In the competitive world of modern football, the connection between a club and its supporters is among its most valuable assets. While this bond is built on passion and loyalty, it is increasingly managed and measured through data. For club executives, understanding who controls this supporter data is not just a compliance issue; it is a fundamental strategic decision with far-reaching commercial implications.
Owning your supporter data means you control the relationship, drive revenue more effectively, and build lasting loyalty. When your ticketing partner acts as a true data processor (and only that), you retain full ownership, ensuring every supporter interaction strengthens your club, not a third-party platform. This article explores the critical importance of data ownership, the different models in the market, and why putting your club in the controller’s seat is the only way to win off the pitch.
The Ground-Shaking Shift Towards Data Sovereignty
The conversation around data ownership in sport has reached a tipping point. Recently, major industry publications reported that the NFL is considering a significant overhaul of its ticketing strategy to gain full control over its supporter data. According to reports in TheTicketingBusiness and Sports Business Journal, the league is exploring options to move away from its long-standing partnership with Ticketmaster. The goal is clear: to unify supporter data, improve customer insight, and reclaim control over the supporter relationship.
This move by one of the world's most powerful sporting leagues sends a clear signal to clubs of all sizes. Relying on ticketing platforms that co-opt or assume control of your data is a model with an expiry date. The future belongs to clubs that recognise supporter data as a core business asset, not a commodity to be traded for platform services.
Clare Kenny, Chief Commercial Officer at TicketCo, emphasises this point: "The principle is simple: it's your club, your event, and your supporters. Therefore, it must be your data. At TicketCo, our model ensures that ownership sits 100% with the club. We act solely as a data processor, operating on your instructions. We will never use your supporter data for our own marketing or build profiles for other purposes. This clarity is essential for building trust and maximising the value of your supporter base."
Understanding the Data Controller vs. Data Processor Dynamic
Under data protection laws like the GDPR, the distinction between a "data controller" and a "data processor" is paramount. Getting this right is not just about compliance; it defines who truly owns and benefits from the supporter relationship.
- The Data Controller determines the "purposes and means" of processing personal data. In football, this is the entity that decides why supporter data is collected (e.g., for ticket sales, marketing, supporter engagement) and how it will be done.
- The Data Processor processes personal data on behalf of the controller and follows their documented instructions. The processor provides a service, but the data remains the property and responsibility of the controller.
When a club is the data controller, it maintains complete authority. It sets the rules for supporter communication, decides which technologies to integrate, and ensures that every piece of data collected serves the club’s strategic goals. This model provides the clarity and control needed to build a sophisticated, data-driven commercial strategy.
"A ticketing partner should be just that—a partner. They should provide the tools and technology to execute yo
Three Competing Data Models in Football Ticketing
Behind the scenes, ticketing platforms operate on distinctly different data governance models. These differences have massive implications for your club's revenue, marketing freedom, and supporter relationships. Understanding them is key to choosing a partner that aligns with your strategic interests.
1. The Organiser-as-Controller Model (The TicketCo Approach)
In this model, the club is the sole data controller. The ticketing platform acts strictly as a data processor, functioning under the club's direct instructions as outlined in a Data Processing Agreement (DPA).
- How it Works: The club decides what supporter data to collect, sets the lawful basis for processing it (e.g., contract for ticket purchase, consent for marketing), and is responsible for transparency. The ticketing provider (the processor) implements the technical measures to facilitate this, from issuing tickets and processing payments to securing the data.
- Impact on the Club: You have full ownership and control. All supporter data—names, contact details, purchase history, and any custom information you collect—is yours. You can integrate it with your CRM, run targeted campaigns, and build a single supporter view without any restrictions from your ticketing partner.
- Impact on the Supporter: The supporter experience is clear and consistent. They are building a relationship directly with the club. Marketing communications come from the club, and data rights requests (such as accessing or deleting their data) are directed to a single entity: you. This builds trust and reduces confusion.
2. The Mixed Controller Model (The "Global Legacy Giants")
This model is common among large, established ticketing companies. Here, both the ticketing platform and the club are considered data controllers, but for different purposes. The platform is a controller for its own platform-wide services (such as account management and analytics), while the club is a controller for its event-specific purposes.
- How it Works: When a supporter buys a ticket, they are simultaneously entering a relationship with the ticketing giant and the club. The platform uses the data for its own broad commercial purposes, such as platform-wide marketing, user profiling, and selling other events.
- Impact on the Club: You get access to the supporter data for your event, but you do not truly own the customer relationship. The supporter is also a customer of the platform, which may market competing events to them. Your data becomes part of a much larger ecosystem, limiting your ability to build an exclusive, long-term relationship.
- Impact on the Supporter: This creates a fragmented experience. Supporters may receive marketing from the platform that is unrelated to your club. If they wish to exercise their data rights, they may need to contact both the platform and the club, creating a confusing and cumbersome process.
"When your ticketing provider also markets other events to your supporters, they are not just your partner; they are also your competitor."
3. The Provider-as-Controller Model (Used by "Some Competitors")
In this emerging model, the ticketing provider positions itself as the primary data controller for all core services. The club is often treated as a separate, parallel controller that receives the data after the fact.
- How it Works: The supporter's primary relationship is with the ticketing platform. During checkout, the supporter agrees to the platform’s terms and privacy policy, giving it control over their data for account creation, payment processing, and its own marketing purposes. The club receives the data but does not have initial control over the collection process.
- Impact on the Club: This model severely limits your strategic autonomy. You are effectively a recipient of data, not the owner. The platform controls the checkout experience and the initial terms of the supporter relationship. Your ability to customise data collection or ensure an exclusive marketing channel is significantly reduced.
- Impact on the Supporter: The supporter often cannot opt out of the platform's own data processing and marketing at the point of purchase. They are forced into a relationship with a third party just to buy a ticket for your match. This can feel intrusive and erode the direct connection to the club they support.
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The Practical Implications of True Data Ownership
Choosing the organiser-as-controller model offers tangible benefits that directly impact your club's bottom line and operational efficiency.
- Unified Supporter View: By owning all your data, you can build a single, comprehensive profile for each supporter. Combining ticketing data with merchandise sales, CRM interactions, and other touchpoints allows for sophisticated segmentation and personalisation.
- Enhanced Marketing ROI: When you control the data, you control the messaging. You can run targeted campaigns to specific supporter segments—season ticket holders, families, or away supporters—without your message being diluted by a third party's marketing. This leads to higher engagement and a better return on investment.
- Future-Proof Strategy: Owning your first-party data makes you more resilient to changes in technology and privacy regulations. You are not locked into a single platform’s ecosystem. With access to your data via APIs, you can integrate best-in-class tools for marketing automation, business intelligence, or supporter engagement as your needs evolve.
- Simplified Compliance: With a clear controller-processor relationship, GDPR compliance becomes more straightforward. Responsibility is clearly defined. The club sets the policy, and the processor (TicketCo) assists with technical and organisational measures, such as securing data, supporting data subject rights requests, and ensuring sub-processors meet required standards.
The tide is turning. As seen with the NFL, the world's leading sporting organisations are recognising that you cannot outsource the supporter relationship. Owning your supporter data is no longer a technical detail—it is the cornerstone of a modern, sustainable, and profitable football club.
→ Listen to our podcast episode on fan data and digital transformation in football.
Key Takeaways
- Data ownership is a strategic imperative, not a technical detail. The club that owns its supporter data owns the supporter relationship and controls its commercial destiny.
- The market is moving away from models where ticketing providers control supporter data. Major sporting leagues like the NFL are leading the charge towards data sovereignty.
- Understand the three data governance models. Whether your partner is a processor, a mixed controller, or a primary controller has major implications for your marketing, revenue, and supporter trust.
- The organiser-as-controller model offers maximum control and value. It enables you to build a single supporter view, enhance marketing ROI, and future-proof your commercial strategy.
- A true data processor works for you. They provide secure, efficient technology to execute your strategy while ensuring you retain 100% ownership of your most valuable asset: your supporter data.