The Savannah Bananas already have sold out Chukchansi Park in Fresno for their May 3-5 appearance. (Savannah Bananas)
- The Bananas' huge social media following helps drive nationwide stadium sell-outs.
- With millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram, the Bananas are bigger than Major League teams.
- What's the Bananas' secret sauce? Trying at least 10 new things every game and not being afraid to fail.
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When it comes to social media and baseball, the Savannah Bananas have no peers.
Not even the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose lineup includes international star Shohei Ohtani, can match the social media presence of the national traveling troupe.
Yes, the Bananas are entertaining and serve up baseball with a dozen different twists. But the team based out of Savannah Georgia undoubtedly is selling out stadiums from coast to coast thanks in part to their creative off-field engagement with fans.
“Social media is huge. In the digital age that we live in, accessibility is huge. Not only the brands but our players too,” says Zack Frongillo, entertainment director for the Bananas.
How popular are the Bananas?
They’ve already sold out their three games May 3-5 in Fresno at Chukchansi Park.
And, this season, the Bananas have games at six Major League parks and expect to play before more than 1 million fans.
The Bananas’ Social Media Phenomenon
With over 8 million followers on TikTok and 2.5 million on Instagram, the Bananas’ digital following exceeds that of big-league clubs like the Dodgers (over 1 million followers on TikTok) and the San Francisco Giants (1.5 million followers on Instagram).
Their success has overflowed to their touring partners, the Party Animals, who have more than 1.7 million followers on TikTok.
Players Turned to Online Personalities
Bananas infielder Jackson Olson, in particular, stands out as an internet personality with more than 1.7 million followers on TikTok. That surpasses some of the biggest MLB stars such as the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. (891k TikTok Followers) and even entire teams —the Houston Astros (353K followers on TikTok), for instance.
@jacksonolson_ Nothing is too crazy💭 #dream #mystory ♬ Stories 2 – Danilo Stankovic
Why Fans Go Bananas for the Bananas
The Bananas’ games are filled with non-stop fun and excitement. From quirky promotions to engaging fan interactions, attending a Bananas game is more than just watching baseball — it’s an experience. They have themed nights, such as “Salute the Troops” and “Bark in the Park,” where fans can bring their dogs to the ballpark.
The team focuses on making sure that they are always presenting new ideas to keep the entertainment fresh.
“New ideas are everything in the Bananas organization,” said Frongillo. “Not only in the live entertainment sphere, but across all departments. … We are attempting 10 to 20 new things every single night. This takes plenty of rehearsing and planning, however, we have freedom to fail and freedom to take accountability. Ideas generally come from a group within the organization called “OTT”. OTT, standing for Over the Top, is responsible for a majority of the big moments within the game.”
The Bananas are so popular that they’re ending the 2024 by partnering with Norwegian Cruise Line on a Caribbean outing dubbed “Bananaland at Sea.”
If you are interested in seeing the Savannah Bananas, check out their national game schedule.
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