Behind the Screens with the Dallas Stars: The Psychology Behind Fan Participation

First-time attendees are common at hockey games in Dallas. Therefore, the Stars’ entertainment team realizes that it has just the duration of one game to make an impression on as many people as possible.

“Dallas, being a non-traditional hockey market there’s a lot of room, presentation and production-wise, for deviation from whatever the norm is,” Jason Danby said.

Making fans a part of the show is one way the organization attempts to retain first-timers and not necessarily make them ardent hockey supporters, but fans of the overall game day experience.

“Regardless of what the team does on the ice, I think the philosophy throughout is: entertain our fans and season ticket holders,” Video Director Terri McCormack said. “We want everyone to come to into the arena, get a taste of what hockey’s all about and enjoy the show.”

Throughout a Stars game, the entertainment team scours over the stands to find everything from the anomalous to the outrageous among the sea of 18,000 people.

It is not enough to simply show someone dancing on the jumbotron though. Encouraging people to participate show is what spawns affection between fan and team. By connecting pop culture and ticket holders, the Stars produce relatable content that puts fans in the spotlight like few other organizations have been able to.

Participation from fans is a reason why they come back, even if their affinity for the actual sport does not necessarily increase. The Stars have mastered this art.

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