“Today, A.C. Milan is a modern entertainment company capable of creating media events that engage millions of people worldwide,” is how A.C. Milan describes itself on its official LinkedIn profile. Not just a sports club, but an entertainment company.
As stated in November 2022 by Casper Stylsvig, Chief Revenue Officer of the Milanese club, a football club can no longer rely solely on ticket sales and merchandising. It must seek to increase interaction moments with its target audience, making them more profitable. This shift by the Rossoneri has its roots in the acquisition by Elliott Management, but it truly took off with the transition to RedBird.
The key aspect of this transformation is the desire to partially detach sporting results from commercial ones. The goal today is to maximize fan interaction moments, both during the match itself and during breaks from the game.
The first step in this direction was building its own Media House. This has revolutionized how Rossoneri fans worldwide consume media, producing exclusive content designed to let fans experience the Club in a 360° way. This direct-to-consumer (D2C) model has further strengthened the emotional bond with the fan base and engaged new users. The numbers prove it: Milan is currently the second most-followed football club in Italy (behind Juventus) with 70.5 million followers as of late October 2023 across major social platforms.
In addition to digital content, Milan is also heavily involved in collaborations. No longer just simple billboards at San Siro or Milanello, but strategic agreements aimed at creating a “Rossoneri ecosystem,” capable of engaging fans through various initiatives.
It was with this vision that, in mid-2022, Milan launched a co-branded prepaid card in collaboration with the British fintech REPX. The card was designed to further strengthen fan loyalty and team aggregation by offering discounts and opportunities to participate in numerous club-related experiences, such as prize draws for exclusive tickets and branded apparel.
The recent launch of “AC Milan Connect” is moving in the same direction: a SIM card developed in collaboration with Afinna One and entirely dedicated to Rossoneri fans. The project, unique in Italy, aims to “offer fans an additional connection with their beloved team.” As with the previous case, SIM holders are entitled to exclusive content and discounts for purchasing official merchandise.
While extra-football loyalty is increasingly important, the match itself remains the heart of any football club. However, even here, opportunities to connect with fans are multiplying, both on and off the pitch. This is precisely the concept behind two initiatives: Club 1899 and the partnership with Fanblock.
Club 1899 aims to create “an experience within an experience,” allowing fans to enjoy matches uniquely: pitchside seats, lounge areas, meals, DJ sets, and VIP rooms where they can meet Milan legends. Hospitality services are certainly common among European clubs, yet Milan’s emphasis on these initiatives is notable. As repeatedly stated by various club representatives, these efforts can only be fully developed with a proprietary stadium.
The partnership with Fanblock, established in October 2023, introduces the unprecedented opportunity to own a piece of Milan’s digital pitch. The platform allows fans to purchase “Fanblocks,” representing a small digital segment of the playing field. Owners of these blocks earn points during the season’s matches, granting them specific rewards based on what happens in their owned area, offering an entirely innovative way to follow a game’s development.
The club’s new pioneering commercial approach can once again be summed up in the words of Casper Stylsvig: “The goal is to expand the magic of the pitch, allowing fans, who are at the center of everything, to experience unforgettable moments through the Rossoneri colors.”
By Federico Petrella
BOCCONI STUDENTS FOR SPORT MANAGEMENT 
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