The Savannah Bananas
The Savannah Bananas operates the Banana Ball Championship League, a six-team professional baseball entertainment property touring 190 games across 45 states annually, serving mass-market consumers through ticket lottery sales, DTC merchandise, and broadcast partnerships with ESPN, Disney+, and HBO Max.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSavannah, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Savannah Bananas does
The Savannah Bananas is a privately held sports entertainment organization founded in 2015-2016 by Jesse and Emily Cole through Fans First Entertainment, headquartered at Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia. It operates the Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL), a six-team professional baseball league (Savannah Bananas, Party Animals, Firefighters, Texas Tailgaters, Loco Beach Coconuts, and Indianapolis Clowns) built around a proprietary modified baseball format with nine rule changes designed for faster, theatrical, fan-interactive gameplay finishing in under two hours. The product portfolio includes live touring games, a verified Fans First Ticket Marketplace, a Shopify-powered DTC e-commerce operation with 70+ stadium retail locations and 4,000 SKUs, the Bananaland at Sea cruise experience operated with Sixthman, and the Bananas Foster 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
The organization runs a direct-to-consumer, scarcity-driven go-to-market: tickets priced from $35 face value are allocated via lottery rather than first-come-first-served, with secondary-market resale capped at face value through the verified marketplace, and a K Club membership tier providing priority access. Revenue is generated across five streams: ticket sales (approximately $80M+ in 2025), merchandise sales ($50M+ in 2025), broadcast rights (ESPN/Disney+/ABC for 25 games, TNT Sports/truTV/HBO Max for 15 games, and a novel Creator Sports Network streaming tier), brand partnerships (Dairy Queen, Shure), and experiential products (Bananaland at Sea). The company sold 2.2 million tickets in 2025, maintains a 4 million-person waiting list for the 2026 tour, and has a 35+ million social media following that functions as a primary top-of-funnel acquisition channel. All-inclusive food with admission, choreographed player dances, celebrity guest appearances, and theatrical player entrances are embedded into the core product offering as differentiated entertainment features rather than upsells.
The Savannah Bananas firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Savannah Bananas
- Legal name
- The Savannah Bananas
- Website
- https://thesavannahbananas.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Savannah Bananas operates the Banana Ball Championship League, a six-team professional baseball entertainment property touring 190 games across 45 states annually, serving mass-market consumers through ticket lottery sales, DTC merchandise, and broadcast partnerships with ESPN, Disney+, and HBO Max.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Savannah Bananas industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Sports Entertainment
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Tour Operators (561520)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Baseball & Softball Leagues (MPAKAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Baseball & Softball Equipment Retail (CRAMAEAA)
Keywords
Where The Savannah Bananas is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Savannah
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Savannah Bananas business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Direct ticket sales through official website starting at $35, with premium pricing for major venues. The organization sold 2.2 million tickets in 2025. Games sell out consistently with high demand driven by limited availability and entertainment experience.
- Merchandise Sales: Merchandise sales through online DTC and 70+ stadium retail locations. Generated over $50 million in merchandise sales in 2025. Operates a new 100,000-square-foot merchandise facility in Pooler, Georgia.
- Broadcast Rights: ESPN and Disney+ broadcast partnership featuring 25-game Banana Ball package in 2026, more than doubling the previous year's 12 games. First-ever Bananas broadcast on ABC at Autzen Stadium. TNT Sports secured a deal with truTV and HBO Max for 15 games.
- Sponsorship and Brand Partnerships: Major brand partnerships including Dairy Queen (co-branded products, game-day promotions), Shure (official audio provider), and creator sports network streaming partnerships. Attracts high-profile celebrity appearances that drive additional media value.
- Bananaland at Sea Cruise: Immersive four-day cruise experience featuring games, performances, and activities with the team and fans in Cozumel, Mexico, operated in partnership with Sixthman.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission tickets starting at $35 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Premium venue tickets with median get-in price of $255 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Official Marketplace resale at face value $35-$60 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | All-inclusive food included with admission |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Savannah Bananas product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Savannah Bananas operates a traveling entertainment baseball tour featuring Banana Ball, a proprietary fast-paced variant of baseball with modified rules designed for two-hour entertainment-first gameplay. The organization sells tickets directly to consumers, operates merchandise e-commerce and retail at 70+ stadium locations, and licenses broadcast rights to ESPN, Disney+, ABC, TNT Sports, truTV, and HBO Max. The product is delivered through six professional teams in the Banana Ball Championship League touring 190 games across 45 states and 75 stadiums annually.
Product overview
The Savannah Bananas operates as a baseball entertainment organization featuring Banana Ball, a fast-paced baseball variant with unique rules, played by six professional teams in the Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL). The product portfolio includes live game experiences at major stadiums nationwide, the Fans First Ticket Marketplace for verified ticket resale, the Banana Ball Backstage premium experience, merchandise e-commerce with stadium retail operations, Bananaland at Sea cruise experiences, and Bananas Foster nonprofit community programs. The organization tours 45 states and 75 stadiums annually, with games broadcast on ESPN, Disney+, ABC, and streaming platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bananaland at Sea: A four-day immersive cruise experience featuring games, performances, and activities with the team and fans, sailing aboard the Norwegian Jewel with stops in Cozumel, Mexico.
Products and services
- Banana Ball Banana Ball is a fast-paced, entertainment-focused variant of baseball with nine modified rules including a two-hour time limit, fan catch-outs for foul balls, no walks, batters stealing first base on wild pitches, no bunting, no mound visits, and showdown tiebreakers. It is played by six professional teams in the Banana Ball Championship League at major stadiums nationwide.
- Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL) The six-team professional baseball league operated by Fans First Entertainment, featuring the Savannah Bananas, Party Animals, Firefighters, Texas Tailgaters, Loco Beach Coconuts, and Indianapolis Clowns. The league tours 190 games across 45 states and 75 stadiums annually.
- Fans First Ticket Marketplace A verified secondary ticket marketplace that allows fans to resell tickets at face value ($35-$60) without markups or fees, with the league covering taxes and fees. The marketplace combats ticket scalping and fraud for Banana Ball games.
- Banana Ball Merchandise Store E-commerce merchandise operation supporting online DTC orders and 70+ stadium retail locations with real-time inventory management across 4,000 SKUs through ShipBob's warehouse management system and Shopify POS integration.
- Bananaland at Sea A four-day immersive cruise experience featuring Banana Ball games, performances, and activities with the team and fans in Cozumel, Mexico, operated in partnership with Sixthman aboard the Norwegian Jewel.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2.2 million tickets sold in 2025
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Savannah Bananas
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Savannah Bananas technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Savannah Bananas partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- ShurecoreShure named Official Audio Provider of the Savannah Bananas, deploying DCA901 Broadcast Microphone Array technology for immersive audio capture at Banana Ball broadcasts. The digitally steerable array microphones replace complex multi-microphone setups at each dugout, capturing bat cracks, player reactions, and crowd noise while simplifying audio mixing. Bananas also implemented Shure's Axient Digital Wireless Systems across productions.
- TNT Sports (truTV/HBO Max)coreTNT Sports secured a deal with truTV and HBO Max to broadcast 15 games from the Savannah Bananas' Banana Ball Championship League this summer, expanding multi-platform distribution.
- Creator Sports NetworkcoreCreator Sports Network named exclusive creator-led streaming partner for the Banana Ball Championship League, distributing four live games simultaneously across YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, X, and Facebook through a curated network of digital creators. Deal treats creator distribution as a standalone rights tier alongside linear and streaming platforms, representing a structural shift in sports media rights packaging.
- ESPN and Disney+flagshipLargest partnership to date with ESPN and Disney+ featuring a 25-game Banana Ball package in 2026 that more than doubles last year's 12-game offering. Includes events at Disneyland and Angel Stadium. First-ever Bananas broadcast on ABC at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. Deal positions Banana Ball as major entertainment property.
- Dairy QueencoreAmerican Dairy Queen Corporation (ADQ) partnered with the Savannah Bananas for a multi-platform collaboration featuring a co-branded Savannah Bananas Split Shake available at participating locations nationwide. The partnership includes national TV spots, social content, fan activations at games, and a promotional offer giving DQ Rewards members a free shake when catching a foul ball at Savannah Bananas games. DQ participates in pre-game pep rallies and may make pit stops at DQ locations during team travel.
- ShipBobcoreSavannah Bananas partnered with ShipBob's warehouse management system to solve complex omnichannel inventory challenges across online DTC orders and 70+ stadium retail locations. ShipBob built a custom Shopify POS connection specifically for the team achieving real-time inventory visibility and unified stock management. Implementation resulted in 80% of peak season orders shipped within 24 hours and improved inventory accuracy across 4,000 SKUs.
- Negro Leagues Baseball MuseumminorIndianapolis Clowns partnership with Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to revive the historic barnstorming baseball team's legacy. Partnership aims to educate fans about Negro Leagues history while promoting entertainment in baseball. Features notable coaches like Errick Fox and Ryan Howard and celebrates legendary players such as Hank Aaron and Satchel Paige.
- SixthmanminorSavannah Bananas and Sixthman announced return of Bananaland at Sea, a four-day immersive cruise experience scheduled for February 2026 aboard the Norwegian Jewel. Event features games, performances, and activities with the team and fans in Cozumel, Mexico.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Savannah Bananas competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Topgolf: Topgolf operates a chain of entertainment venues combining sport with social/dining experiences, targeting similar casual and family demographics as the Savannah Bananas. Both reinvent traditional sports for entertainment-first consumption in non-traditional formats.
- WWE: WWE is the dominant sports entertainment brand, monetizing scripted athletic content through touring, broadcast rights, and premium live events globally. While not baseball, WWE represents the established sports-entertainment model the Savannah Bananas is reinventing in a baseball-specific format.
- Minor League Baseball: Minor League Baseball operates hundreds of professional baseball teams across the US, sharing the Savannah Bananas' touring-entertainment playbook at smaller scale. Many BBCL expansion cities overlap with MiLB markets, and the Bananas have effectively replaced some MiLB attendance.
- Major League Baseball: MLB is the traditional professional baseball league that the Savannah Bananas explicitly compete against for fan attention and entertainment dollars. The Bananas' positioning addresses MLB's slow pace, declining youth engagement, and ticket pricing issues — making MLB the incumbent the company is differentiated against.
- X Games: X Games operates action-sports entertainment events and leagues with theatrical elements, viral video content, and brand sponsorships — comparable to the Bananas in monetizing entertainment-first sports content through events, broadcast rights, and digital media.
Direct peers
- Big3 Basketball League: BIG3 is a professional 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Ice Cube that, similar to Banana Ball, reimagines a traditional sport with modified rules, a faster pace, and entertainment-first positioning. Both leagues target casual fans seeking spectacle rather than traditional sports purists.
- Harlem Globetrotters: The Harlem Globetrotters are a traveling entertainment basketball brand that, like the Savannah Bananas, monetizes a modified version of a traditional sport through theatrical performance, fan interaction, and national touring. Both prioritize entertainment-first competition over pure athletic outcomes.
- Premier Lacrosse League: Premier Lacrosse League is a newer professional sports league that built a national touring model with weekend festival-format events and aggressive digital/social content distribution — a similar playbook to the Savannah Bananas in building a modern professional league from scratch around entertainment and fan-first experience.
Emerging players
- Athletes Unlimited: Athletes Unlimited operates innovative professional sports leagues (volleyball, softball, basketball, lacrosse) with athlete-centric models and touring formats. Like the Bananas, AU is experimenting with league structures outside traditional professional sports conventions.
- Dude Perfect: Dude Perfect built a billion-dollar sports entertainment brand through viral social media content, trick-shot performances, and family-friendly theatrical sports — the same social-first, entertainment-driven approach that underpins the Savannah Bananas' growth and audience acquisition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Savannah Bananas social profiles
Digital presenceThe Savannah Bananas financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Savannah Bananas leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Savannah Bananas subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
The Savannah Bananas funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Savannah Bananas M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Savannah Bananas
What does The Savannah Bananas do?
The Savannah Bananas operates a traveling entertainment baseball tour featuring Banana Ball, a proprietary fast-paced variant of baseball with modified rules designed for two-hour entertainment-first gameplay. The organization sells tickets directly to consumers, operates merchandise e-commerce and retail at 70+ stadium locations, and licenses broadcast rights to ESPN, Disney+, ABC, TNT Sports, truTV, and HBO Max. The product is delivered through six professional teams in the Banana Ball Championship League touring 190 games across 45 states and 75 stadiums annually.
Is The Savannah Bananas a public or private company?
The Savannah Bananas is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Savannah Bananas founded?
The Savannah Bananas was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Savannah Bananas based?
The Savannah Bananas is headquartered in Savannah, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Savannah Bananas make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, broadcast Rights, sponsorship and Brand Partnerships and bananaland at Sea Cruise.
Who are The Savannah Bananas's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Topgolf, WWE, Minor League Baseball, Major League Baseball and X Games. Direct peers are Big3 Basketball League, Harlem Globetrotters and Premier Lacrosse League. Emerging players are Athletes Unlimited and Dude Perfect.
Does The Savannah Bananas have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Savannah Bananas.
What industry is The Savannah Bananas in?
The Savannah Bananas's product category is Live Sports Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAAAC, Baseball & Softball Leagues, with a secondary code of CRAMAEAA, Baseball & Softball Equipment Retail. Its NAICS code is 45911 and its SIC code is 7900.