Sports Marketing Machine Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Group ticket buyers aren’t casual fans — they’re planners.

Office managers, HR directors, coaches, and teachers are trying to organize an event without creating more work for themselves. If your group sales page makes them think too hard, they leave.

In this episode, Jeremy Neisser explains how cognitive load quietly kills group sales and shares a simple framework that helps teams make their group pages clearer, faster to understand, and easier to book.

Jeremy also walks through how small changes in messaging — like clearer headlines, pricing cues, and fewer decisions — can dramatically increase group inquiries.

Key Topics Covered

• Why cognitive load is one of the biggest hidden killers of group ticket sales
• The four questions every group sales page must answer immediately
• Why group buyers behave differently than single-game ticket buyers
• How too many packages, options, and paragraphs create friction
• The power of bullet points over paragraphs on sales pages
• Why teams should show starting prices early instead of hiding pricing
• The importance of one clear call-to-action for group buyers
• The “Caveman Test” for instantly evaluating your website clarity

The 4 Questions Every Group Sales Page Must Answer

When a group organizer lands on your page, they are trying to answer four simple questions:

1. Is this for me?
   Show the types of outings immediately (company picnic, youth sports night, church outing, birthday party, etc.).
2. What do I get?
   Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs.
3. What does it cost?
   Even simple starting pricing reduces friction.
4. What do I do next?
   Give one clear action like “Check available dates” or “Get group pricing.”

If buyers have to scroll around and interpret things to figure these out, you’ve created friction.

And confused people don’t buy tickets.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: The hidden killer of group sales
 01:28 – What cognitive load actually means
 02:30 – Why group buyers behave differently than single-game buyers
 04:16 – The four questions every group sales page must answer
 05:43 – Why bullet points outperform paragraphs
 06:41 – The importance of showing pricing early
 07:32 – Simplifying your call-to-action
 08:57 – Common mistakes teams make on group sales pages
 10:50 – The “Caveman Test” for website clarity
 11:48 – Live teardown of a Minor League group sales page
 14:06 – Why clarity matters more than traffic

YouTube walk-through video - LINK

Call to Action

If this episode helped you rethink your group sales pages, share it with someone else in sports who’s trying to sell more tickets and grow their fan base.

And if you enjoyed the show, a quick rating or review on Apple or Spotify helps more sports marketers discover the podcast.

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Should your team be selling merchandise on Amazon?

In this episode, Jeremy breaks down the real strategic implications of adding Amazon as a sales channel — from margin math and SEO strategy to customer data ownership and cannibalization risk. If you're responsible for revenue, merchandise, or digital marketing, this is your practical roadmap before you jump in.

Key Topics Covered

• Why Amazon is more search engine than storefront — and why that matters
• The real math behind Amazon’s 15% referral fee
• FBA vs. FBM: Fulfillment by Amazon vs. Merchant fulfillment
• The hidden cost of losing first-party customer data
• Why you should never push your fans from Shopify to Amazon
• How Amazon SEO works (and why semantic SEO matters)
• Why city/state-forward merchandise should launch before team-branded items
• How to prevent Shopify cannibalization
• Pricing strategy: Why you may want to charge more on Amazon
• Using Amazon strictly as an acquisition channel
• Connecting Shopify to Amazon with Marketplace Connect
• Modeling margin before listing a single product

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Selling Merchandise on Amazon
 01:59 Why Amazon Is a Powerful Sales Channel
 03:48 Revenue Potential During Peak Seasons
 05:42 Fulfillment Options: FBA vs FBM
 07:08 Understanding Amazon Fees and Margins
 08:32 Customer Data Ownership and Marketing Challenges
 10:54 The Importance of SEO and Search Demand
 13:14 Keyword Strategies and Search Terms
 14:58 Starting with City and State Apparel
 18:23 Semantic SEO and Listing Optimization
 20:12 Connecting Shopify and Amazon
 21:32 Getting Started and Learning the Platform
 22:29 Pricing, Margins, and Protecting Your Brand
 23:25 Strategies to Increase Sales and Customer Lifetime Value
 24:46 Balancing Amazon and Shopify for Growth
 26:10 Next Steps and Deeper Conversations

Core Strategic Takeaways

1. Amazon is an acquisition engine — not a loyalty platform.
 You will gain reach. You will gain visibility. But Amazon owns the customer relationship — not you.

2. Start broad before going branded.
 City-forward, state-pride, and general baseball apparel can build search velocity and reviews before you launch deeper team SKUs.

3. SEO is the real game.
 Amazon rankings are driven by relevance + performance + conversion velocity. Without visibility, there are no sales.

4. Model your numbers before you move inventory.
 Understand your true profit after fees. Align pricing carefully. Consider charging slightly more on Amazon to protect margin.

Resources Mentioned

• Shopify Marketplace Connect
• Marketplace Connect Tips
• Fulfillment by Merchant Overview & Referral Fees
• Amazon Seller Central
• Amazon Seller University
• Semantic SEO research tools
  • Jungle Scout
  • Helium 10

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The marketing landscape changed fast in 2025—and sports teams felt it in their revenue. In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine, Jeremy Neisser breaks down 13 real-world marketing lessons that directly impacted ticket sales, renewals, and average order value. No trends, no platforms, no vanity metrics—just the decisions that actually showed up on the revenue report and matter heading into 2026.

Key Topics Covered

• Why buying friction quietly kills impulse ticket sales
• How revenue exposes bad marketing faster than engagement metrics
• Why timing beats messaging when it comes to conversions
• The costly mistake of choosing clever over clear
• How personalization (not tech) drove higher sales
• Why owned channels became the safest revenue engine
• How creative replaced targeting in paid media
• Why familiar offers outperform “new and shiny” ideas
• Bundles vs. discounts—and why bundles win
• The overlooked revenue power of single-game buyers
• How promotions train (or damage) fan behavior
• Why retention quietly became cheaper than acquisition
• How top teams turned marketing into a revenue system, not a department

Episode Chapters / Timestamps

• 00:00 – Why these aren’t trends, platforms, or vanity metrics
• 01:30 – Lesson 1: Buying friction kills impulse sales
• 04:53 – Lesson 2: Revenue exposes bad marketing
• 07:15 – Lesson 3: Timing > messaging
• 09:07 – Lesson 4: Clarity always beats cleverness
• 10:54 – Lesson 5: Personalization as a revenue lever
• 13:32 – Lesson 6: Owned channels = owned revenue
• 15:28 – Lesson 7: Creative became the new targeting
• 17:24 – Lesson 8: Familiarity sells faster than novelty
• 19:20 – Lesson 9: Bundles beat discounts
• 20:17 – Lesson 10: Single-game buyers as a growth engine
• 21:42 – Lesson 11: Promotions train fan behavior
• 23:09 – Lesson 12: Retention beats acquisition
• 25:00 – Lesson 13: Marketing as a revenue system

Call to Action

If this episode sparked an idea—or exposed something you need to fix—reach out at sportsmarketingmachine.com or connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn. And if alignment still isn’t happening between sales and marketing on your team, this episode is required listening.

Why This Episode Matters

The teams that won in 2025 didn’t shout louder or spend more—they reduced friction, showed up at the right moment, personalized their offers, and aligned sales, marketing, and data around revenue. These 13 lessons are your blueprint for turning marketing into predictable ticket sales in 2026.

Links mentioned:

Episode 140: Mystery Park Promo that Sold 700 Tickets

Episode 137: Make Your Black Friday/Cyber Monday Offer So Good! 

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In this episode, I sit down with Kris McCarthy, co-founder of FanSaves a digital coupon platform for teams. Most teams have paper coupons that they distribute for sponsors before, during, or after games. Oftentimes these coupons are thrown in the trash, left in cars, and ultimately never used.

Summary:

Fansaves is a digital platform that offers fans discounts and deals from the sponsors of their favorite sports teams. It acts as a team's own digital coupon book, connecting fans with sponsors and incentivizing fan engagement. The idea for Fansaves came from the founders' experience in selling sponsorships and the need for a digital solution that could activate fans and provide valuable customer analytics. Currently, nearly 80 teams across North America are using Fansaves in various sports leagues.

The platform offers features such as triggered promotions, exclusive deals for season ticket holders, and real-time data tracking for teams and sponsors. Fansaves plans to expand its partnerships and create a marketplace for brands to connect with teams.

Takeaways:

• Fansaves is a digital platform that connects fans with discounts and deals from sponsors of their favorite sports teams.
• The platform offers features such as triggered promotions, exclusive deals for season ticket holders, and real-time data tracking for teams and sponsors.
• Nearly 80 teams across North America are currently using Fansaves in various sports leagues.
• Fansaves plans to expand its partnerships and create a marketplace for brands to connect with teams.

Sound Bites:

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Fansaves

01:25 - Origin and Creation of Fansaves

03:15 - Development of Fansaves Platform

04:30 - Number of Teams Using Fansaves

05:22 - Features and Usage of Fansaves

07:38 - Promoting Fansaves to Fans

10:04 - Redeeming Deals at Partner Businesses

12:28 - Creative Deals and Partnerships

14:34 - Utilizing Fansaves in the Off-Season

16:00 - Using Fansaves to Track Season Ticket Holder Spending

19:39 - Future Plans for Fansaves

24:47 - Reflection on the Growth of Fansaves

26:19 - Contacting Fansaves

FanSaves has been steadily growing with sports teams all over the United States and Canada.

If you have questions about FanSaves, feel free to reach out to Kris - kris@fansaves.com or on LinkedIn

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In this episode, Jeremy Neisser introduces the 30 Days to Opening Day Countdown plan, which helps sports marketers organize their marketing activities leading up to the start of the season. The plan involves filling in a calendar with all the marketing activities, such as paid media, trade media, community appearances, social media posts, and more. 

By having everything in one place, marketers can easily see any gaps in their marketing activities and make adjustments. The plan also allows for reflection and future planning after opening weekend. The episode concludes with a call to invest in marketing training and data consultation to improve ticket sales and marketing effectiveness.

This calendar will have ALL of your marketing activities in one spot so that you know exactly what you are doing to promote opening weekend and where you have open opportunities to do more to promote the season.

Takeaways

• Use the 30 Days to Opening Day Countdown plan to organize marketing activities leading up to the start of the season.
• Fill in a calendar with all the marketing activities, including paid media, trade media, community appearances, social media posts, and more.
• Having everything in one place helps identify any gaps in marketing activities and allows for adjustments.
• Reflect on the marketing activities after opening weekend and use the insights to plan for future seasons.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Opening Day Preparation

02:06 - The 30 Days to Opening Day Plan

03:02 - Filling in the Calendar

05:00 - Identifying Marketing Activities

06:42 - Benefits of Having a Comprehensive Plan

07:33 - Reflection and Future Planning

09:48 - Takeaways and Conclusion

Links:
Word Calendars
Google Docs

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In this episode, I sit down with Heather & Carie from Destroy Promotional Products (Destroyer.Rocks) to talk all things promotional giveaways at games.
They discuss hot products and giveaways for sports teams, trends in promotional items, season ticket holder gifts, alternate identities, and more. They emphasize the importance of creativity and customization in promotional giveaways, as well as the value of high-quality items that fans will keep. 

They also mention the popularity of bobbleheads, reversible bucket hats, and pins, and the potential for merchandise sales to drive traffic and increase revenue.

We talk:

• Hot Products
• Trending Ideas
• Tried & True Giveaways
• Season Ticket Gifts
• Alternate Identity giveaways
• And more! 

Connect with Heather (heather@destroyer.rocks) or Carie (carie@destroyer.rocks). 

Takeaways

• Creativity and customization are key in promotional giveaways for sports teams.
• High-quality items that fans will keep are more valuable than cheap trinkets.
• Bobbleheads, reversible bucket hats, and pins are popular promotional items.
• Merchandise sales can drive traffic and increase revenue for teams.
• Season ticket holder gifts should be collectible and make fans feel important.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
13:32 - Trends in Promotional Items
28:31 - Alternate Identities
38:45 - Merchandise Sales and Traffic

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In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the power of testimonials in selling more tickets for sports events. He explains how testimonials can demonstrate empathy and authority, and shares tips for choosing the right candidates to provide testimonials. Jeremy also provides three key questions to ask when collecting testimonials, and highlights five places where testimonials can be used in marketing. 

Takeaways

• Testimonials can be a powerful tool for selling more tickets and growing a fan base.
• When choosing testimonial candidates, look for individuals who are willing to share their story and have an outgoing personality.
• Three key questions to ask when collecting testimonials: 1) What motivated you to start considering purchasing tickets? 2) How did attending our games make a difference for you? 3) How has attending our games impacted your overall enjoyment or experiences?
• Testimonials can be used on websites, social posts, printed collateral, videos, and in emails to fans.
• Understanding data and digital marketing is crucial for effectively selling more tickets and managing marketing budgets.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:10 - The Power of Testimonials

03:59 - Question 1: Motivation to Purchase Tickets

04:55 - Question 2: Difference Made by Attending Games

05:50 - Question 3: Impact of Attending Games

07:11 - Using Testimonials in Marketing

09:22 - Data Training and Marketing

Testimonials are a powerful tool that we have ALL been influenced by.
Everywhere we look it is some sort of testimonial or vote of confidence; from the testimonials and star ratings on Amazon to the reviews on Yelp, testimonials are everywhere.

Teams can use testimonials to help sell more tickets to their games but asking three questions. The ultimate goal is to allow them to share the transformation of what life was like BEFORE the coming to your games and now afterward.

Question 1: What motivated you to start considering purchasing tickets to the game (or bring your staff out, buy a fundraiser, buy season tickets, etc.)? Were you looking to solve a particular problem or fulfill a specific need, and if so, what was it?

-Why we are asking this question:  We are asking indirectly, “What problem were you experiencing before you bought tickets to your team?”

Question #2: Share with us how coming to your game(or having season tickets, etc.) made a difference for you. How did it help tackle the issues or meet the needs you had in mind when you first considered buying tickets?

-Why we are asking this question: How did your games help you solve this problem?

Question #3:  Since you started coming to our games (or having season tickets, etc.) how has it (insert what they were intending from question 1 -(examples may be better culture, thanked employees/clients, raised funds for the organization, impact of fundraising, etc.)? We'd love to hear about the ways it has added to your overall enjoyment and experiences.
 -Why we are asking this question: What is their life like now because of our product or service? 

These allow the person sharing the testimonial to talk candidly about how YOU solved their problem. 

Where to use these:

• Website
• Social Posts
• Collateral
• Videos to provide to potential clients
• E

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In this episode, Jeremy Neisser shares the story of Troy Murphy and how the Golden State Warriors used data to make decisions. Troy Murphy, a power forward, was signed to a lucrative contract based on his rebounding statistics. 

I dive into the story of Troy Murphy of the Golden State Warriors. 
Troy Murphy was a 6 foot-11 power forward out of Notre Dame that the Golden State Warriors drafted with their second pick in the first round, 14th overall in the 2001 draft. 

However, a deeper analysis of the data revealed that most of his rebounds came from three-pointers, and he wasn't as effective in the paint. The story highlights the importance of understanding the cause and effect of marketing strategies using data and getting a holistic view of the data to make informed decisions.

Troy ranked 5th in the NBA in rebounds for the 2004-05 season and signed a lucrative deal after the year. I dive into why this deal was not the best for the Warriors and what ticket-selling lessons there are for teams. 

Takeaways

• Understand the cause and effect of your marketing strategy using data.
• Get a holistic view of your data and dig deeper to gain more insights.
• Interpreting data is essential for managing budgets and making informed marketing decisions.
• Weak data analysis can lead to ineffective ticket sales and marketing strategies.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:16 - The Story of Troy Murphy

05:05 - The Use of Data in 2005

06:58 - The Impact of Three-Pointers

08:53 - Troy Murphy's Performance

09:47 - Takeaway 1: Understand Cause and Effect

10:15 - Takeaway 2: Get a Holistic View of Data

12:37 - Conclusion

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In this podcast episode, I dive into the differences between the two, why you should choose one over the other and best practices.

Link to the YouTube walk-through video

What is a Boosted Post on Facebook:

• A boosted post is designed to increase the reach and engagement of a regular post on your Facebook page.
• It's a quick and easy way to get your content in front of a larger audience, including people who may not already follow your page.
• The boosted post retains the same format as your original post but is shown to a wider audience.
• You can add specific call-to-action buttons like "Learn More," "Shop Now," or "Sign Up."

Paid Advertisement using Meta (Facebook Ads):

• Meta (Facebook) Ads offer a wide range of campaign objectives, such as brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, conversions, etc.
• You can choose a specific goal based on your business objectives.
• Meta Ads provide more advanced targeting options compared to boosted posts. You can create custom audiences based on behaviors, interests, demographics, and more.
• Meta Ads offer various ad formats, including carousel ads, slideshow ads, video ads, and more.
• You have greater control over the creative elements, allowing for a more customized and branded advertising experience.

Key Differences:

1. Objectives and Goals: Boosted posts are more about increasing engagement, while Facebook Ads allow for a broader range of marketing objectives.
2. Targeting and Customization: Facebook Ads offer more sophisticated targeting options and creative customization compared to boosted posts.
3. Budget Control: With Facebook Ads, you have more control over your budget, bidding, and scheduling, allowing for a more strategic approach.

• Business Size and Experience: Boosted posts are suitable for individuals and small businesses looking for a simple boost in visibility.
• Facebook Ads are better suited for businesses with more specific marketing goals and a willingness to invest time in campaign optimization.

Takeaways

• Boosted posts are effective for increasing the reach and engagement of regular posts on a Facebook page.
• Facebook ads provide more sophisticated targeting options and campaign objectives.
• Audience targeting, budget control, and creative customization are crucial for running successful ad campaigns.
• Facebook ads are recommended for teams with specific marketing goals, while boosted posts are suitable for increasing visibility of content.

Sound Bites

• "A boosted post is designed to increase the reach and engagement of a regular post on your Facebook page."
• "Facebook ads provide significantly better audience targeting options than boosted posts."
• "Facebook ads give you so much more flexibility in how you create your ads compared to boosted posts."

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction

07:21 - Flexibility in Ad Creation

12:48 - Choosing Between Boosted Posts and Facebook Ads

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In this podcast interview, Jeremy Neisser sits down with Ryan Foose from Fooser Sports to discuss all things branding in the sports industry. Ryan shares his background in design and his experience working with sports teams to launch and rebrand their brands.

They discuss the misconception of what a brand is, the importance of considering all aspects of a brand beyond just the logo, and the key elements to consider when launching a new brand or alternate identity. Ryan also shares success stories from his work with the Copa program and minor league baseball teams.
Links mentioned:
Fooser Sports
Episode 40 with Jared Orton from the Savannah Bananas 

Takeaways

• A brand is more than just a logo - it encompasses all aspects of a team or organization, including the players, community, and fan experience.
• When launching a new brand or alternate identity, it's important to consider the community, fans, and demographics of the team's market.
• Successful brands go beyond the logo and consider the full lifespan of the brand, including merchandise, marketing, and storytelling.
• Launching a new brand requires buy-in from stakeholders, including influencers and insiders, as well as a strong merchandising strategy.
• Finding the right balance is key when rebranding - it's important to stay true to the team's primary brand while also refreshing and modernizing it.
• Success stories in branding include the Copa program in minor league baseball, which aimed to engage Hispanic communities, and the Motor Boaters alternate identity, which found a playful balance between humor and appropriateness.

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