Fan engagement platform from Fortress trusted by world-leading teams 

Liam Watson
Within the sports and entertainment industry, Fortress GB have built themselves into a trusted partner for over 130 teams around the world. 

Within the sports and entertainment industry, Fortress GB have built themselves into a trusted partner for over 130 teams around the world. 

The interactive data platform Fortress One has been developed to give teams a better understanding about who their fans are, leading to an improved fan engagement and maximises the value of this experience. 

Over 130 the world’s leading sports teams have already chosen Fortress, who transform the way stadiums and venues operate. Their highly regarded reputation has seen them link up with 16 of the 20 current English Premier League teams. By providing better access to data, Fortress can uncover new revenue streams for game day and any commercial activities. 

Fortress were found in 2001 with their technology encapsulating both radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC), to power digital ticketing implementation. 

They are committed to bringing the best to any organisation, backed by their 20 years of industry experience. Fortress can be on the front foot during events, catering for the ever-changing needs of fans and customers. Their platform ranges across four different categories. 

Loyalty: Personalise the in-venue and online experience to maximise the value to each fan. 

  • Fans can earn rewards for their participation with particular content. Each point of customer engagement is turned into a potential source of rich value. Rewards can include experiences, live campaigns, upgrades, discounts, and rich media content. 
  • 30 days of sport can grow into 365 days of engagement – hook in ticketing, attendance, concessions, merchandise, digital, interactive games, social and even sponsors and commercial partners are areas of note. 
  • Fans can access rewards anytime anywhere through a powerful mobile optimised portal, built to catch the eye.

Payment: Drive revenues from in-stadium spend, across sponsors and commercial partners. 

  • Stored value, loaded tickets, cash-back incentives and variable discounts can all be delivered in real time, through a powerful payment platform. 
  • Proven to drive spend and satisfaction as part of an overall loyalty and rewards strategy. 
  • The range of the payment program can be extended via the new Merchant Connect facility – a powerful platform add on that hooks in commercial sponsors, partners and local merchants. Fans can benefit from their day-to-day spend and taps into a rich new source of data and revenues. 

Access: Deliver the best game-day experience with real-time stadium access information 

  • Knowing who is in the stadium and understanding the complete chain of custody of any ticket is key to building a valuable database of fans and providing the best game day experience. 
  • Fortress Access components is a highly proven and robust access solution used by many of the world’s leading venues – with specific solutions for general admission, secondary, VIP and suite access. 
  • Regarded as the leading innovator in contactless RFID and mobile ticketing, Fortress is pushing the boundaries of digital identify even further as the world moves to NFC and biometric technology. 

Analytics: Generate personalised and actionable insights by unifying data across multiple sources. 

  • Understand and target fans with personalised content, rewards, incentives and services. 
  • Data is valuable if it can be applied to business questions. Access’ platform is designed for Sports Teams – focusing on delivering precise insight that can support business growth across all customer touchpoints. 
  • There’s potential to engage with fans not seen before by capturing their attention and tailoring to their interests and preferences. 

In the overall scheme of things, Fortress understands what different teams want to achieve and can then develop a strategy that brings long-term results. Among their success stories, Fortress have seen increases of 30% and 50% for first season attendance and retention rates through their loyalty program respectively, while redemption rates of in-stadium partner campaigns went up 20% and concourse spend up 25%. 

Innovation is part of Fortress’ DNA, so they are always on the lookout for new technology solutions for the world of sports and entertainment, endeavouring to match an organisation’s goals. 

To see more of Fortress in action and get an insight into their extensive clients list, you can find it here. 

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GIS Masterclass: Fan Engagement and Marketing with Terry Lynam and Karen Grega

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Image Credit: Global Institute of Sport

The Global Institute of Sport recently hosted a masterclass on Fan Engagement and Marketing, bringing together two industry leaders to tackle the field’s most pressing issues.

The Global Institute of Sport (GIS), which offers a Master’s in Sports Business and Sports Analytics through the University of Newcastle, regularly holds masterclasses with industry leaders as part of its curriculum.

The latest focused on fan engagement and marketing, covering two key themes: the growing tension between live sport and online streaming, and the role of data in shaping the fan experience.

The panelists 

Terry Lynam recently concluded her role as General Manager of Fan Experience and Events at Football Australia, overseeing the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on home soil.

Karen Grega is an experienced sports management consultant with a multi-code background. She currently represents Football Coaches Australia (FCA) and Heartbeat of Football, and has previously worked with Sydney Cricket Ground, Venues NSW and Sydney FC.

Live Sport and social media.

Terry Lynam opened with a pointed statement — one she acknowledged would be controversial. She argued that the sense of community unique to live sport is being eroded by social media and ‘snippet’ consumption.

Central to her concern is how marketing teams are failing to segment their audiences, treating casual online viewers the same as matchday fans.

“If they aren’t spending money on the sport we shouldn’t count them as spectators to the same level as match going fans.”

“What we want to consider as marketeers is how much we want to give away and how much we want our live sport element to remain,” Lynam said.

Grega echoed the sentiment, arguing fan engagement ultimately comes down to human connection. “It’s not rocket science.”

She suggested the industry revisit the concept of sport as a family outing to recapture that communal experience.

Data Driving Decisions

Both panelists highlighted data and analytics as central to modern fan engagement.

Grega recalled the introduction of computerised turnstiles as a turning point, enabling teams to track crowd movements and optimise staffing and entry times.

She also noted the continued value of fan surveys in informing marketing decisions.

Lynam pointed to ticketing technology as a significant data frontier.

Modern platforms like Ticketmaster’s ticket-transfer system now provide detailed customer insights.

“It allows us to have a better understanding of who’s getting the ticket and how they transport themselves there or when they arrive,”

“We can personalise their journey and sell content to them,” Lynam commented. 

The discussion also touched on data sourced from social media and on-field player tracking, as well as interactive stadium technology gaining traction in the US.

This included holographic assistants and player headset interactions that bring a broadcast-style experience to live events.

Activations That Educate

Activations rounded out the masterclass, with Lynam detailing how she created a fan zone on a modest budget for the Women’s Asian Cup.

The activation featured charitable partnerships focused on women’s health, including Heartbeat of Football, Endometriosis Australia and Share the Dignity.

“I’m very hopeful that that type of idea gets pushed through on other sporting events,” Lynam said.

Grega elaborated on the Heartbeat of Football activation, highlighting how a competitive element built around CPR and heart health kept fans engaged while also educating them.

“The whole health hub ticked all the boxes — it was immersive, it was interactive, it was there for all ages, both sexes.”

“That sort of blueprint is one that should be replicated as much as possible,” Explained Karen Grega

The masterclass offered students and industry professionals a valuable window into contemporary sports marketing.

As the competition for fan attention intensifies, the blend of live experience, smart data use, and purposeful activations can help define the next chapters of fan engagement.

More Than One in Five Football Australia Staff to Lose Jobs Amid Growing Financial Losses

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Image Credit: ESPN

Australian football finds itself in a curious position.

From the outside, the game appears to be riding a wave of momentum. Attendances, visibility and public interest have all experienced significant uplift in recent years, while major international tournaments and growing discussion around football’s future continue to place the sport firmly within the national conversation.

Yet behind that momentum, Football Australia is now confronting a far more challenging internal reality.

 

A compounding deficit

Chief Executive Martin Kugeler has reportedly indicated the governing body’s projected financial losses for 2025 are expected to exceed the organisation’s reported $8.5 million deficit from the previous year. Accompanying the financial outlook are substantial organisational changes, with reporting from Tracey Holmes indicating more than one in five Football Australia employees are expected to lose their positions through restructuring measures.

The figures represent more than a difficult balance sheet. They point toward a significant period of recalibration inside the organisation responsible for overseeing the sport nationally.

 

Losing the wisdom of existing staff members

For governing bodies, restructures are often framed as strategic necessities for future sustainability. However, workforce changes on this scale also raise broader questions around the challenges of such a transition.

People are often the carriers of knowledge, relationships and long-term strategic understanding. When organisations undergo significant structural change, the effects can extend beyond immediate financial outcomes.

 

Contradicting timing

The timing is what makes the developments particularly notable.

Football in Australia has spent recent years discussing expansion, growth and long-term opportunity. The conversation surrounding the game has increasingly centred on future potential. Often headlining stronger pathways, larger audiences, infrastructure development and greater visibility.

Against that backdrop, news of deep financial losses and substantial staffing reductions creates a different conversation: one focused not on where the game wants to go, but on what may be required to sustain that journey. Therefore, this announcement points toward stagnancy, rather than growth.

Further detail surrounding Football Australia’s strategy and long-term direction will likely emerge over coming months. For now, the developments serve as a reminder that growth stories are rarely straightforward.

Often, the periods that appear strongest from the outside can also be the moments organisations face their most significant internal tests.

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