A new industry report suggests that a growing proportion of fans remain “commercially invisible” to sports organisations, with implications for how major events and commercial rights are valued.
According to the Anonymous Fan Index - based on insights from senior executives across 50 leagues, clubs and rights holders - roughly one in three rights holders estimates they lose between $1 million and $5 million annually because they cannot identify and monetise much of their audience.
Across the sample, 62% believe they forgo more than $100,000 annually due to limited ability to reach or convert fans, and organisations say they only know about a quarter of their total fanbase by name or contact.
The findings arrive in a broader industry context where sports bodies increasingly prioritise direct fan engagement and data-driven revenue streams amid slowing media rights growth. Major global events such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics are pushing digital fan engagement strategies as part of rights and sponsorship negotiations, but the new research underscores a persistent gap between visibility and commercial capture.
The research notes that some smaller and challenger organisations may be moving faster to adapt. Over a third of respondents said that more than half of their sponsorship renewals are now directly linked to fan engagement and data, reflecting the need to maximise commercial returns from smaller audiences.
Ed Abis, CEO of Dizplai, who produced the report, says the findings should be a wake-up call. “This isn’t a data issue. It’s a commercial one. Rights holders aren’t losing fans - they’re losing the ability to know them. And if you don’t know them, you can’t grow them.”
Not all stakeholders view fan anonymity solely as a missed revenue opportunity. Privacy advocates warn that data collection – especially at scale and during major events – raises legitimate concerns.
Surveillance technologies in stadiums and digital platforms in particular can create uncomfortable environments for fans who value privacy, and European and US frameworks like GDPR and CCPA require explicit consent and transparency in data use. For some spectators, remaining anonymous is not just preference, but protection against intrusive tracking and potential misuse of personal data.
