The Savannah Bananas were already big business, but a newly released annual report from the rapidly growing baseball club confirmed that in unprecedented detail.
An extensive update (called the 2026 Fans First Report) released by the club, the first in its history, detailed just how big the Bananas empire has grown beyond the run of sold-out stadiums and an ever-growing waiting list for tickets.
The Numbers Are Bananas
Among the numbers released by the privately held Bananas and their parent company, Fans First Entertainment, regarding their 2025 performance:
- 113 shows—their preferred term instead of games—played with a total of 2.2 million tickets sold and a 91% ticket redemption rate
- 1.97 million items of merchandise sold
- More than 35 million followers across its social media channels, with more than a third of that arriving during 2025
- An average of more than 500,000 viewers for televised games on ESPN, The CW, and Roku, peaking with a July 4 show from Boston’s Fenway Park that averaged 837,000 on ESPN
- More than 18 million views of live shows on YouTube
- More than 4.2 million fans joined a Banana Ball Ticket Lottery in the three weeks following the October release of the 2026 schedule that includes another extensive run of MLB and NFL stadiums
- The creation of two additional teams, the Loco Beach Coconuts and Indianapolis Clowns, to bring the entire Bananas-related competition to six teams, all controlled by the Jesse Cole–led Fans First Entertainment. Those teams will be part of a newly formed Banana Ball Championship League that will begin in 2026
- An average player salary of more than $100,000
Beyond accelerating its massive success, the Bananas and Fans First Entertainment occupy a highly unique portion of the business of sports.
By design, the Bananas and their five opponents play a style of baseball that flouts many of the sport’s established on-field rules and traditions. “Banana Ball” includes a two-hour time limit on games, no mound visits or stepping out of the batter’s box, no bunting, batters having an option to steal first base, and defensive outs if foul balls are caught by fans.
Despite all of that, and the Bananas’ presence as a pure-play entertainment entity, the Banana Ball games aren’t scripted and remain competitive endeavors.
“We are not a public company. We know we have no obligation to share these details,” said Cole, known for his ubiquitous bright yellow tuxedo and top hat, in a video message to fans. “But we believe we have a responsibility to you, to share who we are, what we stand for, and the why behind our decisions. Also, we think it’d be fun. It’s fun to look back on the last year and share where we are.”
Other key metrics, including company revenue and net income, were not part of the team update, but Fans First is estimated to be generating more than $100 million in yearly revenue. Cole has also said he has been approached with acquisition offers carrying $1 billion valuations.
Next Steps
Future plans include working with outside entities such as Cirque du Soleil to help elevate the in-game entertainment, a heightened emphasis on scoreboard features, and an overall investment of more than $10 million into live shows for the upcoming year, and another $13 million into broadcast production.
“Our challenge for our players in 2026 is to bring more tricks, more unique celebrations, and more never-before-seen moments to the field,” Cole said. “Our goal is for each player to provide unique Fans First moments every night to stay connected with our fans, and to never forget this is who we play for and the reason we get to do what we do.”
