The New Profit Model in Sports: The Atlanta Braves' Experience Strategy

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Jul 17, 2025

This discussion dives into the Atlanta Braves' innovative business model with the Battery Atlanta, showcasing how it transforms the ballpark into a vibrant year-round destination. The hosts explore the shift towards experience-first strategies in sports and retail, emphasizing the importance of creating holistic experiences. They highlight potential transformations in healthcare environments and the broader economic implications of experience-driven urban spaces, illustrating how sports venues can drive community engagement and attract tourism.

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INSIGHT

Stadium As Year-Round Neighborhood

The Atlanta Braves turned a stadium into a 2.25M sq ft year-round neighborhood called the Battery Atlanta.
That experience hub drew 9M visitors and generated $67.3M in mixed-use revenue, changing team economics.

INSIGHT

Experience Revenue Avoids Revenue Sharing

The Braves keep 100% of Battery profits because MLB revenue rules exclude mixed-use income.
Experience strategy converted the team from $264M to $663M in revenue over years.

INSIGHT

Experiences Are The Dominant Offering

The experience economy shifts demand from goods and services to experiences that charge admission.
Sports are a classic paid experience competing with all other leisure options.

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In this episode of the Experience Strategy Podcast, hosts Aransas Savas, Joe Pine, and Dave Norton discuss the economic power of experience strategy in various industries, focusing on an article in the Wall Street Journal on the Atlanta Braves and their innovative approach to sports business through the Battery Atlanta. They explore the concept of Disneyfication, where businesses create holistic experiences that enhance customer engagement and economic impact. The conversation also delves into the potential for reimagining healthcare facilities as experience-driven environments, emphasizing the interconnectedness of experiences, goods, and services in today's economy.

Takeaways

The Atlanta Braves have revolutionized the sports business model through experience strategy.
Experience economy prioritizes experiences over goods and services.
The Battery Atlanta serves as a model for mixed-use development.
Sports venues can act as anchors for surrounding retail and experiences.
Disneyfication is a viable strategy for various industries.
Healthcare can be transformed into experience-driven environments.
Cities can become experience hubs to attract tourism and business.
The economic impact of sports venues extends beyond ticket sales.
Creating holistic experiences can lead to community engagement and economic growth.
The experience economy is reshaping consumer preferences and business strategies.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Experience Economy Podcast 02:11 The Atlanta Braves: A Case Study in Experience Strategy 12:47 Disneyfication: Transforming Industries through Experience 15:14 Reimagining Healthcare and Other Industries: The Disneyfication of Everything 20:31 The Interconnectedness of Experiences, Goods, and Services

https://www.wsj.com/sports/baseball/truist-park-battery-atlanta-a3698b69?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1

https://marketing-info.feedbacknow.com/free-pilot

Learn more about Stone Mantel

https://www.stonemantel.co

https://theexperiencestrategist.substack.com