FANZO

Essential reading for any landlords or bar managers who've ever asked the question: "How do I know which live sports fixtures will get me the most customers this weekend?" Contains data, answers and a simple framework for you to follow.

"It’s all about consistency and execution...this is where sporting institutions in local areas are born." 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐨 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 #05 Interviewing the leading voices in out-of-home sports. In #05, we chatted to Dan Hope about how Australian Venue Co. deliver outstanding live sports experiences to fans in over 200 venues across Australia. ⭐️ The thing we do best: We deliver a bespoke sports focus and fan experience across our network at scale. We understand that every pub is different, and we tailor unique offerings and broadcast in line with market sentiment and our unique standalone pub brands every day. 🙏 The belief that underpins everything we do: The customer experience is at the core of our daily operations. We truly believe that sport is just better at the pub and the next best thing if you’re not at the stadium. Being able to order a great parma with an ice-cold pint straight to your table without missing a single moment is what it’s all about. From game days to unforgettable high-profile talent events that give fans the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the biggest sporting names in the business, we want to make every experience unforgettable. We aim to create an electric live and loud atmosphere every day with top-tier tech and audio fit-outs that cater to every kind of match and venue. 🔥 We focus on: Not missing opportunities to provide value through sport to our customers. Sports is 24/7. The forever-evolving landscape of the broadcast world is challenging. Getting ahead of the game is critical. 💡 Our biggest learning: The fact that Aussies love sport is a given, however the diversity of the sporting codes that fans follow is evolving. The American sports sector through NFL and NBA is becoming bigger every year, we’ve seen incredible growth for the Superbowl and alike. Vision is another key for us, our investment in big screen vision continues where we’ve seen great success in providing large-scale immersive viewing experiences for fans, the bigger the better! 🤔 The one thing most people don’t realise: It’s all about consistency and execution. When a pub highlights a commitment to sport and delivers exceptional in-venue experiences with consistency, this is where sporting institutions in local areas are born, driving stable long-term organic growth opportunities. 🍻 The most exciting area of innovation in our industry is: We have always been focused on technology to elevate the customer experience. Our loyalty app The Pass has been instrumental in not only rewarding our customers but also in better understanding customer sentiment providing new ways to excite through sport-specific offers, delivering them to the right customers at the right times. 🎯 Our ultimate goal is: Continue to evolve our strategy and engrain our vision of sport being better at the pub. We look forward to bringing further incredible sporting moments to sports fans across Australia for many years to come.

"...𝑰 𝒔𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑰'𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏..." Starting XI with John Mc Carthy. Meet FANZO's marketing manager, based in County Limerick, Ireland. ⚽️ Favourite sporting memory? 2022 All-Ireland semi-final. I was in Croke Park to see Sean O'Shea slot over a last-minute 55-metre free to beat Dublin. I had a moment during Dublin’s comeback where I swore I'd never go to a live game again but the euphoria when Seanie scored the free was something else. It took a good week for my voice to recover. 🍻 Favourite sports venue? For big games I’d go with Reardens in Cork or Scotts in Killarney. Both get great crowds and the atmosphere is electric. For smaller games with some mates, I’d go with The Cellar Bar or Jim Lane in Abbeyfeale, Limerick - two of my favourite locals where commentary from the bar stools is mandatory. 👨💻 Your role in a nutshell? I have the pleasure of showcasing FANZO to the masses through B2C marketing in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ❤️ Best thing about working at FANZO? Honestly, the culture. I’m very fortunate to work with people who I consider great friends and really appreciate working for a company that really cares about your professional growth. 👎 Worst thing about working at FANZO? As the sole Munster employee, it can be frustrating not seeing more of my colleagues face-to-face. It’s always great catching up with the team in Ireland and the UK but it’s a shame I can't do it more often. 💪 Your proudest achievement at FANZO? On a personal level, the Gaelic Games Predictor we ran holds a strong place in my heart. It was a bit of a solo passion project but one that really resonated with GAA fans. Thinking more as a team, it’s got to be our work delivering brand campaigns. Right now, FANZO is helping send over 100k sports fans to bars across the island each year. I’m super proud to be a part of that. 😬 Biggest howler/work disaster? Do you work in marketing if you haven't mis-scheduled a key notification? 📈 What has been your biggest area of professional growth at FANZO? Campaign management - from inception to completion. What was once a painful process has now become second nature thanks to the talented team we have here. No matter the size of the campaign, we approach it with consistency and confidence, knowing we'll deliver outstanding results. 💭 Biggest influence on your career? Three people stick out. A man called Noel who owned an off-licence I used to manage taught me a huge amount about business. Dominic Collingwood for putting his trust in me and encouraging me to get stuck in and finally Pete Starr for leading my introduction into the world of marketing. 👴 Where do you want to be in 10 years? Leading a team of marketing legends either for a sports or drinks brand. If all that falls through, I'd probably settle for a PDC Tour card. 🌶️ What’s your spiciest sporting hot-take? Hurling is the most entertaining sport to ever exist.

3 fixture insights you'll thank us for at the end of October. Do not plan autumn's live sport in your venue until you've cracked through this 👇 📈 𝐑𝐮𝐠𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐧 𝐑𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 After South Africa v New Zealand emerged as the most searched-for-fixture in August, their September rematch proved it was no fluke, coming in second for last month. This trend bodes very well for TNT Sports venues as the Autumn Nations Series rolls back into town. For all the doom and gloom that often surrounds it, international rugby union has never been in a better place, with the last few years producing incredible matches, iconic moments and some positively hissing rivalries. Argentina, England, France, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa are impossible to split right now - factor in a capricious Scotland side plus a resurgent Italy and we have an abundance of the tight, ferocious, competitive fixtures that pack out pubs coming up. England v New Zealand kicks off a month of action on the 2nd November, now’s the time to get your plans in place, start talking to customers about it and get those crucial pre-bookings in. 👊 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐳 - 𝐀 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭 A theme we talked about in last month’s UK analysis was the consistency with which big US boxing bouts emerge as the biggest missed opportunities. That trend continued in September with Canelo Alvarez’s latest bout driving significant value for the 7 venues who purchased and advertised it on FANZO. Digging deeper (as far back as our detailed fixture data goes), the Mexican great’s last 5 fights each averaged just shy of 2000 searches for a local venue on FANZO, being funnelled into fewer than 10 UK bars showing them. Yes, they’re late-night fights. Yes, there’s a PPV cost. But if you already have the means to stay open, no other name in sport offers such consistent value in terms of fan interest for the venues that do show Canelo’s bouts. 🇦🇺 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 If the AFL Grand Final popping up second in our missed opportunities piqued your interest, the wider top ten should make fascinating reading. 6 of the 10 biggest opportunities for UK venues were AFL (Aussie Rules) or NRL (Rugby League) fixtures as Australia’s two biggest winter codes reach a crescendo each September. Bloody good insight but not something pubs can act on for another 11 months now, surely? Not so fast. This weekend’s NRL Grand Final offers one last opportunity to tap into any local ex-pat communities and generate some bonus trade on Saturday morning. And if you’re a venue attached to a hostel in a tourist hotspot, it’s got ‘free shot at the posts’ written all over it. --- Want a deeper dive into September's fixture data? Make sure you follow Pete Starr, he'll be posting some punchy analysis on the stories that emerged from this data set complete with practical implications for running sport in your venue, in the coming weeks.

🇦🇺 3 insights from August’s search data that out-of-home sports venues should be implementing today. 🥊 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐀 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬, 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 A consistent trend we see when analysing our Australia data is boxing bouts topping the biggest missed opportunities for venues. And whilst fan appetite for American bouts may be less obvious to a layperson, whenever a Tszyu is headlining a bill, it should be an instant call to action for Australian venues to purchase the fight. Last month, undefeated Nikita Tsyzu took to the ring on a Wednesday night, with just 55 venues listing it across the country as fans hungry for somewhere to catch it scratched their heads. Elder brother, Tim Tsyzu’s world title bout in mid-October is the next clear opportunity for venues to capitalise on the clear interest and fill their venues for a big flight. 📺 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞-𝐓𝐨-𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 August was a strong month for venues without paid subscriptions with the Olympics, AFL and NRL all showing on free-to-air channels, whilst the third most searched fixture was the Wallabies vs South Africa on Channel Nine. The action doesn’t stop there with two Bledisloe Cup matches coming up on the same channel over the next fortnight. With one fixture overlapping with a key AFL preliminary final, expect these games to see some decent search traffic from Kiwis in Australia. 🏉 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 September is boom time for Australian sports venues with the crescendo of both winter footy seasons. Whilst there’s huge demand for venues showing NRL and AFL fixtures, there’s also the biggest competition in terms of pubs and bars to choose from. When that’s the case, finding the very best place to watch a game becomes the most important factor for fans - one where people can book ahead whilst guaranteeing an exceptional viewing experience and atmosphere. Make sure your venue gets ahead of the opposition by listing all the key finals fixtures on FANZO now.

Our UK fixture data from August is in. A tenner says you can't predict what sport the most-searched-for fixture was... 🔭 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠... In a month when football returned to our screens, the most searched-for-fixture in pubs probably just arched your eyebrows. Fear not. There are simple and consistent explanations for why search traffic was so high for a rugby game featuring none of the home nations. 1. Irrespective of the sport, the chance to see the best take on the very best is what elevates a fixture from a concern for the diehards, to something that engages casual fans. 10 months on from their epic World Cup final, South Africa v New Zealand certainly ticked that box. 2. Fixture clashes. The game in Johannesburg overlapped with an England Test match, live Premier League, Super League rugby and F1 qualifying. The result was thousands of sports fans excited about an unmissable game, but unsure off the top of their heads where they could 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 go to watch it. Based on those ideas, I predict that next month's data will see: ▪️ Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois top the most searched-for-fixture. ▪️ Middlesbrough v Sunderland (local derby, multiple fixture clashes) will podium in terms of the biggest missed opportunities for pubs. 👊 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞 The biggest missed opportunity last month - meaning the fixture with the largest discrepancy between high search traffic and a low number of venues showing it - was Terence Crawford v Israil Madrimov. Interestingly, this is now the 5th month in a row where the biggest missed opportunity in the UK has been a boxing bout. Whilst Crawford and Madrimov both went into the fight as world champions, neither are household names on this side of the pond. But the consistency of that stat means there is clearly an audience of fans whose needs are not being met in the UK. Those venues blessed with late-night licenses (looking at you, casinos), boxing from the USA continually offers a chance to cash in on events that local competitors simply cannot show. 🤼 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐚𝐞𝐤𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨? 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞? Despite huge viewing figures (36.1m people in the UK watched at least 15 minutes of coverage), a dizzying plethora of events to take in and vast amounts of media coverage it’s interesting to see how little demand there was for pubs showing Paris 2024. Looking down the list of the top 50 most searched events in August, just 4 Olympic broadcasts make the list, sitting in 21st, 31st, 43rd and 50th place respectively. Why do you think this is? Keen to hear some theories in the comments. --- Want a deeper dive into August's fixture data? Make sure you follow Pete Starr, he'll be posting some punchy analysis on the stories that emerged from this data set complete with practical implications for running sport in your venue, later this week.

Fancy an instant dopamine hit? Here’s a simple question. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? The one that still whispers a shiver down your spine when you think about it? Got one? We have no doubt that in 20 years you’ll remember exactly 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 you watched it and 𝘸𝘩𝘰 you experienced it with. Now you’re visualising it again, aren’t you? It’s genuinely very cool that you’re smiling as you do. We’ve found that response is universal. So today we’re excited to launch a new brand identity and tagline that reflect those moments and the feelings they stirred in you. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭. 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. From launching in new territories to securing long-term partnerships with global rights holders and major broadcasters, our outlook is increasingly international. But despite this growth, our mission - bringing fans together to create unforgettable sporting memories - remains unchanged. Our new brand identity highlights that key idea at the heart of the most significant growth area of our industry - out-of-home sports viewing. ◾️ For fans, irrespective of country or language, it reminds them that the very greatest sporting experiences are shared ones. ◾️ For venues, it showcases the strength of emotion possible when you get your live sports offering right. ◾️ And for rights holders, it highlights FANZO’s unique ability to not only reach but drive real community amongst the 99.99% of all fans who’ll never make it to the stadium to watch a game. Special congratulations and thanks go to Fletcher Kearney for his strategic vision, patience and drive to nail an ever-shifting brief with real aplomb. Creatively, we owe a huge thank you to Nick+Nardo and Christian Paulo Bautista for elevating the footage, expertly captured by Edmund Dabney and Phil Cooper, into a cohesive body of work that packs an emotional slap.

🇦🇺 3 trends from what Aussies are watching for in July and how your venues can benefit throughout August ⚽️ UEFA Euros dominated AUS search data Last month, we predicted the UEFA Euros final would be the highlight event of July, and with England in the mix, the hype went off the charts. With a 5:00 AM kickoff, you'd think fans would hit snooze, but over 50,000 dedicated soccer fanatics were on the hunt for the perfect venue to soak in the atmosphere in the early hours. Comparing this to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, we saw a 261% increase in traffic on FANZO. Yet in Australia, only 16 venues were listing the match on FANZO, which proved very beneficial for them but a major missed opportunity for others. Missed your chance to capitalise on the Euros? Then you are in luck with the chance to showcase some ‘football’ action with the English Premier League already back on our screens from August 17th on Optus Sport. 🏉 New South Wales vs Queensland delivers for pubs The State of Origin game 3 decider was the cherry on top for venue owners after already filling their pubs with thousands of Origin fanatics for games 1 and 2. Rugby League fans eager to cheer on their state, in what some would say is the country's biggest rivalry. We saw thousands of fans land on FANZO to find a venue near them, with a spike in NSW fans to witness their state take home the origin trophy. Venues took this opportunity to cash in which resulted in over 800 venues showing the big game. 🤼♂️ UFC returning down under Despite an action-packed month of Olympics excitement, don’t miss the chance to show UFC 305 in your venue when the UFC lands on our home soil in mid-August. With two of the champs, Du Plessis and Adesanya facing off in the octagon on Sunday the 18th at 12:00pm, this could be one of the biggest fights of the year. UFC's popularity has exploded in Australia over the past few years, making venues the go-to spots for fight fans. (especially if they can’t make it to the fight in Perth). If you usually show PPV fights and haven’t ordered UFC 305, what are you doing? #outofhome #ontrade #FANZO #sportstech

☀️ Three data insights from July that you'll shamelessly regurgitate in at least one meeting this month. 🩻 𝑨 𝑾𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝑶𝒇 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒔 𝑭𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 After the disappointment of the last World Cup in the on-trade, England’s rollercoaster ride to the final of Euro 2024 was a massive win for UK pubs. Perhaps more interesting, however, is the sheer scale of fan interest venues benefited from - this year's jamboree in Germany generated 137% more searches for pubs showing games than 2022 Qatar World Cup. After a relatively cool start, traffic grew steadily with each knockout round before exploding for the final - England’s eventual defeat to Spain was responsible for 30% of all fixture hits on FANZO throughout the tournament. 🤷 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑰𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝑮𝒆𝒕 𝑰𝒕 It’s a trend we’ve been talking about for some time now, but the demand for celebrity or crossover boxing in pubs continues to endure. YouTuber Jake Paul’s latest bout was the no.1 missed opportunity for venues this month by a magnitude of six. Despite lacking the morbid curiosity of his postponed fight with 58-year-old Mike Tyson, the handful of UK venues that showed this re-arranged scrap against Mike Perry will have enjoyed a healthy return on their investment. And if the concept makes you scratch your head, that's fine. All you need to know is that right now, no other 'event' sees fan demand outstrip the supply of on-trade venues showing it, quite so consistently. 🐛 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒔 𝑪𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒎? England men’s rugby tour to New Zealand performed very well for the pubs who committed to an early start. The two Tests came in as the 6 and 7th most-searched-for fixtures and were one of the month's biggest missed opportunities - a show of considerable fan interest when you factor in the popularity of the Euros. To casual observers, those numbers might raise the odd eyebrow - a currently unremarkable England team, kicking off at an antisocial hour and who lost both matches. But, as we wrote back in our January 2024 analysis, "what’s rare is precious in sport". And few things are rarer than a tour of New Zealand. English supporters had been starved of one for a full decade before this July, meaning plenty were eager to savour every minute of it surrounded by other fans in a great pub. #outofhome #ontrade #FANZO #sportstech

"𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦...𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬." Since 2019, FANZO have partnered with Diageo to transform how they activate around live sport in out-of-home venues. The results have been astounding - driving more than 350,000 incremental visits to over 7,000 pubs, resulting in a sales uplift of 14% above control and helping to transform their association with sport. We spoke with David Callaghan, Head of On-Trade Activation, to tell the story from Diageo’s point of view. In part two of this series, we look at the challenges David faced building confidence in a new territory, whilst racing against a ticking clock.