Discover how teams use Attentive to build innovative fan experiences that drive community and revenue in and out of the stadium.

Aiming to find a fresh, effective way to connect with fans and elevate engagement, many sports teams are investing in SMS marketing. By tapping into the channel’s 98% open rate, teams are reaching a new level of connection and finding ways to stay top-of-mind with fans outside of gameday. 

The real-time interaction with fans that SMS enables is helping teams drive deeper loyalty, and ultimately, more revenue. Teams from the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS share how they are using the Attentive platform to create unique and high-impact SMS programs. 
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Unlocking new ticket and merchandise sales through SMS

This season, the New York Jets have leveraged Attentive SMS campaigns to keep fans engaged beyond the stadium. By delivering team updates and game announcements, these campaigns have been instrumental in driving awareness as well as boosting ticket sales for upcoming home games.

With striking MMS visuals, compelling copy, and seamless links to purchase tickets, the Jets have seen remarkable success. This season, SMS generated record-breaking ticket revenue, underscoring the power of direct fan engagement.

The Vegas Golden Knights have been focusing their efforts on creating engaging, personalized experiences for their fans with audience segmentation and MMS. Using zero-party data about fan interests along with geographic and engagement data, the hockey team created more than 50 segments to tailor messages to the wide variety of experiences fans have with the team. 

For example, those interested in retail and local to Las Vegas receive news about promotions in the team shop, while non-local fans interested in watch parties and events would be sent messages about how to watch the game or promotions of their live broadcast on their streaming service, KnightTime. 

They’ve been pairing these segments with MMS, using eye-catching images, GIFs, and videos to help their messages stand out and increase engagement. The result of this pairing helped the team achieve a CVR of 10% on campaign messages and to bring in more than $100k in ticket and merchandise sales in nine months.

Alternatively, the Indiana Pacers have been using SMS Journeys to stay top of mind with their fans on and off the court. Their welcome journey, which is triggered by a fan subscribing to their SMS program, has been especially successful. 

New subscribers get a 10% discount at the Pacers’ team store. They’re also prompted to save the Pacers’ short code and select the updates they want to receive. If they don’t use their discount right away, they’ll get a reminder after 24 hours and a final nudge 48 hours later.

This approach has proven to be incredibly successful, with the Welcome Journey achieving a 15% CTR and 55% CVR, leading to more than $500k in attributed revenue since early 2023.

With a more robust SMS system and timely reminders, we're not only helping the customer take full advantage of their offer, but also encouraging them to stay engaged with the program for ongoing benefits. Our SMS program has been beneficial for our customer and business!

- Taylor Griffin, AVP, Customer Insights & Engagement

SMS is also the perfect tool to reach fans quickly and effectively for limited releases. The Anaheim Ducks partnered with Vans on three limited-edition Vans × Ducks sneakers. With just one week to drive sales, the Ducks tapped into the combination of Vans’ strong brand recognition and the exclusive, limited time offer the line presented. 

Paired with an MMS of eye-catching imagery and copy like “your only chance,” the Ducks sparked excitement and urgency that had loyal fans rushing to buy. The campaign achieved a remarkable 51% CTR and 37% CVR, leading to a 159x ROI. This campaign was a major player in earning the team a Stanley Award for the best marketing campaign in the NHL. 

Pumping up the crowd with Gametime activations

Once fans are in the stadium, arena, or park, their experience continues to be enriched with SMS. Many teams are using Attentive’s Gametime feature to provide in-game SMS experiences that integrate with video displays and jumbotrons to unlock engaging fan experiences and grow SMS lists. 

By tapping into programming teams already use for fan engagement like theme nights, special half-time shows, and community events, and improving them with the real-time, interactive channel of SMS, teams provide a win-win experience for themselves and their fans. 

The Carolina Panthers used SMS during a November 2024 game to drive excitement and engagement during their Corgi Cup halftime race. With Gametime, the audience could vote for which dog they thought would win by texting in its name to the Panthers’ short code number. Results were shown in real-time on the video board, building excitement as fans chose their favorite. After the race, those who chose the winning corgi received a 30% off coupon to the online team shop. Thousands of fans participated in the live poll, and 32% opted-in to the Panthers’ SMS program for continued in-game experiences and offers.  

I think Attentive has changed the relationship with our fans because it's a more 1:1 experience. It's in real-time and it's personalized.

- Paige Hughes, Email and SMS Marketing Manager at The Carolina Panthers

Similarly, the LA Kings have been using their in-arena polls to have fans participate in a “Vibe Vote” on which song they’d like to hear during the upcoming break. Fans text in A, B, or C to the Kings’ short code to indicate their selection. Then, they can opt-in to the hockey team’s SMS program for continued updates and a chance to win glass-side seats to a future game. 

Song polls have long been a part of the in-game experience for the Kings to engage the audience, but with Gametime, they are now able to use the polls as a list-building tool. These song polls, shown at each home game, contributed more than 1,000 new subscribers to the Kings in the first 4 months of the 2024/2025 season.

The Anaheim Ducks showed that SMS can also be used to highlight fan shoutouts and user-generated content. These are especially impactful during games that promote special causes like cancer awareness, military service, or have special ties to the community. 

Not only were we seeing revenue increasing, but we saw significant growth in our SMS subscriber list.

- G.M. Ciallella, Digital Marketing & Analytics Manager, Anaheim Ducks

During a Military Appreciation Night, members of the audience could text in the name of a loved one whom they wanted to recognize and honor for their service. The names appeared on the jumbotron to applause from the crowd, helping to boost fan engagement and build their sense of community. In addition to the feel-good aspect, fans could sign up for continued SMS messages from the Ducks, helping them grow their list size to 25k subscribers.

Using sponsored list growth to stay connected after the game

Professional sports teams who have the opportunity to partner with other businesses in their community for cross-promotion and sponsorships are also using SMS to capitalize on the shared brand recognition. In these partnerships, fans opt into the SMS program for a team in exchange for a promotional item or sweepstakes entry, generating fan engagement and sponsorship revenue. 

The Pacers’ approach to growing their SMS list has been a slam dunk. Every time they win a game, fans see a Buy One, Get One Free subs offer from Penn Station on the arena’s screens. To redeem it, they text “BOGO” and opt into the Pacers’ SMS program.

The impact? Over the past 90 days, 56% of new SMS sign-ups have come from this promotion, with a 65% opt-in completion rate based on Penn Station poll data. Strategic partnerships like this have played a key role in growing the Pacers’ SMS audience over time.

This season, 56% of new subscribers are from the [Penn Station] BOGO sign-up unit, so it’s been really huge for us in subscriber acquisition and allowed us to reward our most loyal supporters with the help of a valued partner.

- Vince Ruffino, Salesforce Marketing Cloud Manager

And it’s not just for home games. This promo runs all season, with TV spots on FanDuel Sports Network, in-game reads by announcers, social media posts, and scoreboard ads keeping fans engaged wherever they are.

The Chicago Fire also used sponsored opportunities to engage fans and grow their list using a QR code initiative at Soldier Field. Fans could scan the code to instantly sign up for SMS alerts from the team and enter for a chance to win an upgrade to fieldside seats during the game. This creates buzz and a sense of urgency to be a part of something exclusive.

Afterwards, the Fire kept fans in the loop with game-day updates and team news, allowing the team to stay connected with their audience year-round. With Attentive’s partnership, the Chicago Fire has seen 140% growth in their SMS subscriber base and 220% more email subscribers, adding a 20% lift in overall attributed revenue.   

We’re so excited to launch a whole new way to engage with Chicago Fire fans with text message marketing. Attentive is the clear leader in the pro sports space. They know how to serve sports teams and fans alike to get them engaged, excited, and in seats.

- Dan Moriarty, Chief Marketing Officer, Chicago Fire FC

Finally, the Milwaukee Bucks have found a standout strategy with sponsored partnerships in their sign-up sweepstakes and giveaways. They discovered that bundling prizes, like tickets, merchandise, and gift cards, significantly increased sign-ups compared to offering a single prize. 

A notable example was their partnership with Fubo, where they offered a FuboTV subscription as part of the prize package. This promotion led to a 20% CTR and a ~19% increase in subscribers from the sweepstakes after it ended. It also wound up contributing to a high number of sign-ups for Fubo’s free trial—showcasing the power of collaborative marketing. Partnerships and in-game activations like these have helped the Bucks grow their subscriber list by 455% YoY between 2023 and 2024.

SMS has given us a powerful way to keep our fans informed, excited, and connected to the team, no matter where they are.

- Justin Price, Sr. Manager, Multichannel Marketing, Milwaukee Bucks

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The teams above used Attentive’s SMS Messaging, Gametime, Integrations, Segmentation, and Journeys to accomplish their goals. Read more about how the Attentive platform can help you scale further and faster.