You Can't Activate Until You Unify: The Fan Data Problem Sport Hasn't Solved

Most sports organisations start with ticketing data - it's the most direct consumer transaction they own. But ticketing data alone doesn't tell you what a fan actually feels, how they react to content, or what would move them to spend more. Aidan Cooney, Group CEO of Envision Sport Group and founder of Opta and Cortex, draws a sharp line between a customer data platform and a fan data platform - and explains why the distinction changes the entire commercial model. A customer data platform is built around rational, transactional behaviour. A fan arrives already emotionally invested, with loyalty built in. The job is to serve that loyalty intelligently, not manufacture it from scratch. Behavioural data - how fans react to specific content, which players activate more engagement, how sentiment tracks with results - is the layer that changes what's commercially possible. Miheer Walavalkar, CEO and Co-Founder of LiveLike, adds the challenge he sees consistently: the data exists, but it sits in disconnected silos. Ticketing, CRM, digital products - none of them talking to each other. Aidan's response is the clearest line in the episode: "You can't activate until you unify." What you'll take away from this clip: Why the fan data platform is fundamentally different from a customer data platform - and why that distinction changes how you monetise Why behavioural data is more commercially valuable than transactional data in sport Why disconnected data silos are the single biggest blocker between sports organisations and actionable fan intelligence How capturing every fan interaction as a trackable asset creates a commercial model with greater upside than direct fan spend alone Watch the full episode to hear Aidan and Miheer go deeper on the data foundation and what it looks like when an organisation finally gets this right. Find the full episode on our podcast playlist and subscribe so you don't miss what's next.