When the Edmonton Oilers launched LOILTY Rewards, they were not looking to run a simple fan promotion. They were building a long-term, revenue-backed loyalty ecosystem designed to drive data, sponsorship growth, ticket sales, and global engagement.
In a recent webinar, Eugene Leontyev, Loyalty Marketing Manager at OEG Sports & Entertainment, walked through exactly how they scaled the program and what it actually takes to make loyalty work at a professional level.
If you are considering launching or upgrading a loyalty program, this is the blueprint.
Key Takeaways from the Oilers’ LOILTY Success
- 160K+ members with 71% active participation in 2025.
- 13 corporate partners generating direct sponsorship revenue.
- 20+ ways to earn points, all unified into a single fan profile.
- 25 million points redeemed via sweepstakes in one season.
- 60K+ new members added during a single playoff run.
- The Fanmaker administration portion requires roughly 8 to 10 hours per week, with the rest of the time focused on strategy, partnerships, and activation.
- The program reached full break-even in year three, covering all expenses including staffing, software, integrations, and operational costs.
- 100% partner renewal rate.
The big headline here is ROI. This is not a soft engagement story. It is a fully funded loyalty program that pays for itself.
Why the Oilers Built LOILTY Rewards
The Oilers launched LOILTY in 2023 with five clear objectives:
- Unify fragmented fan data
- Drive incremental revenue
- Engage the next generation of fans
- Adapt to changing consumer behavior
- Expand internationally
Before LOILTY, ticketing data lived in one system. Retail lived in another. Partner activity lived somewhere else entirely.
Today, all of it flows into a single fan profile powered by Fanmaker.
As Eugene explained during the webinar:
“We were looking for a solution where we can have a single user profile that unites all different activities across multiple sources.”
That unified data foundation is what makes everything else possible.
Why They Chose Fanmaker and How We Collaborated
Eugene highlighted four reasons they selected Fanmaker:
- Data and API flexibility
- Platform customization and development collaboration
- A unified QR code footprint
- Ease of use for fans
But what stood out most was collaboration.
“I don’t think the Fanmaker team ever said no to anything we asked for potential development.”
From card-linking integrations to ticketing workflows to watch party access control, the program evolved because we built it together.
We were not just powering LOILTY. We were working side by side with their team to solve real operational challenges.
That partnership approach is what allowed the Oilers to move quickly when opportunities appeared, especially during playoff momentum.
Six Revenue and Engagement Drivers Behind Their Growth
1. Sweepstakes That Multiply Engagement and Point Burn
Instead of offering a single high-priced reward, the Oilers allow thousands of fans to enter sweepstakes for a small point cost.
The impact:
- 25 million points redeemed in 2024–25
- 1,528 average entries per contest
- Approximately $0.03 cost per point
This dramatically increases engagement while controlling cost.
It also collects updated profile data through required entry fields.
“Sweepstakes was a game changer for us.”
2. Card-Linking That Drives Sponsorship Revenue
Card-linking is currently the Oilers’ primary direct revenue driver within LOILTY.
Fans link their credit card once. After that, they automatically earn points at partner locations.
Results:
- 100K+ transactions
- $34.39 average transaction value
- Nearly 300 partner locations connected
The Oilers structured two sponsorship tiers:
- Basic earn package
- Promotional package with in-app visibility and marketing exposure
Approximately 80 percent of partners choose the higher promotional tier.
“The triangle win here is between us, the partner, and the member.”
This sponsorship growth is what ultimately pushed the program to full break-even.
3. Gaming Center for Remote and Global Fans
To engage fans outside Edmonton, the Oilers launched a gaming center with more than 30 customizable formats.
Results:
- 36K unique participants
- 120K+ plays
- One in five members played at least once in 2025
“We saw a lack of engagement with members who are not in Edmonton. This was a way to give them another chance to win something.”
4. Converting Watch Parties into Loyalty Growth Machines
During the playoff run, the Oilers turned one major watch party zone into a LOILTY-only access area using Fanmaker check-in kiosks.
Fans joined on site and scanned in for entry.
Results:
- 60K+ new members during playoffs
- 119K scans to enter Fan Park
- 38K net-new fans added to the Oilers database
“It was one of the most successful things that we’ve ever done in LOILTY.”
Momentum matters. When the team was winning, they maximized it.
5. LOILTY General Admission to Move Inventory
To sell slower-moving inventory, the Oilers introduced exclusive general admission ticket access for LOILTY members.
Members opt in for emails and gain access to discounted tickets with seat assignments delivered closer to game time.
Results in the first three months:
- 15K+ unique submissions
- Up to 500 tickets sold per game
Even previously unsubscribed fans rejoined for this benefit.
6. FANuary Attendance Challenge
With 11 home games in one month, the Oilers launched a check-in-driven attendance challenge.
Fans who attended all 11 games competed for a grand prize trip.
Results:
- 79 FANuary survivors
- 4.2% growth in game check-ins
“Many people started to consciously check in for games because of the challenge.”
The Financial Reality: Breaking Even on Loyalty
This is the part prospective teams should pay attention to.
The Oilers reached break-even in year three.
That break-even is driven specifically by hard sponsorship revenue generated through LOILTY partnerships.
That means sponsorship revenue covered:
- Platform licensing
- Integration costs
- Staffing
- Marketing expenses
- Operational execution
All of it.
Importantly, this calculation does not include incremental revenue from increased ticket sales, concessions, merchandise spend, or attendance lift driven by loyalty campaigns. It also does not attempt to quantify improvements in fan satisfaction or long-term fan lifetime value.
Those impacts are real and visible across the organization, with material lift across ticketing, concessions, merchandise, and attendance, but the financial break-even milestone is based strictly on verifiable sponsorship dollars.
As Eugene shared during the Q and A:
“This year is our first year to break even.”
They achieved this by growing from three partners in year one to thirteen partners today, with multi-year renewals locked in and a 100 percent renewal rate.
This is what sustainable, revenue-backed loyalty looks like.
Operational Commitment: What It Actually Takes
LOILTY is managed by one full-time loyalty marketing manager supported by marketing, partnerships, BI, and in-arena staff.
Fanmaker system administration requires only 8 to 10 hours per week to achieve this.
The rest of the effort goes into campaign strategy, internal alignment, and revenue development.
Automation has been critical.
“Automate your processes as much as possible. The less routine you have, the more time you have for interesting projects.”
This is not a side project. It is a strategic initiative.
Key Lessons for Teams Looking to Replicate This Success
- Rewards drive behavior. Keep your marketplace fresh.
- Automate operational tasks.
- Align closely with marketing and partnership teams.
- Choose your focus. Acquisition or engagement. Do not dilute both.
- Take advantage of momentum when your team is performing.
Most importantly, build a program that can stand on its own financially.
If You Want Results Like This
The Oilers did not get here by accident.
They built a unified loyalty ecosystem, aligned their internal teams, leaned into sponsorship monetization, and collaborated closely with us to evolve the platform as their needs grew.
If you are serious about launching a loyalty program that drives revenue, data growth, and measurable ROI, we would love to show you what that could look like for your organization.
Contact us at contact@fanmaker.com and let’s build your blueprint.
