In football (and sport more broadly), clubs are constantly told they need enterprise tools to act like enterprises.

Data warehousing. CDPs. MarTech integrations.

Enter: Sports Alliance—a customer data platform (CDP) that’s been a staple in the industry for years. Since being acquired by Two Circles, it’s gained even more traction, often packaged as part of a larger transformation project.

But let’s be honest: these projects are expensive.
They take months to implement.
They rely heavily on external consultants.

And here’s the hard truth: most clubs never fully activate the capabilities they’re paying for.

CDP ≠ Fan Engagement

We’re not here to knock CDPs. When used well, they’re a powerful tool for segmentation and personalization. But they’re only one piece of the puzzle.

What many clubs really need isn’t more tech—it’s clearer direction.

A fancy data warehouse doesn’t drive revenue.
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- Connecting with fans at the right moment does.
- Increasing conversions through better messaging does.
- Boosting retention with real, personal interactions does.

This is where the model starts to break down.

High Cost, Low Impact?

Let’s say a club spends £500k+ on a platform and implementation project. What are they really getting?

✔ A centralized view of fans
✔ Segmentation tools
✔ Integration with their ticketing and email tools

Sounds good on paper. But how often are those segments activated in meaningful ways?
How often does the marketing team have the bandwidth to test campaigns across five different tools?

All too often, these projects become shelfware. Powerful, yes—but underused.

There’s a Smarter Way Forward

At AthleteFC, we’ve taken a different approach.

Instead of building a monolithic platform that tries to do everything, we focus on doing one thing exceptionally well: helping clubs connect with fans at key moments using tailored video experiences.

🎥 No bloated implementation
🚀 No external consultants
💡 No need to wait 6 months to launch

We’ve helped clubs drive:

• 84%+ open rates
• 21%+ click-through rates
• Real increases in ticketing, merch, and sponsor revenue

All with a light-weight, flexible stack that complements (not competes with) what clubs already have in place.

Better Margins, Bigger Impact

What clubs are starting to realize is this:
You don’t need a complex CDP project to drive real results.

You need:
✅ The right moments
✅ The right message
✅ The right tool to deliver it

And most importantly—
You need a team that helps you actually do the work, not just sell the vision.

So if you’re thinking about investing in a CDP or working with a consultancy—ask yourself:

Do you want to analyze fans…
…or actually connect with them?

Ready to cut through the noise and drive higher margins with smarter tech?

We’d love to show you what’s working. Get in touch.

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