How sports properties turn fan data into recurring revenue streams
On day 2 of the conference at SiGMA Central Europe 2025 at Fiera Roma, industry leaders gathered at the Frontier Tech & Payment Expert stage to examine how data intelligence, embedded finance, and Web3 technologies are reshaping sports monetisation. The panel, moderated by Samir Ceric, Managing Partner at SportingThinking, brought together four specialists redefining how clubs extract value from supporter relationships whilst rewarding fan loyalty.
Ceric steered the conversation alongside Stefan Lavén, Founder of Data Talks, a Sports Customer Data Platform working with over 200 sports properties; Emir Bursa, Founder and CEO of Delta3 Technologies, whose work with Galatasaray generated over €2 million in new revenue; Patrick Seguev, Founder of Andaria Financial Services and Intercash, a fintech entrepreneur with licenses across the UK, Europe, and Canada; and Alessandro Ciacchini, Director at KEO WORLD, a corporate financier and investor active across sports and fintech ventures.
“The top performers are those who manage change effectively.”
Stefan Lavén, Founder of Data Talks
Unified fan profiles drive bottom-line impact
Lavén opened by addressing the fundamental challenge facing rights holders: monetising data requires a single supporter view. “The core challenge for any rights holder is monetising data, which requires a single supporter view – a unified fan profile that connects the dots across touchpoints. Without that foundation, nothing else matters,” he explained.
Beyond technology, Lavén emphasised that change management determines success. “The make-or-break factor isn’t technology; it’s change management. To deliver more value, organisations must change how they work. The top performers are those who manage change effectively,” he noted. His platform enables clubs to deliver personalisation at scale, using past purchases, attendance records, and digital behaviour to craft targeted offers, from ticket bundles with hospitality to merchandise recommendations based on browsing patterns.
Recurring revenue
Bursa shared how Delta3 capitalised on Galatasaray’s 20th league title celebration, converting a massive cultural moment into sustainable revenue. Launching roughly a month before the event, which drew 1.2 million people, the club opted not to sell event tickets but instead pushed premium subscriptions. “The club chose not to sell event tickets, instead pushing premium subscriptions, creating recurring revenue over 12 months and beyond. We captured rich fan data and paying users,” Bursa explained.
Retention strategies included broadcasting pre-season games exclusively for premium members during off-season periods and offering advance ticket access in-season. “Success came from club alignment behind premium membership, acquiring users across digital touchpoints, and continually adding utilities fans want,” he added.
Embedded finance deepens fan relationships
Seguev challenged the traditional approach many fintechs have taken with English football clubs, arguing that generic banking models miss the disruption fintech should deliver. “The value is not another generic card; it’s intelligent financial services that deepen loyalty, relationships, and data-helping clubs better know their fans and personalise engagement,” he stated.
His approach embeds regulatory and technology capabilities directly within club ecosystems, integrating access to payment schemes like Visa, Mastercard, and Discover whilst leaving the fan relationship in the club’s hands. “We don’t seize the fan relationship; we integrate to create organisational value, enabling stakeholders to use richer data beyond a simple end-of-season cash figure. It’s a long-term partnership, embedding finance within the fan relationship rather than slapping a logo on a shirt,” Seguev emphasised.
Fan monetisation as a two-way economy
Ciacchini framed the convergence of fan insights, fintech, and gaming as shifting the fan-club dynamic from a one-way emotional bond to a two-way economy. “Over the years, data and fintech have shifted fan–club ties from a one-way emotional bond to a two-way economy. Clubs can reward via cashback, tokens, and digital assets; when fans see tangible returns on passion, engagement becomes sustainable,” he explained.
Personalisation, enabled by platforms like Lavén’s, allows clubs to optimise pricing, offers, and experiences whilst capturing spend data without requiring fans to pay extra. Bursa reinforced this point, noting that fintech delivers seamless onboarding, rich transactional insights, and revenue from card usage whilst tying spend to loyalty programmes that reward fans with exclusive experiences.
What comes next
In a rapid-fire predictions round, Lavén promised that AI agents will run alongside club teams by 2026, monitoring performance gaps and surfacing proactive campaign suggestions each morning. Bursa predicted the first $100 billion club will have embedded finance, robust data infrastructure, and a unified platform. Seguev is committed to 10 clubs deploying proper fintech solutions by September 2026, whilst Ciacchini noted that the global sports data analytics market will exceed $20 billion by 2026 with roughly 25 per cent annual growth, and that an engaged fan spends over six times more than a non-engaged fan.
For further insights from industry leaders shaping the intersection of sports, fintech, and Web3, check out the full agenda for SiGMA Central Europe.
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