NSF 2025 Learnings and Takeaways
Our team has just returned from the 2025 National Sports Forum in Boston, energized and ready to move into 2025 with new connections, ideas, and opportunities. We wanted to take a moment to share a few of our key takeaways from the event. NSF continues to be an invaluable resource for The Promotions Dept., offering insights into what's happening across leagues, teams, and agencies. Ron Seaver and his team never disappoint, providing excellent speakers, venues, and hospitality. Our trip to Boston was truly memorable. Thank you Ron and the forum team!
Reflecting on our notes and conversations, one significant takeaway, and the one Ron has always emphasized, is the importance of networking and the forum family. As we approach a decade of participation, we can attest to the value of these relationships. Engaging with industry professionals, from team and agency personnel to newcomers in the sports world and like-minded vendors, the forum has allowed us to forge meaningful connections that go beyond business. These face-to-face interactions foster trust and collaboration, which are vital for long-term success. Solid partnerships, both professional and personal, remain the foundation of the forum, and long may it continue..
Another theme at the forum was the industry's focus on data-driven strategies to measure success, identify new revenue streams, and evaluate current ones. This focus on measurable results has shifted the industry toward data-centric decision-making, enabling businesses to better understand fan behavior and assess the effectiveness of campaigns. As a merchandise agency, this trend has underscored the importance of aligning products with broader marketing, ticketing, and social campaigns to create more targeted merchandise programs. Hearing directly from our partners about the metrics they seek from campaigns allows us to offer products that complement and amplify marketing efforts, with the goal of meeting KPIs and delivering a higher return on investment for fan engagement.
The forum also highlighted the growing opportunities in women’s sports, adaptive leagues, and unique tournaments, all representing key areas of future growth in the sports industry. Leagues and events such as the NWSL, Rugby, TGL, e-Sports, TST, Ballers, and Kings League Soccer are attracting both fans and dollars in eye-opening numbers. With brands continued focus on reaching more diverse fanbases, there is a tremendous opportunity for brands to segment their investments and reach fans at their preferred sports environments.
These leagues and specialized tournaments are carving out their own spaces in the market, offering new opportunities for targeted merchandise and digital campaigns. We are excited about the potential for these new markets to bring fresh fans, partners, and revenue to both emerging and established sectors.
Trying to capture the essence of this event in just a few paragraphs is impossible. We’re looking forward to 2026 and hope to see you all there!
About the National Sports Forum
The National Sports Forum is one of the largest annual sports business conferences in North America, gathering league, team, and property executives from the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, NWSL, NASCAR, UEFA, the Minor Leagues, NCAA, Auto & Horse Racing, and many more. The National Sports Forum brings together sports business professionals to discuss the latest trends, ideas, and innovations shaping our industry as we push the boundaries in sports and entertainment.