Turn “Free” Into $1M: How the Revs Score Big with Youth Soccer
The New England Revolution’s Youth Soccer Strategy: $1M in Upsell Revenue, Season After Season
The New England Revolution has mastered the art of adapting to the market — and it’s paying off. Through long-standing relationships with local youth soccer leagues, they’ve created a culture where families are rewarded for being part of their organizations, with a complimentary Revolution ticket just for joining a league.
Using Spinzo’s Flex Code technology, the team either uploads league email lists or distributes unique codes — Each good for one free ticket per player. Families with multiple kids can have codes worth multiple units, making redemption seamless and flexible. Once a code is validated, fans are offered the chance to upgrade seats or purchase additional tickets at a discounted rate.
The result? Over $1 million in revenue just from upgrades and add-ons in a single season. Midway through their current campaign, they’ve already passed the half-million mark — well on pace to hit seven figures again....It’s proof that with consistent messaging, community trust, and the right tech, you can turn “free” into serious revenue.
From Joe Medcalf, Senior Manager of Group Sales New England Revolution: The “PVP” (Player Voucher Program) was developed during COVID as a direct response to feedback from our closest partners — their frustrations, suggestions, and insights — as well as a deep dive into data from our youth sports offers (specifically, where the revenue was actually coming from). Many organizations felt their players should be able to experience professional soccer for free. We leaned into that belief and, through the Spinzo platform combined with a targeted marketing strategy and launch plan, created a full-fledged program that not only performed but evolved each year through thoughtful adaptations and improvements. To this day, the program averages 1.39 additional tickets per free ticket claimed, with upgrades on roughly 30% of transactions.