The Future of

Fan Engagement
How Web3 is Unlocking
Billions in New Revenue
for Sports Clubs & Brands

Powered By
51 | fiftyone.xyz
 Table of Contents

Why Brand Loyalty How Web3 Is Reshaping

03 Matters
10 Fandom

The New Fan Feature.io: Connecting

04 Economy
14 Fans to Content

Uptop: Building
06 Loyalty Ecosystems
16 The Web3 Tech Stack

Case Study: Key Take-Aways For

08 Cleveland Cavaliers
17 Execs

Written By
Marc Baumann & Sangam Bharti from fiftyone.xyz 2
Why Brand Loyalty Matters

Loyalty is nothing new. In the United States, Loyal customers don’t just buy—they:
the concept dates back to the early 1800s
when merchants began handing out copper Make repeat purchases: Trust drives
coins that could be redeemed for goods or consistency. 45% of loyal customers stay loyal,
services on future visits. even after a bad experience. Mature brands
derive more than 85% of their growth from
Loyalty is a tool that businesses use to reward their most loyal customers.
and retain loyal customers. And for almost Spend more: Loyal customers are willing to
every business, having loyal customers is pay a premium. A 5% increase in customer
better than having non-loyal customers. loyalty correlates with a 25% increase in profit.
No business can make money on customers Stay engaged: They interact with the brand
who are chronic switchers. Loyal customers beyond just transactions.
spend more, more frequently, and for longer. Advocate: They recommend the brand to
The numbers don’t lie: Keeping an existing others, expanding its reach. In fact, 86% of
customer is five to 25 times less expensive loyal customers will recommend a brand.
than acquiring a new one.
Loyalty isn’t just about retention—it’s a growth
Brand loyalty goes beyond a simple strategy.
preference. It’s a deep commitment, where
customers consistently choose one brand,
even when competitors offer similar
products or services.

5-25x 45%
less expensive to keep a of loyal customers stay loyal, even
customer than acquiring a new after a bad experience
one

86% 84%
of loyal customers will of consumers are likely to
recommend a brand stick with a brand that offers
a loyalty program

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 3

The New Fan Economy

Sport Clubs Are Sitting On A Goldmine The Fan Economy is Shifting—Sports

Must Adapt or Lose Billions
The best loyalty programs print money — sports
teams are missing out. Programs like Delta The future of sports isn’t just about what happens
SkyMiles generate billions through partner on the field. It’s about capturing fan attention at
rewards networks, often outpacing the airline every touchpoint—before, during, and after the
itself in profitability. Sports teams could do the game. Brands in other industries are moving fast:
same—but they’re stuck in outdated discount- FMCG giants and service brands are pouring
based models that only reward their most loyal billions into sports sponsorships, recognizing that
customers instead of monetizing their entire fans are one of the most loyal consumer groups in
fanbase. the world. But traditional sports engagement is
faltering, particularly with Gen Z:
Take clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid,
and the Golden State Warriors. These teams Gen Z is tuning out: Only 38% of Gen Z cares
command millions—sometimes billions—of about sports, and 27% actively dislike it—a
global supporters. Yet, their monetization stark contrast to previous generations.
strategies remain anchored in ticket sales, Live sports is becoming a luxury: Rising
merchandise, and sponsorships that primarily ticket prices, parking fees, and concessions
cater to local or hardcore fans, leaving millions are pricing out younger fans.
of casual and digital-first fans untapped. Streaming and on-demand content
dominate: Fans are no longer willing to
Sports fans aren’t just spectators—they’re high-
commit to full-length games when short-form
value, deeply engaged consumers. The real
content offers instant entertainment.
opportunity lies in tapping into the full fanbase
Social media is stealing the spotlight: 65% of
—not just the diehards. The data speaks for itself:
Gen Z identifies as content creators. They
want to co-create, interact, and feel ownership
Live Attendance: 1,300+ major sporting
—not just watch.
events in 2023 averaged 21,500 attendees per
game. Cultural shifts: The days of gathering around
Digital Reach: Sports communities now the TV for a big game are disappearing,
boast over 6.2B social media followers across replaced by fragmented, hyper-personalized
platforms entertainment consumption.
Massive Sponsorship Growth: Global
This isn’t just an engagement shift—it’s a massive
sponsorship spending on the top 10
monetization opportunity.
competitions hit $8.3B in 2024 and is
projected to reach $9.95B by 2030.
Social Media Instagram Facebook X TikTok

Followers of 500

Yet, sports teams are failing to translate their

Major Sport
massive reach into meaningful monetization. 400

Clubs
The reason? They’re treating fans like passive
300
spectators rather than digital stakeholders in
their ecosystem. 200

100

0
Real Madrid FC Barcelona ManU

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 4

 The sports industry is at a crossroads. The
Case Study: Manchester City’s teams that innovate will capture the next
Multi-Platform Strategy generation of fans and create billion-dollar
ecosystems beyond ticket sales and
YouTube: 8M+ subscribers with a
merchandise. The ones that don’t? They’ll
£5/month City+ streaming service for
watch an entire generation walk away.
exclusive BTS content.
Instagram & Facebook: 110M+ combined
followers, focusing on highly shareable Whoever Innovates Fastest Will Dominate
player and match content. the Next Era of Sports Business
WhatsApp: Launched in 2023, with over
27M followers. Used for cross-promotion, Entertainment brands have already figured
e-commerce, and direct fan interaction. this out. OTT streaming dominates traditional
TikTok: 30M followers, a key growth TV, AI-driven content personalization keeps
channel, leveraging short-form, viewers hooked, and fandom-driven
algorithm-driven content to reach engagement has become a revenue machine.
younger audiences.
The sports industry must borrow from
This strategy isn’t just about reach—it’s gaming, entertainment, and Web3 to build
about control. Clubs that own their fan always-on engagement models—or risk
relationships can monetize engagement at
falling behind. The future of sports fandom
every touchpoint.
isn’t just about watching—it’s about
participation, interaction, and ownership. The
teams that embrace this shift will unlock
The Playbook for the Next Era of billions in untapped revenue. The ones that
Sports Engagement don’t? They’ll lose an entire generation.

The solution isn’t just digital—it’s interactive,

personalized, and participatory. The most Fans Interested in Digital Assets
successful sports teams of the next decade
won’t just sell tickets and merch. They’ll create
digital-first fan economies that incentivize
engagement and reward loyalty beyond
attendance. How?

1. Turn passive fans into active participants:

Gamified experiences, exclusive content, and
interactive digital ownership models will
redefine engagement.
2. Move beyond outdated memberships:
Instant, blockchain-powered rewards—
whether digital collectibles, early access to
content, or VIP experiences—can drive real-
time fan interaction.
3. Monetize global fanbases with Web3, AI,
and real-time engagement tools: A fan in
Tokyo should have the same access to
exclusive experiences as a season-ticket
holder in Los Angeles
Source: Deloitte Insights

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 5

Uptop: Building Loyalty
Ecosystems
Traditional Loyalty Systems slow with costly Here’s how it works:
integrations between brands. Delta and ¨
Starbucks have to build custom, bilateral Rewarding Engagement: Fans earn valuable
integrations just to exchange rewards. rewards—NFTs, branded tokens, exclusive
Blockchain eliminates that friction—partners experiences—for everyday interactions and
can plug in instantly, no middlemen required. purchases.
Next-generation loyalty systems create an Real-Time Insights: Uptop’s platform gives
open ecosystem where clubs, fans, and brands access to actionable data, helping
sponsors connect seamlessly. them personalize offers, boost fan spend, and
track ROI.
Enter Uptop. Built on Avalanche, Uptop Blockchain-Powered Ownership: Using
transforms sports fandom by creating a Avalanche blockchain to create a scalable,
scalable, blockchain-powered rewards open-loop rewards ecosystem, rewards are
ecosystem where fans earn, own, and trade owned by fans—redeemable, tradable, and
digital assets. Instead of outdated, locked-in saved for long-term value.
point systems, Uptop gives fans real stakes in
the teams and brands they support. With Uptop, fans aren’t just getting rewards—
they’re gaining a stake in the brands they
For clubs, the real money isn’t in ticket sales or support. This shift from passive consumer to
merch—it’s in creating an open rewards active participant creates stronger fan loyalty and
network where brands, teams, and fans more meaningful engagement.
interact seamlessly. McDonald’s sponsors the
Cavs? Now those same loyalty perks work
with Real Madrid. One seamless system,
endless monetization opportunities.

Uptop’s Open-Loop
Loyalty Ecosystem Fans

Check out Uptop

Sport Brands &

Teams Partners
Powered by Avalanche Blockchain

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 6

For brands, Uptop offers a direct path to deeper Uptop’s Differentiation from
fan relationships and measurable revenue. Real- Traditional Loyalty Solutions
time analytics and ROI tracking ensure that every
engagement is valuable, allowing teams to fine-
Open-Loop vs. Closed-Loop: Unlike
tune strategies and increase profitability.
traditional loyalty programs, which are
siloed and limited to a single brand or
What it tracks:
ecosystem, Uptop’s open-loop system
enables multiple partners to participate,
Purchase Frequency: How often fans spend
creating broader utility and year-round fan
at partner locations
engagement.
Spending Habits: Top categories like
Transaction-Based Insights: Traditional
groceries, restaurants, or retail
sponsorships rely on impression-based
Engagement Trends: Online vs. offline
data. Uptop shifts the focus to real
interactions and reward redemption
transactions, providing teams and
Proof of Fandom: On-chain badges validate
sponsors with high-fidelity data on real
and reward loyal supporters
spending and conversions, making
partnerships more impactful and
The Result:
measurable.
Seamless, Easy-to-Use Platform: Uptop
Year-round loyalty—even in the off-season
eliminates the friction common in Web3
Data-backed sponsorship decisions
solutions by allowing fans to link their
Sustainable, scalable fan engagement through
existing payment cards. There’s no need
blockchain
for crypto wallets or tokens, making the
platform accessible to mainstream users
By continuously refining rewards structures and
and easy for fans to adopt.
tapping into referral networks, Uptop ensures
Focus on Sports Fandom: Uptop is
year-round engagement, boosting loyalty even
tailored specifically to sports teams and
during the off-season and providing teams with a
leagues, capitalizing on the emotional
sustainable, data-driven engagement model
connection fans have with their teams.
using blockchain technology.
This niche focus sets Uptop apart from
generic loyalty platforms and ensures
more meaningful engagement.

However, the success of open-loop models

Vendor Profile depends on strong partner networks. While
Uptop has successfully onboarded many local,
“The Airline-Style Loyalty Engine for regional, and national brands, securing buy-in
Sports” from additional partners—especially in smaller
markets or with smaller teams—remains an
Year Founded: 2022 ongoing challenge.
Founders: Ross Basri, John Timoney
Notable clients: Cleveland Cavaliers, With clear communication and value
Empire State Building generation, Uptop helps brands transform fan
engagement into measurable sponsor ROI,
Contact
driving incremental spend through data-rich,
conversion-based rewards.

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 7

Case Study
How Cleveland Cavaliers boosted fan spend by 40% &
generated 1M+ transactions in two months

The problem: The Cleveland Cavaliers wanted Seamless Integration: Uptop integrates
to deepen fan engagement and loyalty directly with the Cavs’ ecosystem, powering
beyond the game—connecting fans with the the NBA’s first open-loop rewards program
team in meaningful ways throughout the and connecting fans to affiliate brands in the
year. community, from grocery stores to local
restaurants.
The solution: Partnering with Avalanche and
Uptop, the Cavs launched Cavs Rewards, a Started on October 25, 2024, every Cavs Rewards
blockchain-powered fan loyalty program that member gets a blockchain-powered wallet,
enhances the fan experience with real-world automatically storing their engagement history.
value and rewards. This data is gold—it enables brands to target,
reward, and engage fans like never before. Uptop
Here’s how Uptop elevated the fan takes fan engagement beyond the arena,
experience: enabling the Cavs to track and monetize fan
spending off the court. Unlike traditional loyalty
Convenience: Fans can link their credit or programs, Uptop’s open-loop system captures
debit cards to automatically earn loyalty fan activity at scale.
points on everyday purchases.
Reward Variety: Points can be redeemed
for tickets, VIP experiences, team
merchandise, and exclusive autographed
memorabilia.

8
 The best part? Everyone wins: club, fans

1M+
and partners. Uptop's innovative approach to
fan loyalty has proven to be highly effective in
driving engagement for partners:

transactions rewarded in just

two months Open-Loop Rewards Model: Just like
airlines sell miles to businesses, Uptop lets

40%
local merchants (restaurants, gas stations,
grocery stores) buy Cavs-branded points.
Fans earn rewards by shopping, extending
increase in member spend at engagement far beyond the game day.
participating sponsor locations Seamless Card Linking & Purchase
Tracking: Fans simply link their existing

6 debit or credit cards to Uptop. Purchases

at partner locations automatically
accumulate loyalty points, making the
Six-figure ROI for the Cavs, with process frictionless and encouraging
projections to reach seven figures
as the program matures continuous engagement.
Gamification & Digital Badges: Uptop

1000s
introduces exclusive on-chain
achievement badges that recognize
different tiers of fandom. These collectible
Thousands of fans are participating, badges give fans bragging rights and
with multiple affiliate brands—from enhance their sense of recognition and
grocery chains to quick-service
restaurants—on board. status within the community.
Referral Incentives: Uptop also
encourages fans to refer friends,
amplifying the network effect. Each
The sports industry is a sleeping giant. The Cavs referral increases program adoption,
didn’t decide to build on blockchain—they just creating a growing, engaged community.
needed a way to monetize digital fan
engagement. Uptop had the answer, and now The sports industry isn’t waking up to
they’re pioneering a model that could redefine blockchain because of hype—it’s waking up
sports loyalty worldwide. because the technology delivers. Uptop didn’t
choose blockchain for buzzwords; they chose
it because it’s the most strategic way to build
a fan engagement program that actually
works. Better data tracking, seamless
scalability, and a frictionless digital experience
—blockchain makes it all possible.

“We’re not just creating another

loyalty program; we’re creating
an affiliate network for sports.”

– John Timoney-Gomez, Co-Founder, Uptop

9
How Web3 Is Reshaping
Fandom
In 2024, sports teams leveraged blockchain to
attract and engage the next generation of fans.
Major partnerships are proving that Web3 is more
than hype—it’s the future of fan engagement.

Golden State Warriors x Coinbase: Bringing

fans on-chain with exclusive experiences,
giveaways, and crypto-powered engagement at
Chase Center.
Coinbase x Canadian Football League:
Elevating the 111th Grey Cup with crypto-driven
rewards and unique digital experiences.
Sheffield United x Maneki: Featuring crypto
branding on kits and integrating digital fan
engagement for the 2024-25 season.
Case Studies

ATP Tour

In November 2024, the ATP Tour launched

Momentum, offering fans 15 free, match- “It's tough to say if (Web3) is
specific digital collectibles at the ATP Finals. overhyped when we haven’t seen
These data-driven NFTs use match metrics to
that many sticky and sustainable
visualize player momentum, blending
storytelling with fan engagement—no crypto
use cases yet. For us, Web3 is a
jargon, just exclusive digital experiences. pragmatic tool to solve a clear
business problem—not about
75K participants dropping random NFT collections
Fans returned five times during the event to extract value from audiences”.
25K fans claimed all 15 items
– Mark Epps, Director
87% opt-in rate for marketing
Communications & Web3, ATP Tour

Impact: Direct to Fan Connection. Web3

offers secure, transparent transactions and
personalized experiences, removing
intermediaries and empowering fans with
ownership of digital assets.

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 10

4
 New York Red Bulls & Sports
Illustrated

SI Tickets and the New York Red Bulls agreed

to a historic 13 year deal, encompassing
stadium rights and exclusive blockchain
ticketing partnership. The venue is now known
as Sports Illustrated Stadium, ushering in a
wave of innovative fan experiences, including a
blockchain-based ticketing system starting in
2026.

Blockchain: SI Tickets leverages the

Avalanche blockchain to provide secure,
dynamic digital tickets that in turn will
enhance fan engagement and
personalized content and live perks.
Enhanced Fan Experience: New features
include a Sports Illustrated Fan Cover
experience, a 1,000-person Club SI, and
exclusive SI-specific entertainment.

This marks the first blockchain based ticketing

partnership with a major team in the US.

Tixbase & Passo

Tixbase, a blockchain-powered ticketing

platform, entered a 5-year exclusive
partnership with Passo, Turkey’s leading
event ticketing company.

They’re addressing key issues in the ticketing

industry, including fraud, transparency, and
secondary market regulation, managing over
25M tickets annually via its Avalanche-based
blockchain, Tixchain.

Impact: Ticketing. Blockchain technology is

transforming ticketing by ensuring
authenticity and reducing fraud, while also
enabling secondary markets for ticket sales.

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 4

11
Coachella

Coachella has launched Coachella Quests, a

loyalty game powered by Avalanche, blending
physical and digital festival experiences to
boost fan engagement and loyalty.

Festival-goers can earn NFTs and XP points

by completing virtual and on-site tasks, like
scavenger hunts or interacting with
Coachella’s Discord.

These digital rewards unlock exclusive

perks—from VIP access to unreleased
music—and culminate in the chance to
win a rare Coachella Key NFT with free
2025 festival passes.

Coachella is reinventing fan loyalty by using

NFTs and blockchain to build deeper
connections and gather insights to enhance
future experiences.

Impact: Loyalty. Blockchain-based loyalty

programs create transparent and engaging
reward systems that enhance fan experiences.

Watford FC

Watford FC made history as the first major English football club

to offer digital equity through blockchain. Partnering with
Republic, the Championship League club has launched a
tokenized equity sale via the Avalanche network, allowing fans
to own a piece of the club.

Fans become stakeholders: Purchase equity in the club

using fiat currencies (USD/GBP), not just crypto.
Exclusive benefits: Token holders gain access to VIP
experiences and are eligible for discretionary dividends.
Future token trading: The club plans to enable trading of
these tokens, unlocking new liquidity opportunities.

This goes beyond loyalty programs by offering tangible

ownership and potential financial returns.

Impact. Community-Powered Ecosystems. Clubs are moving

towards fan ownership, allowing supporters to buy digital
equity or participate in cooperative models.
Karate Kombat

Karate Combat, a full-contact sports league

with 100s of millions global, has adopted Web3
technology by launching a DAO and its
governance token, $KARATE. This approach,
combining live-action and CGI with fan-
powered tokenomics, enhances fan
engagement by removing third-party ads and
incentivizing community participation.

By turning their marketing budget into direct

incentives for fans, they’ve pioneered a model
that drives engagement and loyalty. Every
sports club (and brand!) can adopt this
Read the full case study
approach, creating a dynamic, interactive
ecosystem where fans not only watch but
actively participate and profit.

Impact: Ownership fuels loyalty. Fans have a

say and a stake in the league’s success,
making them active participants rather than
passive spectators.

13
Feature.io: Connecting Fans
to Content
Similar to sports, blockchain-powered rewards, Real-Time Triggers: Sports teams can use
interactive content, and real-time engagement stadium presence & streaming behaviours for
are deepening audience participation—and instant offers.
they’re unlocking entirely new revenue streams.
In short: Feature treats moments and content as a
Sports clubs and brands are spending millions dynamic, programmable asset. Every interaction
on advertising, sponsorships, and content — but becomes new revenue, real-time insights, and
do you really know who’s engaging? provable loyalty. This is the next frontier of the
Fan engagement is broken. Brands spend engagement economy.
billions on ads that fans ignore. Teams struggle
to monetize beyond ticket sales. QR codes? Example: Instand Fan Rewards at
Dead on arrival.
Concerts & Music Festivals
Feature.io solves the last-mile problem of fan
You’re at Coachella, watching Drake perform.
and viewer engagement by turning passive
Before his final song, a push notification pops up:
audiences into trackable, monetisable
“Vote for Drake’s encore song & win OVO merch!”
customers using Smart Content™ technology
You vote, and Feature.io instantly sends a 10%
and the Avalanche blockchain. No QR codes, no
discount to your festival app.
extra steps—just instant, frictionless rewards.
Bonus: The next day, you get a VIP early access
code for Drake’s upcoming tour.
In short: Every viewer interaction turns into a
monetizable and trackable moment. Feature.io connects with the official festival app (e.g.,
Coachella App). Since fans scan their tickets at entry,
Next-Level Engagement the system knows who is inside. Instead of just entry,
a ticket unlocks interactive perks (exclusive rewards,
Sports teams and entertainment brands benefit merch, VIP access). This increases ticket demand,
from deeper fan connections and new revenue making fans more willing to buy official passes rather
streams through premium ad placements that than risk scalpers.
guarantee real-time engagement. Media
platforms leveraging Feature.io can unlock This level of first-party engagement data is a game-
higher CPM rates by offering brands verified changer for advertisers and sponsors, who can now
audience interaction metrics, something prove ad effectiveness and retarget engaged
traditional digital advertising cannot match: audiences with precision.

New Revenue Channels: Feature’s

tokenized rewards and blockchain Vendor Profile: Feature.io
verification turn every watch into
monetizable engagement, actionable “Turning interactions into value,
insights, and fan retention. everywhere.”
Seamless Brand & Fan Connection:
Advertisers and sponsors get precise, Year Founded: 2021
verifiable audience data, improving Founders: Steven Ilous
Notable clients: Netflix, Lollipop Racing
campaign ROI and unlocking scalable,
personalized rewards ecosystems.
Contact

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 14

Netflix: Love, Death & Robots Making every moment count
Activation

Digital scavenger hunt connected to the

Netflix series “Love, Death + Robots”.

Challenge: Boost viewer engagement in a

measurable way.

Solution: Feature integrated Web3-powered

rewards into Netflix’s campaign for Love,
Death & Robots, incentivizing viewers with
NFTs as they engaged with the show.

Results:
100M impressions in 60 days with a For brands
Connect through push
sub-$250K investment.
notifications based on content
ROI through smart content integration interaction
and audience insights. 60%+ engagement vs traditional
Actionable data on viewer behaviors to ads (~2%)
refine future campaigns. Know who engaged and who
converted
Segment and re-engage fans
who interacted
Lollipop Racing: Porsche & Mobil 1
For teams & platforms
Partnership
More revenue: Feature-enabled
ads command e premium
Streamed series of an interactive fantasy Monetize beyond sponsorships
motorsport game. Created by Feature and Enhance fan experience through
gamification
written and executive-produced by The Fast
and the Furious creator David Ayer, Lollipop
combines a traditional episodic series with an
interactive strategy game that enables fans
to engage with each race and impact the
story as it unfolds.

Challenge: Drive fan participation in a

branded event.

Solution: Feature gamified rewards for fans

interacting with Lollipop Racing content,
offering blockchain-backed incentives.

Results:
5M+ impressions and 2M+ views.
78% reward engagement rate.
6.8% viewer-to-user conversion,
demonstrating high user retention and
participation.

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 15

The Web3 Vendor Spotlight

Tech Stack Leading “layer 1” blockchain for consumer

applications.

Performance & Scalability: Avalanche

handles transactions with near-instant
Loyalty programs are evolving—and
finality and low fees, enabling millions of
blockchain is making them faster, cheaper,
transactions and rewards at minimal cost
and more scalable. Uptop and Feature
—critical for consumer-scale adoption.
leverage Avalanche blockchain to power Customizability: Avalanche supports
next-gen loyalty platforms, ensuring custom Layer 1 blockchains allowing you4to
seamless, cost-effective engagement for fans own your stack with tailored governance
and brands. and regulatory compliance, offering
flexibility for Enterprises beyond single-
Understanding the Tech chain platforms.
Multi-Chain Architecture: Avalanche’s
design allows parallel chains to operate
Blockchain: Automates reward
independently while communicating
distribution via smart contracts, creating
seamlessly, ensuring efficiency and
seamless integrations between loyalty
scalability.
partners. Developer Support: A thriving ecosystem
Tokens & NFTs: Represent ownership, ensures fast deployments and frictionless
access, and rewards—fully interoperable user experiences.
and tradeable. They also contain a ton of
data for brands. Brands that build on Avalanche: Coachella,
Wallets: The place where users store and Sports Illustrated Tickets, Suntory, Cleveland
access their tokens. Cavaliers, Konami, SK Planet, Solo Leveling,
Maple Story.

Contact the team

Web3 Tech Ecosystem for Fan Engagement

Future of Fan Engagement – fiftyone.xyz 16

 Key Take-Aways For Execs

Brands and corporates have experimented a lot in Turn consumer loyalty to brand loyalty: Turn
Web3, but building lasting consumer loyalty consumer loyalty into brand loyalty by aligning
remains a challenge. While token-gated your rewards with your brand’s core values and
communities, NFTs, and blockchain integrations story. Offer perks that resonate emotionally, like
have shown potential, many initiatives fail to go exclusive content, early access to products, or
beyond novelty. Here are a few takeaways that can branded experiences that deepen the
help brands strategize focusing on personalization, connection.
community-driven experiences, and actionable Pro Tip: Use loyalty programs to tell your
rewards: brand’s story—every reward should reinforce
why consumers chose you in the first place.
Deliver instant gratification: Fans respond to Trace each touchpoint and utilize data: Create
immediate rewards. Offer perks like discounts, touchpoints that keep fans engaged during the
exclusive content, or limited-edition collectibles off-season, like digital watch parties or interactive
directly after purchases or interactions. social media campaigns. Analyze purchase
Pro Tip: Use QR codes, NFC technology or patterns, event attendance, and digital
instand notifications (cf. Feature.io) at interactions to tailor offers. Fans are more likely to
stadiums to trigger real-time rewards for engage when they feel the experience is built just
attendees—like a free snack or exclusive for them.
merch access.
Experience over product: Prioritize meaningful
Build a community: Loyalty isn’t just about social experiences over products. Fans remember
points—it’s about creating a sense of how they felt more than what they bought.
belonging. Build a membership model where Create shared moments—like live events, fan
fans feel like part of an exclusive community, challenges, or interactive content—that build
with unique perks like behind-the-scenes emotional connections and deepen brand
access or live Q&A sessions with players or affinity.
entertainers. Pro Tip: Design experiences where fans
collaborate or celebrate together. A strong
sense of belonging drives loyalty far beyond
individual purchases.

“We’re building what hasn’t The future of fan engagement belongs to those who
been done before—a scalable, move beyond transactions and build lasting, data-
blockchain-powered loyalty driven connections—because in the new era of
sports, loyalty isn’t earned, it’s engineered.
network where teams, brands,
and fans interact seamlessly. If
McDonald’s sponsors the Cavs,
that same rewards system
works for Real Madrid. One
system. Infinite monetization
opportunities.”
– John Timoney-Gomez,
Co-Founder, Uptop

17
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