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👋 While MLB struggles with declining attendance, one minor league team sells out NFL stadiums and has more TikTok followers than the Yankees. The Savannah Bananas didn't just change baseball — they rewrote the entire playbook on customer experience.

Read time: 4 minutes | 1,062 words

STORY 

🍌 From Failing Baseball Team to $20 Million Entertainment Empire

In 2015, Jesse Cole bought a dying baseball stadium and a nonexistent team for next to nothing. "We had to differentiate and carve out this niche, or maybe 100 people would come, and we were going to be out of business really quickly," he said. What happened next rewrote the rules of sports entertainment forever.

The Savannah Bananas now have a waiting list of 2+ million fans and sell out every single game. In 2025, they drew 81,000 people to a college football stadium - breaking their own attendance record set just days earlier.

Here's what makes these numbers absolutely bonkers:

• Their home stadium only holds 4,000 people

• They have over 6 million TikTok followers - more than any MLB team

• Their 2025 tour hits 40 cities, including 3 NFL stadiums and 17 MLB parks

• Tickets start at just $35-40 and include all-you-can-eat concessions

@tyler.m.webb

Why @thesavbananas lose $150K per game (on purpose) 🤔🍌 #savannahbananas #bananaball #baseball #sportsbusiness #jacksonolson #jessecole

The Revolutionary "Fans First" Business Model

While traditional teams chase sponsorship dollars and squeeze fans with fees, Cole pays the sales tax on every ticket and merchandise item himself. "We're focused on long-term fans over short-term profits," he explains.

The result? A business model that industry experts believe could be worth up to $1 billion.

Banana Ball: The Game That Saves Baseball

Cole didn't just change how teams treat fans - he literally rewrote the rules of baseball. When asked what fans hate most about MLB games, everyone said the same thing: "It takes too long."

Cole's solution was Banana Ball:

• Two-hour time limit - games can't drag on forever

• No stepping out of the batter's box - automatic strike if you do

• Fans catching foul balls = automatic out - ultimate fan engagement

• One-on-one tiebreaker showdowns instead of endless extra innings

But the genius isn't just the rules - it's the show. Players perform line dances to Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. There's a senior citizen dance group called the "Banana Nanas." The world's only dancing umpire twerks when calling players out.

The Empire Keeps Growing

In 2023, the Bananas projected a 500% revenue increase from their touring model. But Cole's vision goes way beyond baseball:

• ESPN, TruTV, and Stadium now broadcast their games nationally

• They're launching "Bananaland at Sea" - a cruise experience

• Plans include a Bananas Brewery and 1926 Speakeasy Bar

• Jesse commands $10,000-$25,000 for keynote speeches

From a failing team playing to empty seats to selling out NFL stadiums, the Savannah Bananas prove that in any industry, when you prioritize fans over profits and entertainment over tradition, you don't just build a business - you create a movement that changes everything.

Related: But are they ruining baseball?

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🎯 The Savannah Bananas Playbook

Jesse Cole transformed a dying baseball team into a $20 million empire by completely flipping traditional business thinking on its head. Here's what every salesperson can learn from his revolutionary approach:

Stop chasing customers, start creating fans - Cole says there are two types of businesses: those chasing customers and those creating fans. When you focus on building genuine enthusiasm rather than just closing deals, you create customers who become your biggest advocates and referral sources.

• Example: Instead of bombarding prospects with follow-up calls after a "no," focus on providing value through helpful industry insights, relevant introductions, or useful resources. One software salesperson I know sends quarterly market reports to past prospects - 40% eventually become customers when their needs change.

Address the real complaint, not the surface problem - Cole asked what fans hated most about baseball and everyone said "it takes too long." Instead of just speeding up games marginally, he completely reimagined the rules. In sales, dig deeper to understand what really frustrates your prospects, then solve that core issue.

• Example: When clients say "your price is too high," don't just offer a discount. Ask what's driving their budget concerns - often it's cash flow timing, approval processes, or fear of ROI uncertainty. Address those root causes instead of just cutting price.

Make the customer the star of the experience - Cole's philosophy is "make the customers the stars and give them the red-carpet treatment." Great salespeople shift from pitching their product to making prospects feel like the most important person in the room and crafting solutions around their specific needs.

• Example: A successful real estate agent I know creates custom neighborhood market reports for each prospect showing comparable sales, school ratings, and local amenities specific to their interests - making them feel like the research was done exclusively for them.

Build a culture people want to join, don't just recruit - The Bananas have waiting lists for both fans AND employees. When you create an environment that people genuinely want to be part of, top talent comes to you. This applies to building customer relationships where people want to do business with you, not feel sold to.

• Example: Top financial advisors don't cold call - they host educational seminars about retirement planning, creating an environment where prospects come to them seeking expertise rather than feeling hunted by a salesperson.

Focus on long-term relationships over short-term profits - Cole pays sales tax on tickets and foregoes many revenue opportunities to delight fans. The best salespeople understand that sacrificing immediate commission for customer satisfaction creates exponentially more value through repeat business and referrals over time.

• Example: A pharmaceutical sales rep turned down a chance to oversell inventory to a doctor's office before a competitor's product launch, instead helping them optimize their current stock. That doctor now refers her to colleagues because she proved she cares more about his practice than her quota.

The bottom line: Cole's success proves that when you flip the script from "how can I get what I want" to "how can I give them an experience they'll never forget," you don't just make sales - you build an empire.

MEME

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