Building Fandom Without a Stadium: Kara Baker on TGL’s Shared-Services Model

With WTGL preparing to launch this November, TMRW Sports is scaling a shared-services model built to run team operations more efficiently than teams could on their own, and confronting a structural challenge: how do you build fan affinity for a team with no home arena?Kara Baker, VP of Team Marketing and Business Operations at TMRW Sports, joins Dave to talk about her multidisciplinary career, how TMBO evolved as teams scaled, why some teams tap into ownership groups' existing infrastructure while others rely entirely on the league, and what she's learned from teams maturing at different speeds.Kara also discusses the opportunity WTGL creates around women's golf, the international makeup of the LPGA player base, and why the league is betting on player storytelling to build fandom without the benefit of a home stadium.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why fan research shows people are fans of individual golfers first, and what that means for building team loyaltyWhy WTGL is launching in November and December instead of alongside TGLHow Boston Common Golf and Motor City are tapping Fenway Sports Group and the Detroit Lions to build local awarenessWhy TMRW Sports believes WTGL’s international player mix could create a broader global audience than TGLResources and Links:Connect with Kara Baker on LinkedIn and learn more about TMRW Sports on their website.Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.