The Japan Times - AFL Expands Partnership with Tradable Bits to Power Next Era of Fan Engagement Across AFL and AFLW

MELBOURNE, AU / ACCESS Newswire / May 18, 2026 / The Australian Football League (AFL) and clubs have renewed and expanded their partnership with Tradable Bits, selecting the company's fan data platform to power digital fan engagement across both the AFL and AFLW.

Following a competitive RFP process, Tradable Bits was selected to continue as the league's fan engagement partner, reinforcing a long-standing relationship that began in 2019 and has since scaled to become one of the most comprehensive fan data ecosystems in global sport.

The expanded agreement includes support for both the AFL and AFLW, further strengthening the league's leadership in women's sport and commitment to delivering connected, data-driven fan experiences across all competitions.

Since first partnering with Tradable Bits, AFL clubs have transformed how they engage fans, moving from fragmented channels to a unified, data-driven approach that connects digital, in-venue, and partner experiences.

Today, the platform supports:

• Millions of new and existing fans engaged across the AFL ecosystem

• Real-time engagement across web, mobile, in-stadium, and partner activations

• Centralised fan data powering marketing, commercial, and editorial teams

• More than 46 million campaign views generated and counting, totalling over 46 years intotal engagement time

John Sinistaj, AFL General Manager Digital Product & Technology, said: "From the screens to the stands, the AFL connects fans to the moments that matter to grow their love of footy. This requires delivering engaging experiences throughout the season that drive viewership, foster community, provide actionable fan insights, and create meaningful connection opportunities through partner integration. Tradable Bits was the best solution to deliver on these objectives and
support a cohesive, data-driven fan engagement ecosystem."

Shane Chapman, Head of Data & Analytics at West Coast Eagles reflected that, "Tradable Bits is an intuitive platform that empowers even our non-technical team members to build and launch campaigns with ease. It sits at the core of our martech ecosystem, serving as our primary tool for prospecting, database growth and fan engagement. Fully integrated with our CRM and marketing automation platform, it powers everything from lead generation campaigns and community surveys to match-day member experiences such as junior mascots and Fan MVP. Beyond engagement, Tradable Bits has directly contributed to sustained year-on-year growth in digital partner spend since 2019. It is not just a tool - it is a strategic asset embedded across our commercial, marketing and membership operations."

Daniel Bull, Senior Platform Developer at Richmond Football Club added: "Having access to deeper fan insights has transformed how we make decisions. Tradable Bits enables us to better understand behaviours and preferences, allowing us to deliver smarter, more effective campaigns. This can be seen through the reporting suite they provide to us which let us look at a range of demographic profiles of who enters various competitions, but also on certain game days
and activations that we have running, get a better understanding of who are rocking up to those so we can then further tailor those experiences to the right people."

"Tradable Bits is uniquely positioned to help the AFL and its clubs elevate digital fan engagement at scale. We centralise fan interactions across all channels, uncover where and how fans engage most, and enable personalised communication at the right time, on the right channel, in the right
way," said Mike Morris, General Manager, APAC at Tradable Bits. "By putting fans first, we help organisations better understand and serve their audiences, driving deeper engagement, stronger communities, and measurable commercial outcomes."

The inclusion of AFLW within the expanded partnership underscores the AFL's position as a leader in women's sport, ensuring that fan engagement innovation is applied across both men's and women's competitions. By unifying fan data and engagement strategies across leagues, the AFL is building a more connected, inclusive, and future-ready fan ecosystem.

About Tradable Bits

Tradable Bits is a global leader in fan engagement technology, helping sports, music, and entertainment organisations build deeper fandom and turn it into measurable revenue. Its proprietary platform combines FanCRM, CDP, and AI-powered analytics to capture zero- and first-party data, power interactive fan experiences, and deliver personalised marketing across every touchpoint. By understanding how fans engage, and what they value, Tradable Bits enables
teams, leagues, and promoters to grow audiences, increase lifetime value, and unlock new monetization opportunities. Trusted by more than 100 organisations worldwide, including AFL, NBA, NFL, NRL, NHL and MLS, as well as leading music and entertainment partners Live Nation, AEG, Ticketmaster, BMG and Q-Prime. Tradable Bits is headquartered in Vancouver, with offices across Canada, USA, LATAM and Australia.

Contact: Julie Mathis at [email protected]

SOURCE: Tradable Bits

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

H.Takahashi--JT