Tradable Bits, a global fan engagement and data technology company, is set to help the Tasmania Devils build their fan base ahead of their AFL and AFLW debut in 2028.
The company has also renewed its partnership with NBL side the Tasmania JackJumpers, extending a relationship that began in 2024. The renewal comes as the JackJumpers expand its presence in Tasmanian basketball with the launch of the Tasmania Jewels, who has recently played its first two games in the WNBL.
Across the four teams, Tradable Bits will help build fan engagement strategies, giving the clubs a better understanding of their supporters, what connects them to a team and how to turn that interest into long-term loyalty.
With Tasmania’s population sitting at around 600,000, the challenge extends beyond the island. Tradable Bits will help the clubs reach mainland Australians, overseas supporters and people who might not traditionally follow their respective sports, creating opportunities to grow their audiences beyond the state’s border.
Mike Morris, general manager, APAC at Tradable Bits, said the easiest way this can be achieved is through creating connections between fans.
“When you’ve got a new club and a new player, one of the things that we can do is to look at things like horoscopes. When a new player comes to a club they can be asked their favourite song, meal, colour and even where they like to go on holidays. And then you can run a quiz within Tradable bits to create affinity,” he told B&T.
“You’re building this affinity with a player because you’ve got this empathy or common ground, and you’re creating connections with fans where there may not have be an obvious connection in terms of loving footy.”
Tradable Bits is no stranger to Aussie sports; it works with 60 Australian sporting franchises. It works with teams from the AFL, AFLW, NRL, NRLW, NBL, WNBL as well as the AFL Players Association and Netball Australia.
As a result of its broad experiences in the Australian market, Tradable Bits knows that each team needs to have a different strategy.
While the four teams share a home state, Morris said each requires a different fan engagement strategy based on its audience, identity and stage of growth.
Tradable Bits helps clubs segment their audiences by looking at everything from membership types and match attendance to merchandise purchases, social media activity and the players fans connect with.
By bringing those insights together under a single fan ID, the technology helps teams understand how supporters engage and tailor their communications accordingly, rather than sending the same messages to everyone.
The aim is to reach fans with more relevant experiences, build stronger relationships over time and ultimately drive better results for both the clubs and their supporters.
This is something that excites the Tasmania Football Club.
“As we build towards 2028, we have a unique opportunity to understand our supporters from the very beginning and use that insight to shape how we engage with them. The Devils already have an incredibly passionate community, but our audience extends well beyond traditional football fans and beyond the state itself,” said Brodie Nicholson, head of data and technology, Tasmania Football Club.
“Tradable Bits gives us another way to build direct relationships with those supporters, better understand what matters to them and create more relevant and personalised experiences as the club grows.”
Looking at the basketball, the Tasmania JackJumpers, which entered the NBL in the 2021–22 season, will continue using Tradable Bits to strengthen direct relationships with supporters and create interactive experiences that generate fan insights and commercial opportunities.
That work will now extend across a growing basketball organization that includes the Tasmania Jewels, giving the organisation an opportunity to understand and build relationships with fans as its women’s team takes the court for the first time.
“Launching the Jewels is the biggest thing to happen to basketball in this state since the JackJumpers themselves took the court. We didn’t want to build that fan base from scratch on a separate system,” said Karl Geiger, head of marketing and events, Tasmania JackJumpers and Jewels.
“Tradable Bits lets us bring the same playbook that’s worked for the JackJumpers straight across to the Jewels, without doubling our workload. We’re not just running two teams; we’re building two fan bases with very different starting points, and Tradable Bits gives us one place to actually understand who those fans are and what they want rather than guessing.”
As Tradable Bits enters its next phase of growth, the company is focused on helping sports and entertainment organisations move beyond simply collecting fan data to building a deeper understanding of each fan, turning every interaction into intelligence that can strengthen loyalty, personalise experiences and create long-term value for fans and organisations alike.
