This Guy Turned an Empty Ballpark into an \$80,000,000 Baseball Empire
No Wall Street cash. No big-name sponsors. No slick advertising campaigns. Just TikTok virality, yellow tuxedos, and an incredible understanding of what people actually want from sports entertainment.
Meet **Jesse Cole**, the mastermind behind the Savannah Bananas—a collegiate summer league team that transformed from a struggling ball club into a global sensation worth over **\$80 million**. And yes, he really does wear that bright yellow tuxedo at every game.
Back in 2016, the Savannah Bananas were nothing more than a local baseball team in a sleepy Georgia ballpark. Attendance was dismal, and fans were uninterested. The traditional minor league model wasn’t working. Cole, who had purchased the team with his wife Emily, realized they weren’t just in the baseball business—they were in the entertainment business. So he set out to make baseball fun again.
Cole introduced a bold new philosophy he called **“Fans First Entertainment.”** The idea was simple but revolutionary: focus on creating unforgettable experiences rather than sticking to baseball’s rigid traditions. Games now feature dancing players, choreographed umpire routines, mid-inning promotions, and nonstop music. Players sign autographs and mingle with fans, and even the team’s name—the Bananas—signals that this is not your average baseball club.
But what really changed the game was Cole’s embrace of **social media.** Clips of wild celebrations, trick plays, and hilarious skits went viral on TikTok and Instagram, racking up millions of views. Suddenly, the Savannah Bananas weren’t just a local novelty; they were a national phenomenon. Merchandise sales skyrocketed, tickets started selling out months in advance, and the team launched the wildly popular “Banana Ball” tour, selling out stadiums across the U.S.
Cole’s approach has been compared to P.T. Barnum’s showmanship, turning baseball into a traveling circus that prioritizes fun over tradition. And it’s working. The Bananas are one of the few sports teams consistently selling out every game, with a waitlist of over 100,000 fans.
In less than a decade, Jesse Cole has proven that you don’t need deep pockets or a major league brand to build an empire. You just need creativity, courage to break the rules, and a bright yellow tuxedo.
The Savannah Bananas have become a cultural movement, redefining baseball for a new generation—and making it impossible not to smile.
