leave after a loss and still recommend attending. If the answer depends entirely on the score, there is room to improve the experience.
Make the Full Outing Easier to Buy
A ticket price is only one part of a fan’s decision. Parking, food, fees, and transportation shape the real cost of attending a game.
Banana Ball’s starting prices include taxes and carry no added ticket or service fees on its own tickets. Seating options and availability vary.
Traditional sports already offer examples of addressing another part of that budget. Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s ATL Fan Fare menu lists a classic hot dog at $2. That gives fans an affordable option inside a major stadium.
Teams could apply this thinking through a package that clearly includes admission, a meal, and parking. Sponsors could help fund youth tickets or provide food credits, giving the partnership a practical benefit families can understand before purchasing.
The business question is whether that offer attracts additional buyers and encourages return visits while covering its costs. Teams should test the package against comparable games and track both spending and repeat packages.
A clear offer makes the decision easier. Whether it builds lasting business should be measured.
Give Sponsors a Useful Role
The Bananas offer an interesting challenge to the usual sponsorship model.
In an interview, owner Jesse Cole explained that the organization removed traditional advertising from their stadium, taking down sponsor billboards and signs along the outfield wall to keep fans’ attention on the game and entertainment. Most professional sports teams operate with substantial sponsorship commitments. Their opportunity is to examine how those partnerships contribute to the visit.
A hydration brand could support a fan refill station. A restaurant partner could host a player-inspired tasting before first pitch. A technology sponsor could help fans create a personalized photo or video souvenir.
Sports pop-up shops offer another possible format, combining product discovery, athlete appearances, and activities in one space.
These are proposed applications for traditional teams. Each starts with something a fan might choose to use or enjoy.
The Bananas have put this approach into practice through their partnership with Dairy Queen. Their “DQ Shake Snag” promotion connects a signature Banana Ball rule, a fan catching a foul ball counts as an out, with a free small shake offer for new DQ Rewards members through the DQ app. The partnership gives fans a tangible benefit while making the brand part of an entertaining moment of the game.
From there, teams and brands can agree on measures that match the purpose: participation, samples, opt-in signups, or changes in brand recall. Those results give sponsors a clearer picture of what their investment accomplished beyond having a logo in the building.
Give the Visit a Life Beyond Game Day
An entertaining moment can reach people who never entered the stadium. The next step is giving those people somewhere to go.
A team could turn a recurring fan challenge into a short social series, introduce the player behind a popular celebration, or share reactions from a themed game night. A thoughtful social media content strategy for athletes can also give players a format that fits their personality and interests.
That content should connect to a relevant next action. A video from a family night could link to the next family package. A player-led food feature could direct fans to an upcoming tasting event.
Trackable links, campaign codes, and optional post-purchase surveys can help connect content to ticket interest. With permission, a first-time attendee could receive a follow-up offer for a similar experience.
The Bananas’ expanded ESPN and Disney package also shows how their entertainment product has gained a larger distribution platform. For a traditional team, the useful question is how its own content helps people discover, understand, and eventually experience the product in person.
Bringing the Ballpark to the Feed
The Savannah Bananas make social media an extension of their live experience.
Clips of choreographed dances, unexpected plays, and player personalities give viewers a taste of Banana Ball before they even buy a ticket. These moments can entertain someone who has never followed baseball, creating an introduction built around curiosity and enjoyment.
For traditional teams, the opportunity is to show more of what makes attending a game worthwhile.
A funny player interaction, a memorable fan celebration, or a behind-the-scenes look at a ballpark tradition can communicate something a score update cannot. What it feels like to be there. Teams can then connect that interest to clear ticket information and track whether viewers visit ticket pages, sign up for updates, or purchase seats. The goal is to give people a reason to picture themselves in the crowd, and an easy way to join in.
Know What Transfers and What Does Not
The Bananas have unusual freedom to shape their competition and entertainment together. Traditional teams work within league rules, broadcast schedules, player obligations, and established fan expectations.
An MLB club cannot simply adopt Banana Ball’s rules. A basketball team also has to consider whether an activation distracts from live play or interferes with an athlete’s preparation.
There is another business difference: a touring event’s demand does not automatically predict demand across a traditional team’s home schedule. A promotion that works once may lose its appeal when repeated every week.
That makes small tests valuable. Try one new experience across a few comparable games. Ask attendees what they enjoyed, what frustrated them, and whether they would return. Give athletes a choice about how they participate, and listen to longtime supporters as well as new guests.
A quieter family section, clearer directions, or faster service could be more valuable to a particular audience than another loud promotion. The right choice depends on the people attending.
Measure What Happens After the Applause
A crowded activation or popular video can look successful. Teams need to understand what happens afterward.
For ticketing, useful measures include whether first-time buyers purchase again, whether package buyers return without another discount, and whether existing ticket holders renew. With guest service, teams could track entry times, concession waits, and recurring complaints. For sponsors, the measures should reflect the agreed purpose of the activation.
Comparisons need context. A Saturday rivalry game and a Tuesday game against a less popular opponent attract different demands. Weather, team performance, and pricing can also influence results.
Looking across similar events gives teams a better basis for deciding what to expand, adjust, or stop. It helps prevent a strong night on the field from receiving all the credit for a change in the fan experience.
Make the Next Visit an Easy Decision
Traditional sports organizations have plenty of opportunities to improve the experience around their competition.
The Bananas provide a reason to examine those opportunities more closely. Their approach puts attention on what fans receive for their money, how they participate, and what they remember afterward.
For a team, that could start with clearer ticket packages, a more useful sponsor activation, or a better follow-up after someone’s first game. The result worth pursuing is a fan who leaves feeling that the organization respected their time and gave them a reason to return.
That is a relationship teams can keep building, regardless of the final score.
FAQ:
- How is this different from simply adding more entertainment? A better fan experience includes buying tickets, arriving, finding food, and receiving help. Entertainment is one part of the journey. Teams should identify what their audiences value, then improve the steps that matter most to them.
- Can traditional teams apply the Bananas’ approach without changing their sport? Yes. Ticket packages, guest service, pregame activities, content, and sponsor experiences offer room to experiment within league and venue requirements. Teams should choose ideas that fit their audience and preserve attention on the competition.
- How can sponsors benefit from this approach? Sponsors can provide something fans find useful or enjoyable, such as food credit, interactive activity, or service. Teams and brands should define the intended benefit and agree on how to evaluate participation and results.
- What is the strongest sign that an experience improvement is working? Repeat attendance is a useful signal when evaluated alongside satisfaction, costs, and revenue. Teams should compare similar games and account for other factors that could explain changes in purchasing.