The Savannah Bananas are social media darlings for their uniquely entertaining style of baseball. But behind that happy-go-lucky public persona lies a set of core business principles that all sports teams can learn from.

The Savannah Bananas have a waitlist for season tickets, are expanding the number of teams in their franchise, and have added youth camps to their range of events. They’ve been compared to the Harlem Globetrotters, WWE, and the Barnum & Bailey Circus. They’re all these things and none of them. They have no celebrity stars, and the outcomes of the games are not predetermined. They have devised a unique formula that combines nostalgia for the great American pastime with the attention span of the digital age. There are lessons to be learned from their success for every team. Three characteristics stand out:

Fan-First Mentality

Founder Jesse Cole’s guiding mantra is captured in their company name: Fan First Entertainment. This philosophy plays out on two levels. On the first level, it means they’re constantly trying to improve the fan experience. The famous rules around “Banana Ball” are meant to make attending a game more fun. Events and entertainment are designed to engage fans from two hours before game time until the last out.

On a deeper level, their primary business objective is to create more fans. They believe that if they put fan growth first, the revenues will follow. They look at everything from their viral social media presence to their in-game attractions through the lens of fan creation. It’s interesting to contrast the Bananas’ in-game experience to an MLB game, where the fans seem to serve mostly as a backdrop to the TV coverage, offering food and mildly entertaining distractions to fill the numerous commercial breaks.

Business Innovation

The Banana Ball rules show innovation on the field, but the Bananas are business innovators as well. They are constantly pushing for new ideas. They start with small tests and expand on what works. They hit a plateau in their initial success after they began selling out every home game. They figured the only way to elevate to the next level was to tap into fans outside Savannah. So, they tested the idea of hosting their games at other venues. In 2021, they started with the “One City World Tour” in Mobile to see if they could attract fans outside their hometown. By 2025, they plan to host Banana games in 40 cities across the US.

They’ve also innovated around pricing. Most teams see food concessions as a major stand-alone revenue stream. The Bananas have adopted an all-inclusive ticket that includes admission and all-you-can-eat food. Alcohol and specialty items can be purchased separately, but hamburgers, hot dogs, and soft drinks are included in the ticket price. They found that by creating an affordable, family-friendly price, they increased merchandise sales.

Operational Rigor

It may seem like their culture is just a celebration of fun-loving irreverence. However, the organization operates its business with rigorous precision. CFO Tim Naddy helps fund the all-inclusive tickets and other offerings through careful cost containment. They manage their merchandise supply chain and on-the-road logistics with a close eye on driving efficiencies. The litmus test they apply to evaluating the constant flow of new ideas is to measure its effect on average fan spending per game (per cap). In their view, a happy fan is one who wants to wear their team shirt, have a player sign a team ball cap, or take home something to remember their experience by.

Conclusion

Many college and pro teams assume their fan base is entirely dependent on their team's record. The Savannah Bananas show there are more ways to win fans than to win more games.