How Sports Teams Market to Fans, Not Customers

In this episode of The Future of Marketing, host Andres Figueira interviews Daniel Perales, Head of Digital Marketing at Baskonia-Alavés Group. Daniel oversees digital marketing for an unprecedented sports conglomerate that includes a EuroLeague basketball team, a La Liga football club, gyms, sports academies, and residential facilities. Operating from Spain's Basque Country, Daniel navigates the unique challenge of marketing to fans rather than customers—a distinction that fundamentally changes how sports organizations approach digital strategy. From gamification campaigns that generated 10x normal lead volume to building unified data systems across multiple brands, Daniel shares tactical insights on marketing in an industry where Monday's strategy depends entirely on Sunday's game results. Topics Discussed: Marketing to fans versus customers in professional sports Managing digital marketing across multiple sports properties and brands Implementing gamification strategies to drive engagement and lead generation Building unified data systems for cross-selling across sports teams and facilities Adapting marketing tone and messaging based on game outcomes Demographic differences between basketball and football fan bases Creating sponsorship value through promotional campaigns Using in-stadium technology for real-time fan engagement