An Analysis of the Game Day Experience That Makes the Savannah Bananas Unique
Introduction
From July 25-27, I had the opportunity to work for the Savannah Bananas during their 2025 Bananas World Tour while it made two stops at Citizens Bank Park. From following them for years to reading Jesse Cole's Fans First, I was highly interested in seeing first hand what makes the Bananas so unique and successful. Throughout the weekend, I observed multiple aspects of a sporting event that allow them to stand alone in the industry and likely play a role in their widespread success. Below, I identify multiple anomalies I observed and the impact they have on the fan experience.
Constant Noise
The first and possibly most obvious observation was the constant noise. There was never a moment of silence throughout the entire event. Oftentimes, at sporting events the crowd will hush for big moments, and some sports like golf request silence at times, but at a Bananaball game, the noise doesn't stop until the last fan leaves. While waiting to enter the "plaza" (an area outside the stadium with merchandise tents, a stage, and pregame events), music booms over the loudspeakers. When announcements are made, the music is paused momentarily and resumes within seconds of the final word.
It does not stop there either; music is cycled through as the game goes on and announcements are even made on the microphones mid play. The music is often brief sections of a song, never the full version.
Impact
Music has well-documented psychological impacts on humans, so by playing uplifting songs while fans wait for the gates to open, they are positively impacting the fan's waiting experience. This positive impact from music is carried over to all aspects of the pregame, using songs through the speakers, marching bands, and even players performing. Music is quite possibly the most powerful tool for the Savannah Bananas in their effort to create an incredible experience.
As for the impact during a game, it makes the event more engaging for fans. Fans may dance or sing along to their favorite songs while enjoying the game played before them. It is clear too that the intention of short bits from songs is an attempt to cater to younger generations who are accustomed to short form content and constant stimulation. Similar to the success of social media like TikTok (where the Savannah Bananas excel) that utilize constant stimulation, the organization does the same for their games. Constantly changing the songs keeps a fan's attention engaged and ensures they are not lulled by patterns within a song. While it may take away some focus from the action on the field, that is not a concern of the Bananas, and this is where the massive difference between the MLB and Bananaball lies. While the MLB focuses on the game itself, Bananaball focuses on the atmosphere of going to a sporting event.
I believe the Savannah Bananas have highlighted the beneficial impact music can have for a sporting event. The organization should be used as an example for sports teams to do the same. However I do not believe the endless soundtrack to a game would work outside the world of Bananaball.
Always Entertaining
"Entertain Always" is a motto of the Bananas, Cole acknowledges in Fans First, however, it is hard to fully grasp until witnessing a game. While the fans can watch a game on the field, there is often 1-3 other areas of interest to divert their attention. For example, I noticed a member of the Man-nanas (a cheer squad made up of men wearing a cheerleader outfit who deem themselves to have "dad bods") dancing on the dugout as the pitch is thrown. Later that game a man in a chef costume tossed pizza dough on the opposing dugout as the batter grounded out. They even went as far to have Joey Chestnut compete in a "banana dog" eating contest in fair territory as the game proceeded. At any moment if a fan does not wish to focus on the game itself, there will be other points of attention to indulge in.
While the Bananas find ways to entertain during pitches, they also utilize the times when there is no action on the field, most notably rain delays. During the second game I worked, the game was delayed by about 30 minutes. During this time, the Man-nanas were on top of the dugouts dancing in the rain to the music blaring through the speakers. When the call was given to resume play, a woman donning a princess dress and tiara serenaded the crowd with a rendition of "I'm Still Standing" titled "We're Still Playing" as the grounds crew removed the tarp. The Bananas were able to turn what is a dreaded event in sports into yet another opportunity to perform for the fans.
Another vital area of downtime they transformed was the gaps between pitches. This has been a common criticism of baseball for years. The MLB resorted to a pitch clock to combat this problem, while the Bananas focus on giving fans somewhere to look in the break. Before nearly every pitch, the home plate umpire is constantly dancing, entertaining fans during those few seconds between pitches. Players sometimes join in on the dances too, finding ways to provide constant engagement in areas baseball has traditionally never had.
Impact
The Bananas' use of multiple areas of attraction is crucial to their success by catering to non baseball fans and providing them entertainment to enjoy the game nearly as much as those focused on the game. While this is highly impactful, I believe the single most important quality that makes Bananaball both unique and successful is their focus on providing entertainment in the 5-20 windows between each pitch. According to their 2023 seasons statistics, a game averaged around 163 pitches between the two teams. If there was a 10 second break between every pitch (lower than MLB average), that means Bananaball is able to entertain fans for about 27 more minutes than a traditional baseball game. This is what allows them to develop dedicated fans in markets traditional baseball is often unable to reach.
Engaging the Crowd
When attending sporting events, guests enter as spectators. They are there to watch a sport. In minor league sports fans have more participation with the event through mini games during breaks of play or video board, but neither minor league nor major league sports engage fans to the extent Bananaball does. The primary example is the unique rule in Bananaball that states "If a fan catches a foul ball, it's an out." This single rule changes fans from spectators to participants in the event. Additionally, fans are constantly included in the show through bits with players, on field games, or competitions between sides of the stadium. This once again turns the fan from a spectator to a participant.
The interactions between players and fans in Bananaball are also highly unique for the sports industry. Before the game, fans are given 30 minutes to meet and interact with all of the players. Sometimes during the game you'll catch a player or two wandering through the concourse just as the fans do. These up close interactions are often reserved for those who pay more money in professional sports, however it is a staple at a Bananaball game.
Impact
Being able to turn fans from spectators to participants allows them to interact with the event differently. They no longer are passively attending the event, they are actively joining the culture and making an impact. This is a way to fast track guests to fans because it allows them to have unique memories from the event, and positive memories with the organization allow the guest to associate their identity to the organization, thus creating lifelong fans. The Savannah Bananas provide fans with a level of engagement never seen in sports and it has resulted in a deep loyalty in many fans that will continue to benefit the organization for years.
Conclusion
My experience with the Savannah Bananas has helped me gain insights into what unique qualities allow the organization to thrive. Some elements can only find success to this magnitude with the Bananas organization; such as music and entertainment during the action. These attributes reach different target markets from traditional sports teams and would likely harm a traditional sports team if applied. Other qualities however should be acknowledged and applied to help other sports organizations build deeper bonds with fans. This includes finding new ways to make fans participants instead of spectators, utilizing music outside of play to alter fans' moods, and providing entertainment in the lulls of action. The Savannah Bananas have become a titan of the sports and entertainment industry and it all comes down to their ability to create a unique experience for fans.
During January of 2025, I was able to study abroad in London while attending lectures and presentations about sports business. I also had the opportunity to attend 2 Premier League matches. At these matches, I observed a culture unlike anything in America. Flags waving, fan sections divided, and most notably, the roar of chants booming throughout the stadium for all 90 minutes. It was clear to see that the kind of atmosphere an English Football match yields vastly transcends anything American sports produce, and I was able to understand why.
It all has to do with the strength of a team’s brand. Football club’s have brand identities considerably stronger than an American sports team’s identity, and this is because they constantly exude their values in every single action. A team built on hard work and a blue-collar mindset may not embody those values in every action, but they are reflected in the club’s badge (logo), colors, and name. In America, teams are often one to 2 word mascots or items. Sometimes, they have a tie to the city, sometimes not. 2 examples include:
New England Patriots: a Patriot is a soldier of the Revolutionary War representing the Continental Army. Boston, being a pivotal city during the Revolution housing the battle of Bunker Hill, the battle of Lexington and Concord, and many Revolutionary heroes such as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, has a rich history with “Patriot soldiers.” Therefore, the team’s name is a nod to the city of Boston and all of New England’s history during the Revolutionary War.
Carolina Panthers: The Panther has no relation to the states of North or South Carolina. It was chosen as the name during the creation of the team because owner Jerry Richardson felt a Panther represented what a football team should be; strong, quick, and powerful. Black was chosen as a secondary color because of the dark fur donned by panthers, while the primary blue seen on jersey’s does not appear to have a large significance other than reinforcing the sleek and powerful look it portrays.
The two examples above signify one NFL team with a brand identity highly tied to the city it represents, while the other portrays more of an identity the football team wants to be recognized by. It can be said that these two approaches have both seen successes and failures from a sports marketing aspect, however, neither approach has cultivated the same generational loyalty seen in English football clubs. I once again ask, what is it that these clubs do differently?
English Clubs attach their identity to the city in which they reside. This is key. Clubs are not named after animals or items, they are named after their city. Some of the most well known football clubs in the world are the names of cities; Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Liverpool, Real Madrid, etc. For the few exceptions like Arsenal, their name is deeply rooted in the history of the surrounding areas, it has meaning to those supporting it.
And that is the second key point. It is human nature to associate the area you live in with yourself and your personal identity. Wars have been started because one side disrespected the other’s home. So when a football club named after your home is succeeding, it’s almost as if you are succeeding. This phenomenon is known as the Halo effect; when a smaller brand attaches itself to a larger one, therefore those who support the larger one become more fond of the smaller one because of the two’s partnership.
This is also what leads to the non-replicable loyalty fans have for their team, that in turn creates the iconic atmosphere football matches boast. Fans seeing a team named after their city fighting for glory on the pitch ignites a level of pride that outweighs American sports fandom.
Another massive issue that hinders American sports’ ability to recreate this is the concept of relocation. Team’s relocate constantly, most recently and possibly most notably, the Athletics' departure from the city of Oakland after 56 years. With 4 World Series and 6 Pennants captured as the Oakland A’s, their brand identity was rooted in history of greatness and legends of the game. All of that is now obsolete with their relocation. While relocation does often see success in American sports by targeting a new, rejuvenated audience who in turn revives the team, a brand cannot truly represent the city when owners constantly pose the threat of moving the team to somewhere more profitable. While relocation is possible in English soccer, it is once again a rarity.
Besides just the name, football clubs also do a stellar job of building their brand identities based on the values of the city. West Ham United is a prime example. West Ham’s badge dons 2 crossing hammers, a direct nod to the history of Ironsmiths in their district of East London. The West Ham district historically is home to many blue collar workers, and West Ham United never forgets this. The blue collar mindset is stamped onto their badge with the hammers and is used in lots of their marketing campaigns. Pairing this with the name “West Ham United,” it’s nearly impossible for residents of this area to not support the club.
English football clubs' ability to market their brand identity is a skill unique to the area. It creates generational fan loyalty and causes the atmosphere so iconic to English football because of the passion fans have for their club. Although there are many conditions that differ in the U.S., American sports teams can learn a lot from English football clubs on how to properly develop a strong brand identity.
How Clemson and the Savannah Bananas Revolutionized Collegiate Sports Marketing
On Nov. 7 2024, Clemson baseball became the first ever collegiate program to play an exhibition match of Banana Ball, an alternative version of baseball with unique rules coined by the Savannah Bananas. In Banana Ball, the name of the game is entertainment and engagement. The Bananas have had a meteoric rise to stardom over the past couple years and the reason is their in game entertainment; from Tik Tok dances between pitches, to batters on stilts, to a fan catching a foul ball resulting in an out. Banana Ball has remained the Bananas and their affiliate teams, until Clemson reached out looking to play an exhibition. This exhibition is a groundbreaking partnership in sports marketing.
Clemson baseball brought out all the stops in making the game a success. They broke out coordinated dances between pitches, made trick plays coaches would normally ridicule players for, and celebrated the smallest play like it was their last.
The game was a massive success on all fronts. A sold out crowd loved every minute of the action, and millions from home loved it just as much. One video of 4 Clemson players dancing before a pitch yielded 33.9 million views on Tik Tok while multiple others from the gain sat around 2 million.
While the immediate impact of boosted revenue and attention for Clemson baseball was clear, the future impact this game will have on Clemson is the most important. Coach Bachik discussed his intentions of this game were to increase exposure for his players. In today's collegiate athletics landscape, NIL deals are becoming more and more prevalent. This game gave Clemson baseball players opportunities to show off their personal brand and market themselves to the world. Infielder Jay Dillard made the choice to begin his at bat riding in on the back of a horse. This move was Dillard looking to represent his home roots, but it ended up being more impactful than that. Dillard's entrance allowed his core values and personality to shine on the largest stage, therefore multiplying his marketability and expanding his brand identity. In today's age of NIL contracts, the ability to distinguish one's brand identity from everyone else is key.
Bachik's risk of agreeing to this partnership has paid off and will positively impact Clemson baseball's ability to recruit for years to come. While the players were able to showcase their individual brand's in the spotlight, so was the Clemson baseball program. Clemson baseball came out of this exhibition looking like a program that encourages individuality and takes the extra step to ensure all their athletes thrive in all facets of life, not to mention have some fun while playing the game they love.
I believe that this exhibition match is a pivotal point in the NIL era of sports and will impact the future of sports marketing. Teams will use Clemson's outside the box approach to sports marketing to innovate new strategies of showcasing their players and program. This game has set a new standard for collegiate sports marketing, and, as most pivotal sports marketing moments have over the last couple years, it started with the Savannah Bananas.
Analysis of the NFL's International Marketing Campaign
Abstract
Upon reading the article NFL International: Tackling the Globe, I performed a case study deep diving into the NFL’s efforts to market their brand internationally and the impact it is having on the organization. By doing so, I am identifying some positive strategies the NFL is utilizing and expressing my opinions of how they should proceed with their campaign. Through this case study, I was able to identify some potential markets that the NFL should use as their pillars in their international marketing campaign. I then discussed how the NFL should position themselves going forward for an efficient and profitable entrance into the international market.
Introduction
The NFL has been attempting to find success with markets outside the US for decades, dating back to 1950 when the NFL promoted interleague games with the Canadian Football League. Since then American football has attempted to make a mark with international leagues, NFL international broadcasts, and NFL games abroad. As NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has introduced some new strategies, the NFL has begun to see a positive trend. As we analyze the impacts of this strategy, I have highlighted some important points below.
Most Profitable International Markets
London holds the crown for being the most profitable international city for NFL games, and should continue to be a pivotal piece in the NFL’s expansion abroad. Since 2007 when the first 2 teams played in London, there have been 35 games played in London, and only 8 of those games have yielded an attendance below 65,000, and each of those games were played in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has a capacity of 62,850. Wembley stadium, another common location for NFL games, holds a capacity of 90,000. This implies that each NFL game typically averaged an actual attendance of above 80% capacity. With multiple games in London annually dating back to 2013, the initial attendance spike due to excitement would likely see a decline, but with minimal attendance change it shows that London would be a highly profitable location to act as a pillar to the NFL’s global expansion.
The next market I believe the NFL should expand to and is a highly promising international market is France. While the NFL has never played in France yet, The Saints have been granted marketing rights in France and will be the first team awarded the French market. The Olympics puts a country and city in the global spotlight for a couple weeks and can positively boost the economy for months. During this year’s Olympics, Rugby sevens and Basketball both shattered attendance records. Basketball being an American sport and Rugby being a high contact sport similar to football, drew the most attendance in Olympics history while in Paris. This showcases that the market is open to the idea of Football and it would likely see a large popularity quickly in an untapped market.
Future Positioning
The biggest insight the NFL can draw from this analysis is the power their brand holds. Multiple times the NFL has attempted to start an international league and each time it has struggled to get off the ground because of its competitor, the NFL. While the NFL games may not have been played internationally often by that time, the power of the NFL’s brand and their much more talented stars overpowered the expansion leagues and ultimately led to their demise. With this in mind, the NFL should proceed their global expansion with a focus on their brand and their talent. It has shown that these two hold more weight than the game of football itself, for now. Positioning the NFL as the powerhouse league it is with the best talent will continue to grow the game as trends show.
Actions for a Profitable Future
Over the course of the next decade, the NFL should continue to play games internationally. By proceeding with the NFL world tour and entering new locations like France, Japan, and Australia, the NFL is going to continue to build a foundation of fans internationally.
On top of that, developing youth programs in countries to engage the younger generation will be crucial in their expansion. Allowing children globally to be introduced to the game at a young age will not only create fans for life, but will also allow for more international talent. That is the largest challenge the NFL faces as said in the section before, the talent within the NFL outweighs any other league’s talent. By introducing a whole new country, or even continent, of children to the game of football, the talent pool has drastically increased. After many years, the NFL should attempt to start up small American Football leagues throughout these countries. This will promote the idea of international talent engaging with the game.
This will also begin to solve the NFL’s challenge of getting fans to engage with the game instead of the brand. By integrating football into the culture of countries world wide, it will slowly allow international fans to shift their focus from the brand to the sport.
The two largest examples of this I think of are the Premier League and the NBA. The Premier League has a powerful brand that transcends the game. Americans who have never witnessed a Premier League game live dedicate themselves to a team, meanwhile we have a soccer league here in America which currently is a host to one of the best players of all time. While the Premier League’s talent plays a role, it is not what attracts fans. The brand of the Premier League holds so much power that it overshadows other leagues, similar to the NFL.
The NBA is an example of how this integration would play out. The NBA has seen a massive spike of international players in recent years. This is due to the NBA’s ability to integrate basketball into other country’s cultures. Meanwhile, European leagues are succeeding and Olympic teams are becoming more and more talented, slowly making basketball a global game. If the NFL continues to build a foundation of fans for the brand globally and engages children with the sport from a young age, they will be able to create a global fanbase of the sport.
References
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