Green Sports Alliance Publishes Fan Engagement Playbook

PORTLAND, Ore., May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 2026 Summit, the Green Sports Alliance, in collaboration with sports members and sustainability organizations, published the Fan Engagement Playbook. This playbook is designed to help sports teams and venues leverage their cultural and market influence to protect our planet by harnessing the passion of sports fans.

Green Sports Alliance revamped the Fan Engagement Playbook published in 2018 to provide updated comprehensive guidance for sports teams and venues to engage their loyal fans in the sustainability experience. This Playbook catalyzes the culture of sports and sustainability to reach beyond the walls of the venue and into the lives of every community member, home, and local business.

The Fan Engagement Playbook addresses tools to customize behavior change campaigns, build in-person and digital fan activations, and report successes. This Playbook also outlines methods to improve fan experiences and capitalize on sponsorship opportunities. Among the case study examples of Fan Engagement tactics, this Playbook features the Atlanta Hawks' "Recycle & Win" activation, highlights fans who recycle on the jumbotron during the games and encourages proper waste-sorting practices in State Farm Arena. Portland Trail Blazers' and Indiana Pacers' Sustainability Night Games are also featured, highlighting opportunities for venue operators to implement similar activations in their facilities. 

Fan Engagement contributors include experts from THE TEAM, r.World, Okapi Environmental Services, Bold Reuse, D'Niche, MaCher, Churchill, Delaware North, GMR Marketing, and Honeywell.

Fan Engagement Playbook's Leadership Advisory Board is made up of representatives from the following organizations: USGBC, Environmental Defense Fund, University of Michigan, NC State, Colorado University Boulder, Florida State, We Bring It On, The Giving Grove, Compose[d], US Climate Action Network, BPI, World Wildlife Fund, 5T Sports Group, Sustained Futures, ECOITNOW, Tradable Bits, and Solar Stewards.

2026 Green Sports Alliance Summit attendees in Cleveland were the first to access this year's Fan Engagement Playbook, which can be downloaded at www.greensportsalliance.org/playbooks.

The Sustainable Apparel Playbook will be released on Green Sports Day: October 6, 2026. The Executive Summary is currently available for download at www.greensportsalliance.org/playbooks.

SOURCE GREEN SPORTS ALLIANCE