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If you’re spending money on Meta ads but don’t fully trust the numbers… you’re not crazy. In this episode, Jeremy Neisser breaks down why Meta’s reporting often doesn’t match ticketing reality—and what sports teams should track instead. You’ll get a simple, no-nonsense framework for measuring marketing performance using real revenue, not modeled guesses.

Key Topics Covered

• Why Meta’s reports and your ticketing software rarely line up
• What Conversion API (CAPI) actually does—and what it doesn’t
• The difference between optimization data and reporting truth
• Why your ticketing system and bank account are the real scoreboard
• A simple framework to track marketing without attribution drama
• New Customer Acquisition Cost (NCAC) explained for sports teams
• How Average Order Value (AOV) and Revenue Per Buyer reveal buyer quality
• Why judging ads every 48 hours leads to bad decisions
• How to evaluate marketing weekly (and ROI monthly or by homestand)

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Why teams don’t trust their marketing numbers
• 02:16 – How this episode connects to Meta strategies & budget planning
• 04:37 – How Meta actually matches purchases (and why it breaks)
• 06:57 – CAPI helps optimization, not reporting accuracy
• 09:18 – Meta is better at finding buyers than explaining them
• 11:36 – Why attribution falls apart in real fan journeys
• 12:04 – A simple, spreadsheet-level tracking framework
• 13:58 – Measuring ROI the way owners and GMs actually understand
• 16:11 – NCAC: the metric that removes attribution arguments
• 18:31 – AOV vs. Revenue Per Buyer (offer strength vs. buyer quality)
• 20:40 – What to stop over-obsessing about immediately
• 23:00 – Final framework: delivery engine vs. scoreboard

Core Framework (This Is the Money Slide)

Use Meta as a delivery engine.
Use your ticketing system as the scoreboard.

Track:

• Real ad spend (including agency fees)
• Real ticket revenue
• New Customer Acquisition Cost (NCAC)
• Average Order Value (AOV)
• Revenue per buyer
• Repeat purchase behavior

Ignore:

• Platform-specific ROAS arguments
• Modeled attribution fights
• Day-to-day emotional decision-making

Call to Action

If this episode helped you, share it with someone on your team. The fastest way to kill “marketing isn’t working” conversations is getting everyone to agree on one scoreboard—your ticketing data.

Links mentioned:

Sports Marketing Machine powered by Revelocity Sports

Episode 135 - Simplest Way to Justify Your Marketing Budget

Episode 147 - Meta Ads Strategies That WORK in 2026

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Performance Max (P-Max) is showing up in more agency proposals—but most teams don’t fully understand what they’re buying.

In this episode, Jeremy Neisser breaks down what P-Max actually is inside Google Ads, why it sounds so attractive to sports teams, and how it’s often used to hide weak or undefined marketing strategy. You’ll learn when P-Max can help, when it hurts, and the critical questions teams should ask before letting automation take the wheel.

Key Topics Covered

• What Performance Max really does (in plain English)
• Why P-Max is an execution layer—not a marketing strategy
• How messy data causes P-Max to optimize for the wrong wins
• The danger of blended audiences and lost message control
• How agencies use P-Max as a reporting smoke screen
• When P-Max actually can work for sports teams
• Why segmentation and funnel clarity still matter in an AI world
• How to spot red flags in agency P-Max proposals

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 – Why Performance Max keeps showing up in agency proposals
• 02:47 – What P-Max actually is (and how it works)
• 05:36 – Why automation without strategy is dangerous
• 08:58 – How P-Max steals credit and inflates “conversions”
• 11:49 – When Performance Max can make sense for teams
• 14:39 – Strategy over automation: the real takeaway

Key Takeaways

• Performance Max is often used to mask weak strategy, not enhance strong ones.
• Automation simplifies execution—but it doesn’t replace thinking.
• P-Max is only as smart as your data (and most teams’ data is messy).
• Blended audiences lead to blended messaging—and wasted spend.
• If you can’t explain who’s buying and why, P-Max is a blindfold.
• P-Max works best as a supporting channel, not your entire plan.
• Clear funnel logic beats “AI will figure it out” every time.

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In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Jeremy Neisser discusses the often-overlooked aspect of lead generation in sports marketing. He emphasizes the importance of allocating a portion of the marketing budget to grow the fan database, rather than solely focusing on immediate ticket sales. Neisser outlines effective strategies for lead generation, including involving sponsors, creating compelling offers, and implementing follow-up plans. He also provides insights on budgeting for lead generation and the long-term benefits of building a larger audience.


Takeaways

• Most teams allocate 80-90% of their budget to single game ticket sales.
• Lead generation should be a key focus for sports teams.
• Growing your database is essential for long-term success.
• Lead generation is about capturing fan information, not immediate sales.
• Involving sponsors can enhance lead generation campaigns.
• High perceived value offers attract more participants.
• Follow-up is crucial after lead generation campaigns.
• Budgeting for lead generation should be a priority.
• Teams should think strategically about audience building.
• Lead generation is an investment in future ticket sales.

This episode makes the case that lead generation isn’t optional—it’s a core revenue strategy. Teams that dedicate real budget to list growth lower future ad costs, stop burning out their database, and give sales teams warmer leads to work. Whether sponsor-powered or self-funded, the key is high perceived value, simple opt-ins, fast follow-up, and intentional segmentation. Teams that treat lead gen as an investment—not an expense—build momentum that pays off all season long.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Lead Generation in Sports Marketing
02:35 The Importance of Growing Your Database
05:52 Lead Generation Strategies and Sponsor Involvement
08:42 Creating Compelling Offers for Lead Generation
11:54 Follow-Up Strategies for Lead Generation
14:37 Budgeting for Lead Generation in Sports Marketing
17:51 Key Takeaways and Action Steps

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