Why the US Leads the UK in Digital Innovation: Competition, Resource & Mindset

Fan engagement goals are broadly the same on both sides of the Atlantic — sell more tickets, more merchandise, generate more revenue — and UK and US teams are similarly strong on content and storytelling. But when it comes to digital and technology innovation, the US has a clear edge.

A numbers game

A typical Premier League club has 18 home games and an average 38,000-seat venue to fill — not a heavy lift. A typical MLB team, by contrast, has 81 home games and roughly 42,000 seats to sell, and competes locally with NFL and NBA teams for attention, forcing constant innovation just to keep pace.

A different mindset

"We need to keep getting smarter about what our fans need from us and creating more customized and personalized experiences at scale," said Becky Kimbro, SVP of Brand at the San Antonio Spurs.

US teams often run small, dedicated teams experimenting with new technology, backed by a "fail fast and iterate" mindset borrowed from Silicon Valley. UK organisations, working with tighter budgets, can still benefit by giving their people room to experiment and committing leadership support to digital innovation from the top down.