A fan's experience begins before they reach the stadium and continues until they leave. Buying a ticket, finding a parking space, getting to their seat and using the facilities: all of these details shape how they rate the experience.
That is why improving the fan experience requires understanding every stage, and knowing what helps fans enjoy attending and what adds to the effort they have to make.
In one of its sports sector projects, Sadaa measured and analysed the fan experience, with the aim of identifying strengths and pain points, and providing recommendations to support improvement and operational decisions.
The project need: understanding what lies behind the overall rating
The goal was to build a detailed picture of the audience experience, going beyond the overall level of satisfaction to understand its causes.
This covered how easy it was to book and buy, get to the stadium, move around inside it, use the services and leave. The measurement also looked at the reasons fans attend and the factors that might stop them from coming back.
This level of detail helps the operator identify what needs review, and what is worth preserving and extending.
How did Sadaa study the fan journey?
Analysing the experience before, during and after the match
We structured the measurement around the stages of the fan journey, and linked each stage to its touchpoints: from ticket information and purchase channels to parking, gates, seating, facilities and exit.
Combining indicators with audience feedback
The analysis covered satisfaction, effort, likelihood to recommend and intention to return, alongside fans' comments. Combining them helped explain the ratings and understand the details that need attention.
Comparing the experience across channels and audience groups
We studied the differences between purchase channels, seating areas and audience groups. An overall average can hide difficulties faced by some fans, even when the experience looks positive as a whole.
What did the measurement reveal?
Variation between ticket purchase channels
The analysis showed differences in ease of use between purchase channels, even though the overall rating for this stage was positive.
This finding drew attention to the importance of reviewing each channel separately, to understand the obstacles its users face and identify what needs simplifying.
Arrival and departure are a core part of the experience
Challenges emerged around arrival, parking and finding the gates, as well as managing departure after the match.
These findings helped identify areas for review, including the clarity of signage and directions, movement routes, the deployment of organising teams, and the coordination between the arrival and exit experience.
Viewing quality depends on the services around it
Fans' comments showed the importance of clear sightlines, comfort inside the stadium and easy access to facilities. They also pointed to aspects worth reviewing in fan zones and supporting services.
This made it possible to see the experience as a connected chain: offering a variety of services needs to go hand in hand with clear access and comfortable use.
Audience needs differ
The comparisons showed variation in how some touchpoints were rated across audience groups and seating areas.
Understanding these differences helps direct improvements to where they are needed, and design guidance and services that reflect the audience's different needs.
Strengths worth continuing
The measurement identified positive aspects in purchasing, entry management and staff interactions. Identifying these strengths supports keeping successful practices in place and drawing on them when developing other touchpoints.
How were the results turned into improvement priorities?
Sadaa provided recommendations linked to the stages of the journey, covering a review of purchase channels, better wayfinding and access, improvements to some services and facilities, and the management of departure.
The project's main outcome was a clearer basis for decision-making: what needs attention, where the problem appears, for which group, and which positive aspects should be preserved.
As for the impact of the recommendations on the experience, it requires re-measuring after the changes are implemented and comparing the results.
How does Sadaa support the development of the fan experience?
Sadaa combines customer experience services, journey analysis and Voice of Customer programmes to help organisations understand their audiences' experiences and prioritise improvements.
To keep measuring over time, the Rihla platform lets you map the beneficiary journey and link touchpoints to measurement indicators, create surveys, and collect, analyse and present feedback in monitoring dashboards.
This approach helps audience experience and operations teams track changes and verify the impact of the actions taken over time.
Frequently asked questions
It is what the audience experiences while engaging with a sporting event, from looking up information and buying a ticket to arriving, attending, using the services and leaving.
Start measuring your audience's satisfaction