“Gone are those days when email marketing used to be a thing” - a phrase often heard in the current marketing bandwagon, but did you know that for every $1 dollar spent on email marketing, $36 is made in return. That is 3600% ROI. Yes, those days are gone when generalised marketing is not a thing anymore, instead with advancements in the data landscape, Email that speaks to the customers have come into the picture.
Specially in sports where digital marketing has emerged as a medium to talk to billions at the same time, Email marketing is perhaps the only channel that targets individual fans and ensures that it reaches them.
In sports, where every game, product launch, and fan interaction has the potential to shape your brand image, email marketing offers a powerful way to reach your audience. It’s more than just a method to send out newsletters—it’s an opportunity to connect with fans directly, boosting engagement and revenue.
By combining your existing platform with a feature-rich Email Service Provider (ESP), you can unify data, target the right fan segments, and create memorable campaigns.
Thinking about how to hype up ticket sales for a rivalry match? Want to announce a new limited-edition jersey? Perhaps you’d like to reward loyal supporters with exclusive insider content. With the right email marketing partner, you can turn routine announcements into unforgettable fan experiences.
Our Top 5 Email Service Providers (ESPs) for Sports Organisations
Now that we have set the context, let’s look into top 5 email service providers that we think can help you achieve your goals
1. Mailjet – Collaboration & Scalability
Mailjet excels at team workflows. Multiple members can edit campaigns simultaneously, ideal for busy departments. Advanced segmentation lets you send the right offers—like exclusive access to a playoff match—to your most engaged fans.
Highlights:
Real-time collaboration among team members
Transactional email capabilities for ticket confirmations
Flexible segmentation for targeted outreach
2. SendGrid – Deliverability & API Integration
If you want to ensure fans get your emails every time, SendGrid’s high deliverability is a winning feature. It also integrates seamlessly with many platforms, thanks to its robust APIs, making it easy to tie in with your existing tools.
Highlights:
Strong record of inbox placement
Comprehensive APIs for custom apps and CRMs
Detailed analytics for performance tracking
3. Mailchimp – Simple & Beginner-Friendly
Mailchimp is renowned for its user-friendly interface, which makes it a safe choice for smaller organizations or less tech-savvy teams. Pre-built workflows let you automate tasks like welcome sequences or game-day reminders without heavy lifting.
Highlights:
Intuitive drag-and-drop campaign builder
Built-in marketing CRM features
Wide range of tutorial support
4. Klaviyo – Advanced Segmentation & E-commerce
For sports shops focusing on merchandise, Klaviyo is top-notch. Its deep integration with e-commerce data means you can tailor product recommendations based on each fan’s shopping history.
Highlights:
Dynamic, hyper-personalised product suggestions
Automated workflows for abandoned carts and post-purchase follow-ups
Data-driven insights for fan engagement
5. Cross-channel solution: Proem Sports
At Proem Sports’ we believe that having an Email Marketing channel by itself is not enough, specially in the sports industry. Fans come from various touchpoints, and they interact differently. A fan would be happy to get a birthday wish on their email, but wouldn't open promotional emails as such, hence understanding the nuances and making every campaign hit the conversion goal is what sets our campaigns special.
At Proem Sports, we make it easy to connect with your favorite email service providers so you can manage your email campaigns alongside the rest of your marketing strategy.
Our powerful, omnichannel analytics give you deeper insights into customer behavior, helping you better understand, segment, and target your audience. Plus, you can automate everything from campaign deployment to optimisation—streamlining your operations and boosting overall performance.
Highlights:
Powerful segmentation, event-based triggers, and personalisation capabilities
Integrated analytics to track campaign performance and optimisation
Advanced workflows for comprehensive fan journeys
What to look for in an Email Marketing Provider
When evaluating an email marketing provider, there are two key questions to keep in mind: does it make your job faster and more efficient, and is it scalable?
In sports marketing especially, email is a constant fixture—whether it’s weekly newsletters, ticket reminders, match reports, merchandise offers, or sponsorship activations.
If your platform isn’t both quick and user-friendly, it’s time to reconsider. And as your fan base expands, you’ll need a solution that can seamlessly grow with you—handling high-volume sends, automations, frequency capping, and DND (do not disturb) requests.
The ideal provider should check all these boxes while still delivering top-notch performance every step of the way.
Here are 5 points that every marketer should consider while choosing an Email marketing provider
Ease of Use
Streamlined Interface: A platform with an intuitive interface shortens the learning curve and helps team members quickly build campaigns without needing specialised technical skills.
Time Savings: With multiple deadlines and diverse projects on your plate—such as game day promotions, fan engagement campaigns, and sponsorship deliverables—an easy-to-navigate tool lets you move fast and focus on strategy over platform troubleshooting.
Collaboration-Friendly: Look for features like role-based access and shared campaign calendars so everyone on the team can stay on the same page.
Personalisation
Boost Fan Engagement: Personalised content (like calling out a fan’s favorite team or player, or referencing past purchases) makes each message feel more relevant and engaging.
Strengthen Loyalty: Fans are more likely to stay connected and respond when the message speaks directly to their interests and history, deepening the fan-team relationship.
Dynamic Content: Advanced platforms let you display different text or images in the same email based on a recipient’s preferences or past behavior—making personalization at scale even easier.
Automation
Triggered Campaigns: Automate sends for specific events or milestones, such as ticket pre-sales, membership renewals, or fan birthdays. This ensures you never miss critical engagement points.
Lifecycle Marketing: Automated workflows can nurture fans through their entire journey, from prospect (interested in the team) to advocate (someone who actively promotes the team to others).
Efficiency Gains: By scheduling these touchpoints ahead of time, you can free up resources to focus on higher-level strategic planning, rather than manually managing every send
Design Flexibility
Brand Consistency: Consistent, visually appealing emails help reinforce your team’s brand. A flexible editor with customizable templates ensures you can incorporate team colors, logos, and unique elements.
Easy-to-Use Design Tools: Drag-and-drop editors and pre-built themes make it possible for non-designers to create professional, eye-catching emails quickly.
Mobile Responsiveness: Since fans often check emails on their phones, ensure the editor automatically optimises content for smaller screens.
Analytics & Reporting
Key Metrics: Open rates, click-throughs, conversions, and unsubscribe rates provide insights into how well your emails resonate with fans. Tracking these consistently will help refine your approach.
Segmentation Opportunities: Diving deeper into analytics reveals which audience segments are most engaged, allowing you to target them with more relevant content or promotions.
Actionable Insights: Understanding which campaigns drive ticket sales or merchandise purchases means you can allocate resources more effectively. Real-time reporting helps you quickly pivot if something isn’t working as expected.
Aiming to ramp up your fan engagement? Find how advanced analytics can help you understand your fans better
Why choose Proem Sports
Looking to make email marketing a breeze for your sports organization? At Proem Sports, we’ve designed a platform that helps you connect with fans effortlessly—whether you’re setting up automated campaigns or digging into analytics. Here’s a quick rundown of how we do it.
Drag-and-Drop & Templates
Effortlessly create professional-looking emails without any coding skills. Our user-friendly editor and pre-designed sports-themed templates let you focus on crafting the perfect message rather than wrestling with design.
Personalisation & Segmentation
Tailor each campaign to your fans’ unique interests. Add personalized elements like names, favorite teams, or seat locations, and send relevant content based on segmentation criteria such as loyalty level or recent purchases.
Frequency Capping
Maintain a healthy level of communication by controlling how often your fans receive emails. Prevent inbox overload, keep subscribers engaged, and uphold a positive brand impression.
Automation
Set up automated workflows for recurring messages—like birthday greetings, match-day updates, or ticketing reminders. You can also trigger campaigns based on specific events or fan behaviors, ensuring timely, personalized interactions.
In-Depth Analysis
Access real-time performance metrics—from delivery reports to engagement rates. Analyze open rates, clicks, and conversions to identify what works best, then refine your email strategy for maximum impact.
Conclusions
Choosing the perfect email marketing solution is like drafting a key player—you want the one that best fits your playbook. By integrating your existing platform with a reliable ESP, you can ensure high deliverability, stronger fan relationships, and ultimately, more revenue. Give your fans the experiences and content they deserve, and watch as your sports brand’s reach and influence grow.
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