The Arena Group’s New Venture, A Stadium You Can Airbnb and the Value of “Forever Fans”

Each week, we sift through a ton of content and then debate it ad nauseam at FEVO HQ. And since good content, like the mind, is a terrible thing to waste, we are also sharing it here with you, our fans, in the form of this weekly blog post on e-commerce, media and life on the internet.

Axios: The Arena Group launches a creator network

This news piece on The Arena Group, the publicly traded media holding company that now owns Sports Illustrated, is a good reminder of the power of individual creators when it comes to achieving wider reach and success for your brand. “When it comes to great content, we don't have to own it. We just have to power and empower people to do it," said Ross Levinsohn, CEO of the Arena Group. In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, it might be time to think about partnering with a high volume of niche creators with a committed following — rather than a handful of more traditional outlets — to help get your message out to the masses.

Smithsonian: You can rent an entire baseball stadium on Airbnb

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos, a farm team of the Marlins, have a rather unique offer available: the ability to rent their entire stadium for a night. Renters get access to the clubhouse, diamond and batting cages along with a stadium tour and an on-call staff member. Here’s to creative use of a dormant asset that not only brings in a bit of cash but also creates a lot of publicity. 

Playfly: MLB Trend Report

Playfly, a sports marketing and media agency, just released their annual MLB “Fanscore” report, which looks at the biggest trends in fan engagement across the league. Much of this year’s findings center on pro baseball’s “deeply underrated popularity,” which has spiked this year thanks to the introduction of a number of rule changes aimed at capturing younger and more casual fans. But our favorite takeaway is the report’s emphasis on what they dub “Forever Fans”: those who “make the teams they root for a core part of their identity” and are 2.5x more likely to watch every single game their team plays. While marketing campaigns are often aimed at bringing in new audiences, it’s important to remember that Forever Fans are your no. 1 source of both allegiance and revenue, and catering to their needs should always be at the top of your agenda.

And a few more nuggets of assorted internet wisdom…

Wild and crazy read of the week: The man who built the biggest match-fixing ring in tennis (Washington Post)

Gatorade is entering the water market for the first time (The Messenger)

The esports report – Olympics Committee looks to raise esports awareness (Insider Sport)

Pay $300 an hour to have your college mascot attend your wedding (WSJ)

European soccer clubs renew UEFA deal and will share in $4.7 billion revenue for competitions (AP)

Study: NFL jersey patch sponsorship revenue worth US$673m (Sportspro)

The new company making millions from broadcasting NFL games at bars (Front Office Sports)