Sports Fans Coalition

What Sports Fans Coalition does

Sports Fans Coalition (SFC) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2009 that represents sports fans in U.S. public policy debates affecting ticketing, media access, player safety, public financing of stadiums, sports betting, college sports, civil rights in sports, and sportswashing. The organization functions as a grassroots coalition of individual sports fans supported by donations and membership contributions, with no commercial products, pricing, or technology platforms. Its operational model centers on policy advocacy through three primary channels: (1) mobilizing fans via website calls-to-action, email action alerts, petitions, and grassroots campaigns to legislators; (2) filing amicus briefs in major antitrust and broadcasting cases, including NFL Sunday Ticket litigation, Fubo v. Disney/Venu Sports, and state-level proceedings; and (3) producing original research such as the 2024 ticket-transferability savings study analyzing 43.7 million tickets and a white paper on stadium public financing.

The organization's core "products" are its advocacy outputs — policy research publications, regulatory comments (FCC, CFTC), amicus briefs, legislative testimony (Arizona, Washington), and the annual Most Valuable Policymaker Awards recognizing bipartisan elected officials. SFC works through an unusually broad coalition ecosystem that includes ideologically diverse partners: consumer advocacy groups (Public Knowledge, Consumer Federation of America, National Consumers League), antitrust organizations (American Economic Liberties Project, Open Markets Institute), digital rights groups (EFF), labor unions (IBEW), and broadcast industry trade groups (National Association of Broadcasters). The organization is led by Executive Director Brian Hess and Chairman/founder David Goodfriend, with a board that includes former U.S. women's national soccer team goalkeeper Hope Solo and, as of November 2025, former NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith.

SFC has produced measurable policy outcomes: contributing to the DOJ's 2024 antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster (which resulted in a July 2024 jury verdict finding illegal monopoly), the 409-15 House passage of the TICKET Act, blocking the Venu Sports joint venture through amicus advocacy, and helping prevent the Sinclair-Tribune merger via FCC petition. Its revenue is sourced entirely from voluntary donations and member support, with no disclosed financials. The organization operates at a small scale of 1-10 employees but punches above its weight through coalition leverage and sustained 15+ year advocacy relationships with federal regulators and state Attorneys General.

Name

Sports Fans Coalition

Legal name

Sports Fans Coalition

Website

https://sportsfans.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sports Fans Coalition is a Washington, D.C.-based grassroots nonprofit advocacy organization, founded in 2009, that mobilizes sports fans and files amicus briefs to influence policy on ticketing, media access, stadium financing, and antitrust issues affecting professional sports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Policy Advocacy Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management (MPAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Compliance, Governance & Integrity Services (Safeguarding, Anti-Doping, Match Integrity) (MPAKAKAM), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Sports fan advocacy
• Consumer advocacy
• Antitrust advocacy
• Ticketing reform
• Sports policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Sports Fans Coalition is a grassroots advocacy organization funded by donations from sports fans and members who support their advocacy mission. The organization mobilizes fan support to influence sports policy legislation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sports Fans Coalition is a grassroots nonprofit advocacy organization that mobilizes sports fans to influence public policy on issues affecting the sports industry. Its core work includes advocating for ticketing reform (TICKET Act, breakup of Live Nation/Ticketmaster), repeal of the Sports Broadcasting Act's antitrust exemption, fair stadium financing, player safety, sports betting consumer protections, and civil rights in sports. It files amicus briefs in antitrust cases, conducts policy research, runs petition and email campaigns targeting lawmakers, and partners with allied consumer advocacy groups.

Product overview

Sports Fans Coalition is a grassroots advocacy organization focused on protecting sports fans' rights through policy advocacy, research, and coalition-building. The organization does not offer commercial software products or services; its activities include lobbying for fan-friendly legislation (such as the TICKET Act), filing amicus briefs in antitrust cases, conducting research on ticketing markets and sports broadcasting, and mobilizing fans to contact lawmakers on issues including ticketing reform, media access, player safety, and stadium public financing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Influenced DOJ lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster resulting in jury verdict finding illegal monopoly
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Break Up Ticketmaster CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Coalition of consumer advocacy organizations including Sports Fans Coalition, American Economic Liberties Project, Fight Corporate Monopolies, More Perfect Union, Fan Freedom, Consumer Federation of America, National Consumers League, and Artist Rights Alliance formed to advocate for DOJ breakup of Ticketmaster/Live Nation.
• Public KnowledgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer advocacy organization partnered with SFC on FCC filings regarding sports broadcasting practices and joint comments on Sports Broadcasting Act repeal. Filed amicus briefs together in Fubo v. Disney case.
• Electronic Frontier FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital rights organization that joined SFC in filing amicus brief in Fubo v. Disney antitrust case against Venu Sports joint venture.
• Open Markets InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAntitrust research organization that joined SFC amicus brief in Fubo v. Disney case opposing Disney/Fox/Warner Venu Sports joint venture.
• American Economic Liberties ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAntitrust advocacy group that partnered with SFC in Break Up Ticketmaster Coalition and amicus briefs on sports streaming antitrust issues.
• National Consumers LeaguemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer advocacy organization partnered with SFC on sports betting consumer protections and joined coalition advocating for TICKET Act ticketing reforms.
• Consumer Federation of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer advocacy group that joined the Break Up Ticketmaster Coalition and endorsed TICKET Act legislation.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical WorkersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union representing broadcast workers that filed comments with FCC supporting SFC's position on Sports Broadcasting Act and concerns about sports migrating off free TV.
• National Association of BroadcastersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadcast industry trade group that requested FCC evaluate whether Sports Broadcasting Act still serves public interest as leagues use exemption to extract billions while shipping content to streaming platforms.
• Fox CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadcast company that signaled Sports Broadcasting Act's antitrust exemption shouldn't extend to streaming, indirectly supporting SFC's position on broadcast antitrust reform.
• Center for American Rights and Bull Moose ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservative advocacy groups that jointly framed sports blackout issues through affordability lens and called on FCC to recognize local sports access as public interest priority.
• International Center for Law & EconomicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThink tank that explicitly called for Congress to repeal the Sports Broadcasting Act and subject league media deals to standard antitrust scrutiny.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Public Knowledge: Consumer advocacy organization focused on telecommunications, media, and technology policy. Direct peer because Public Knowledge is SFC's most frequent coalition partner, having jointly filed FCC comments on sports broadcasting and amicus briefs in Fubo v. Disney.
• Fight Corporate Monopolies: Grassroots antitrust advocacy organization that co-founded the Break Up Ticketmaster Coalition with SFC. Direct peer given shared mission of challenging corporate concentration in entertainment and ticketing markets.
• Fan Freedom: Fan-focused consumer advocacy organization specifically dedicated to ticketing issues and ticket-transfer rights. Direct peer because Fan Freedom overlaps closely with SFC's ticketing reform agenda and is a fellow coalition member of the Break Up Ticketmaster Coalition.
• Consumer Federation of America: National consumer advocacy organization that joined the Break Up Ticketmaster Coalition and endorsed the TICKET Act. Direct peer given shared consumer-protection focus and active sports-policy coalition work.
• National Consumers League: Long-standing U.S. consumer advocacy organization that partnered with SFC on sports betting consumer protections and TICKET Act advocacy. Direct peer given overlapping consumer-protection mandate and active coalition partnership.
• American Economic Liberties Project: Antitrust advocacy organization that co-led the Break Up Ticketmaster Coalition with SFC and has filed joint amicus briefs in sports streaming cases. Direct peer given shared antitrust advocacy mission and frequent coalition work on sports-related cases.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): Digital rights advocacy organization that has joined SFC amicus briefs in Fubo v. Disney. Direct peer given shared interest in sports streaming access, consumer technology rights, and antitrust issues affecting digital media.
• Open Markets Institute: Antitrust and monopoly research organization that has joined SFC amicus briefs opposing the Venu Sports joint venture. Direct peer due to overlapping competition-policy mandate and active joint advocacy.

Emerging players

• Public Citizen: National consumer advocacy organization with a strong antitrust and corporate-accountability mandate. Emerging player because Public Citizen operates in adjacent advocacy space but has not been identified as an SFC coalition partner in the source data.
• U.S. PIRG: Federation of state Public Interest Research Groups focused on consumer protection and corporate accountability. Emerging player because U.S. PIRG works on adjacent consumer issues (ticketing, antitrust) but is not currently a primary SFC coalition partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sportsfanorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sports-fans-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sports Fans Coalition