How Jesse Cole Turned Baseball Into a Billion Dollar Show

Jesse Cole’s approach to business revolves around a radical “Fans First” philosophy that prioritizes fan experience above all else, even in the face of explosive growth and immense demand.

Rejecting Traditional Revenue Extraction For Fan-centric Pricing

Cole rejects standard industry practices aimed at maximizing revenue from fans. Even with a five million person waitlist and the ability to charge far more, ticket prices remain firmly at $40–$60, with no added ticket, convenience, or service fees. Early on, Cole made every ticket all-inclusive, offering admission with unlimited burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, drinks, popcorn, and dessert for a flat $15. This pricing model created immediate excitement and rapid sellouts. Cole insists on simplicity and transparency—no hidden charges, no shipping or tax add-ons—because it’s what’s best for fans, not just what the industry expects.

Despite ongoing pressure to monetize the waitlist or increase prices according to supply and demand, Cole resists. He empathizes with fans—including single mothers and families who have waited for tickets—and refuses to raise prices simply because demand has exploded. While small adjustments are sometimes necessary due to rising costs or the need to take care of players, he maintains that minimal, accessible pricing remains a guiding principle. Premium experiences such as VIP backstage tickets and packages are available to meet specific fan demand, but base ticket prices stay affordable so that the core experience remains inclusive.

Cole further avoids saturating the team’s ecosystem with sponsorships or TV rights deals that prioritize third-party revenue over the fan experience. Offers for TV network deals, premium sponsorships, and aggressive pricing have all been declined to maintain focus on joy and value for fans, rather than chasing quarterly returns for shareholders. “My point is every other league…they’ve got to extract value from the fans. What we’ve got to figure out is how to serve more fans, and how to do it.”

Sustainable Business Model Without Investors or Markets

Having grown from a $3–4 million “wooden bat league” to a billion-dollar brand, Cole has deliberately avoided outside investment, venture capital, or going public. He insists on family and team control, believing that introducing outside investors would mean surrendering the company’s core mission to make decisions solely for fans. Jesse rejects any possibility of selling or taking a minority investor, stating, "Never. There's nothing. And again, I know that's crazy...they're playing a different game. They're playing for money."

Profitability is sustained through merchandise, brand partnerships, and fiercely loyal fans, not through financial engineering or speculative growth tactics. Cole’s vision is to ensure business health without sacrificing what makes the enterprise unique. He hopes to keep the venture under long-term family stewardship, with governance safeguards ensuring that future leaders cannot deviate from the “Fans First” ethos, no matter how lucrative a buyout or new investor opportunity might be. “No matter what you do, you have to do it for the fans.”

Prioritizing Emotional Connection Over Financial Metrics

Cole measures success in emotional and experiential terms—not by financial metrics. “How are you growing fans?” is the question that drives every decision. Ticket sales are a point of pride only as a measure of fans served: from 100,000 in the early days, to 500,000 a year later, one million in 2024, 2.2 million in 2025, and 3.4 million already sold for 2026. The aim is not a finite number but “billions of fans over a century.”

Leadership and staff dedicate themselves to engineering memorable, joyful moments for fans: high-fives, thank you notes, and pre-game me ...

The Savannah Bananas redefine live sports entertainment by combining rigorous production standards, creative constraints, and a uniquely diverse ensemble of talent, all orchestrated around a systematic, show-driven approach pioneered by Jesse Cole.

Systematic Approach to Weekly Show Inspired by SNL

Jesse Cole draws inspiration from "Saturday Night Live," treating each Bananas game as an evolving live production rather than a repetition of the same show. Every week is designed as a creative sprint: Tuesdays begin with idea sessions, followed by script writing, blocking, choreography, and host meetings. The cast and crew rehearse on a dedicated field in Savannah, mastering hundreds of new elements before traveling to a different stadium, where further rehearsals adapt the routines to different video boards, acoustics, and spatial configurations.

Each Show Adds 10-15 New Elements Nightly, Creating ~100 Sequences Over a Six-game Weekend, Needing Vast Creativity and Continuous Revisions

Each game night features 10 to 15 entirely new sequences, meaning a six-game weekend involves creating and executing nearly 100 distinct segments. This relentless pace demands vast creativity, continuous innovation, and ongoing revision, pushing performers and production teams to deliver a fresh and unpredictable experience for fans at every event.

The process is meticulous, requiring precise teamwork: days start as early as 9 a.m., with players and cast sharing rehearsal space and often improvising with new choreography or promotional stunts. In addition to core rehearsals in Savannah, travel to new stadiums drives further adaptation as the team synchronizes the show's flow with each venue's specific setup, culminating in an intense effort to deliver a seamless performance regardless of conditions.

Obsessive Attention to Detail and Constraint-Based Creativity

Jesse Cole channels Walt Disney’s philosophy of "plussing the show," obsessively refining every aspect for fan enjoyment. Like Disney, Cole studies audience behavior to identify what delights or bores, even capturing attendance patterns at 30-minute intervals. This ongoing analysis led him to rethink the hot dog analogy—the hot dog (baseball game) must be as appealing as the condiments (entertainment).

Cole recognized that fans often left standard games early due to slow pace or boredom, prompting a systematic redesign. He and his team identified the dullest aspects of traditional baseball, wrote copious lists of potential fixes, and instituted a policy of doing the "exact opposite" of what’s normal—redefining rules, collapsing downtime, and pushing boundaries with new and sometimes misunderstood ideas.

Constraints drive creativity: when limited by rules, venue, or tradition, the Bananas innovate, whether performing on cruise ships, hosting games in massive football stadiums, or developing new five-day entertainment formats. Production values are managed in-house, from merchandising to event setup, giving total control and flexibility to continually iterate and improve.

Attending to small details—such as ensuring microphones are always ready—reflects the team’s commitment to seamless, immersive experiences. Control and focus are valued, with Cole taking cues from Steve Jobs and Apple: say no to diversions, concentrate effort on refining the main event, and maintain alignment with core values.

Building a Cohesive Unit With Diverse Talent

The Bananas bring together a vast and varied ensemble to enrich their ...

Jesse Cole’s leadership path is deeply intertwined with his commitment to family, illustrating how entrepreneurial growth and meaningful relationships can coexist. The Cole family’s journey is defined by intentional choices that prioritize presence, love, and shared moments, even amid business challenges.

Balancing Business Expansion With Family and Parental Commitment

Jesse Cole is at the helm of Banana Ball’s explosive growth, yet he refuses to let business overtake his role as a father and husband. Cole often balances the rigors of Banana Ball travel with family time, at times missing games to be with his children or planning surprise trips to prioritize quality time. Despite leading six teams and orchestrating new shows in different cities, Cole explains he will miss professional obligations so his kids know they come first. He fears the day his arrival does not elicit their excited greeting—a reminder to remain present and engaged.

When touring, the Cole family stays together in a single hotel room, emphasizing togetherness in non-traditional circumstances. Mornings begin with rehearsals and meetings, and nights end with shows. Emily handles family logistics, ensuring their children receive love despite the packed schedule. These arrangements are challenging; Cole admits he isn't always as available as he wants to be but insists on maximizing moments with his children—choosing impromptu games or jumping fully dressed into the pool over answering work demands.

Cole’s leadership style at Banana Ball is built upon delegation and trust. He leans on a team refined over the years to keep the operation running, accepting that perfection isn’t possible but being present for his family matters most. He aims for his children to remember adventures, spontaneity, and shared joy, keeping foundational human connection central both at home and in business.

Marriage Based On Shared Values and Roles

Emily Cole has been integral to the Savanna Bananas and Banana Ball’s story. After marrying Jesse in 2015, the couple inherited a financially floundering team. They went into deep debt, sold their house at Emily’s suggestion, and slept on an air mattress in an old garage to fund the operation. Emily’s commitment meant leaving her own close-knit family and plunging into uncertainty with Jesse, emblematic of their partnership’s trust and resilience.

Daily life as a couple includes the ritual of exchanging “roses and buds”—celebrating wins and sharing hopes for the future. Even when separated by time zones, they send these reflections via text, choosing to focus conversation on positivity, growth, and anticipation rather than negativity or resentment. This focus strengthens their connection despite the stressors of business and travel.

Emily’s empathy and drive for service guided the couple’s next chapter in purpose: She spearheaded the Bananas Foster initiative after realizing 400,000 children in the U.S. lack permanent homes. During the pandemic, after extensive research on foster care, Emily convinced Jesse to open their home to fostering children. The Coles have since adopted two children and continue to foster, demonstrating how business goals and family expansion can coexist. Emily’s upbringing in a deeply connected family instilled in her the importance of stability and love for every child, and she brought this vision into their expanding household. Jesse recognizes and admires Emily’s ability to lead with heart and courage, driving both the family and the business forward.

Emotional Drivers Rooted In Early Family Experiences

Jesse Cole’s dri ...

Jesse Cole and his organization exemplify a commitment to building a lasting, impactful brand, focusing on sustainable growth, a safeguarded mission, and success defined by genuine impact rather than financial milestones.

Committing To Century-Scale Growth Over Short-Term Expansion

Jesse Cole resists the temptation of rapid, large-scale growth in favor of building something enduring. When asked about selling ten million tickets by 2028 without raising prices, he flatly refuses, explaining that such accelerated expansion would “dilute your product” and sacrifice quality. Cole’s organization currently consists of six teams, all successful and filling stadiums, but he is mindful that rapid proliferation would undermine the standard and distinctive experience established over years. He outlines a vision to eventually impact one billion fans—not with a quick sprint, but over the course of a hundred years. Cole prefers incremental and sustainable progress, focusing on ensuring a great show and experience for every fan, year after year, rather than chasing ticket sales records.

Cole draws lessons from the failures of companies like Boston Market and Quiznos, highlighting the pitfalls of rapid, unfocused expansion which led to decreased quality and loss of what originally made them special. He observes that many failed sports leagues—despite superior talent—fell apart because they prioritized sponsors and TV rights over unique fan experiences, seeking quick commercial success at the expense of building something meaningful. Cole contrasts this with businesses like Costco and Chick-fil-A that strategically grew while maintaining their core values and customer focus. For him, history shows that obsessing over fans and prioritizing excellence over scale creates enduring organizations.

Implementing Governance to Protect Values Beyond Jesse's Lifetime

Cole is focused on establishing structural safeguards to ensure that the company’s “Fans First” philosophy survives beyond his tenure. Rather than building succession plans geared toward profit extraction, he envisions legal and organizational mechanisms that will permanently enshrine priorities such as fair ticket prices, equitable player compensation, and a relentless commitment to the fan experience. Cole rejects pressures to introduce hidden fees, excessive sponsorships, or TV rights purely for increased revenue. He is adamant that every creative, hiring, or strategic decision must answer the question, “What’s best for fans?”—never “How do we maximize revenue?”

This mission to put fans first is embedded deeply within the company culture, and Cole cautions that even a single departure—such as prioritizing profit over fans—can erode the essence that brought people together from the earliest days, when they sold just two tickets. He references examples in the business world where companies, after being sold to private equity or going public, lost their soul, mission, and employee enthusiasm—transforming inspiring workplaces into institutions focused ...

Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas, reflects on how Walt Disney’s philosophies have shaped his own innovative leadership and the Bananas’ model for engaging fans. Through embracing Disney’s ideas of continuous innovation, focusing on authentic fan connection, and maintaining creative control to ensure quality, Cole creates a unique and ever-evolving baseball experience.

Adopting Disney's Philosophy of Continuous Innovation and "Plussing"

Jesse Cole embraces Walt Disney’s belief that creative projects are never finished. He learned from Disney’s approach to Disneyland—as an ever-evolving creation—by internalizing the mindset of always asking, “What’s wrong with this?” to find opportunities for constant improvement. Disney’s philosophy of “plussing,” or endlessly enhancing the guest experience, directly informs Cole’s leadership. Cole explains, “You’re always thinking about plusing,” inspired by Disney’s notion that Disneyland is a “living, breathing thing” and will “never be complete.” Disney called every aspect of his projects “the show,” and Cole applies this thinking not only to the games but to every part of the fan journey.

The Bananas’ plussing methodology extends to analyzing every aspect of their games and fan experience, redesigning and testing everything from the rules of Banana Ball to pre-game shows, dance routines, and post-game engagement. Cole recounts running experimental events such as “grandma beauty pageants,” “flatulence fun nights,” and encouraging dancing players, all aimed at drawing fans’ attention and joy in the spirit of fun. The organization commits to reinvention at every level—game rules, pre-show experience, in-game inventions, and ongoing post-game fan engagement—rejecting the idea of resting on past success. Cole feels stagnation and complacency, not outside competition, are the true threats to continued achievement.

Cole credits his “failure every step of the way” as essential, noting his decade-long effort to win over fans for a minor league team before the Bananas. He observes that, like Disney, the team’s obsession with constant reinvention is “in our DNA,” keeping excitement alive and helping the Bananas go from humble beginnings to sold-out games. Cole’s “fear of boredom” and settling for the status quo pushes him and his team to always seek new ways to entertain.

Prioritizing Fan Connection Over Financial Metrics

Walt Disney’s legacy also influences Cole’s philosophy toward fan relationships. Cole notes that Disney’s first shareholder call focused predominantly on creating devoted fans, not just increasing transactions or pleasing customers. Disney’s passion for understanding the experience “walking the parks every day, shaking people’s hands and asking what’s missing,” guides Cole’s approach to Banana Ball. He adopts the same devotion, noticing, “Everyone’s chasing customers. Customers are transaction. But fans never leave.” Cole recognizes the difference between transactional customers and Disney-like fans, with Bananas supporters exhibiting loyalty on a Disney fan scale—some even tattooing every team on their bodies.

Cole believes in breaking down barriers and cultivating authentic, accessible connections with fans through transparency, openness, and storytelling. The Bananas make themselves extremely accessible to fans, believing that genuine connection and joy can on ...