Sports

Fanbase continues expansion with Northern Premier League deal

Featured Image: Janosch Diggelmann on Unsplash

The Northern Premier League (NPL), which together with the Isthmian League and the Southern League forms the seventh and eighth level of the English football pyramid, has partnered with ticketing start-up Fanbase.

Based in the Scottish capital Edinburgh, the company was founded to improve ticketing and fan experiences for smaller clubs. Fanbase was first launched in 2019 with fifth tier Scottish club Linlithgow Rose FC, but has since grown to work with over 170 sports clubs. At the start of last year, Fanbase revealed that it had raised £1m (€1.2m/$1.3m) in an investment round. 

Fanbase has been named as the Northern Premier League’s preferred ticketing and fan engagement provider across its 81 clubs. The partnership will remain in place for the rest of the 2023-24 season and will continue until the conclusion of the 2026-27 campaign.

“The NPL is delighted to be working with Fanbase following an in-depth tender process,” said Mark Harris, chairman of the Northern Premier League. 

“We chose Fanbase because of their ability to support our clubs, not only with digital ticketing but in fan engagement. Fanbase are a great fit for our digital strategy and will enable NPL clubs to explore a new level of commercial opportunities.”

The Fanbase platform integrates features such as e-ticketing – including season tickets, memberships and hospitality – and content to improve both the club’s and fans’ experience. 

Fanbase co-founder and chief executive, Alasdair Crawley, added: “We built Fanbase to empower ambitious sports clubs with the tools to ensure every fan has a world-class experience where they feel known and looked after. 

“I’m thrilled that NPL clubs now have the power to offer this full service whilst saving the committed volunteers valuable time in the process. Fanbase is all about supporting clubs that play a vital part in their community and we can’t wait to get started.”