Exclusive: CNBC Invests in the Power of Superfans for Live Events

During the first commercial break of a recent CNBC Fast Money broadcast, Mary Duffy, vice president and senior executive producer of strategic initiatives and talent development, quickly showed the audience the visual cues they needed to know when to start and stop clapping when they appeared onscreen. 

They were more than happy to comply.

This particular audience was made of nearly 130 enthusiastic superfans of Fast Money who had traveled from near and far to be part of an in-person event experience, exclusively reserved for the few and the loyal.

Nestled in a room right next to Fast Money’s studios at the NASDAQ headquarters in New York’s Times Square on Thursday, Dec. 11, these superfans were part of CNBC’s latest live experience event, Fast Money LIVE: Trading the Holidays. 

Fast Money is one of CNBC’s popular programs. Fashioned as a business version of ESPN’s SportsCenter, it finished November with an average of 160,000 total viewers and 30,000 Adults 25-54 viewers at 5 p.m. ET.

Given its popularity, the after-market program’s executive producer, Sandy Cannold, said it is the perfect vehicle for a live event experience.

“People feel so attached to the program,” Cannold said, adding that the on-air crew’s connection to its audience has given it a family feel. “And it’s this post-game show that people feel really attached to.” 

The latest event provided loyal viewers a chance to go behind the scenes and get up close with Fast Money host Melissa Lee and her band of Wall Street traders, including Guy Adami, Tim Seymour, Karen Finerman, Dan Nathan, and Steve Grasso.

“These folks are just thrilled to have two things, access and utility, when they come to this event,” said Duffy, noting that the smaller size of the audience gave fans a chance to ask questions directly to the show’s traders.

It’s all part of a strategy to strengthen the show’s connection to its audience and provide unique experiences that viewers won’t find anywhere else.

International fandom

The nearly 130 fans came from all over, including 26 U.S. states and Guam, as well as internationally, arriving from Canada, France, and Switzerland. Of the attendees, 69% were male, and the remaining 31% were female. In addition, 21 of them were retirees, and 14 were families/couples attending the event.

Showcasing the power of the fandom, 27% of attendees were CNBC Pro subscribers, and 11% were Investing Club members. Nine of the attendees had attended prior Fast Money Live and CNBC Pro Live events, and 27 had attended a prior Fast Money Live event.

The excited guests were festively dressed and brought Christmas tree ornaments representing their hometowns. They had the opportunity to place the ornament on the Christmas tree inside the viewing room before, during, and after the show’s airing. Inside the viewing room, a large screen was connected directly to the live program feed, allowing the superfans to watch their favorite program as it was being produced. 

When directed, cameramen walked up and down, panning the room and capturing the superfans’ enthusiastic on-air reactions on the program’s live feed. Duffy served as the MC during the commercial breaks, keeping the audience engaged and entertained.

“We’ve got cardiologists; we’ve got CEOs; you’ve got financial advisors; you’ve got an accountant, a flight attendant, a retired stockbroker, a real estate developer, a retired pastor, (and) an anesthesiologist,” said Duffy. “These are all folks who are investing with their own personal skin in the game, and then they come to learn through Fast Money.”

Education connection

This is the third live event experience under the Fast Money banner, with the two other Fast Money Live events taking place earlier this year on Feb. 27 and June 5. A fourth event, CNBC ProLive, has already been scheduled for January 2026 and will take place at the New York Stock Exchange.

Duffy describes the upcoming event with around 150 attendees as a destination that connects with education.

“They’ll come in, and we’ll divide them into little groups of 50, and they rotate through these 30-minute instructional clinics about how to trade like a pro, how to invest like a pro, (and) how to chart like a pro,” Duffy said, calling it a “money-can’t-buy experience” as attendees even have an opportunity to go down to the stock exchange floor. 

Around the midway point of the Fast Money program, Adami leaves his studio perch to join the superfans in the viewing room. As he enters the room, he is greeted with cheers, and he interacts with the audience during the breaks.

Once Fast Money returns to air, Adami randomly selects audience members to ask trading or stock market questions to the remaining traders seated in the studio. Meanwhile, Adami, who easily connects with fans and is wearing a hat given to him by one of them, helps keep the banter cordial while ensuring the rundown remains on schedule.

After the show wraps, Lee and the remaining traders join Adami in the viewing room for a Q&A session with the superfans. This is followed by a cocktail hour during which attendees mingle with the Fast Money crew and take photos on the show’s set.

Capping off the experience, each of the superfans leaves with a holiday gift bag that includes Fast Money-branded trader cards, a Christmas ornament, and a zipper vest, as well as a piece of the Waterford crystal that will be encrusted on the Constellation Ball dropping on New Year’s Eve in Times Square, donated by One Times Square. 

Strong attachment

On why Fast Money viewers are hungry for these types of events, Cannold boils it down to two things: The first is the insider knowledge. Cannold said the show’s traders break down “market news, charts, technicals, the same way NFL coaches break down film and stat sheets.”

The second item is the engaging talent. The producer said that the traders perform their tasks “with such camaraderie and joy that people want to come here, and they want to experience that in person.”

And CNBC is looking to continue to lean into its live event strategy moving forward.

On taking the Live Event experience on the road, Duffy said, “Absolutely,” adding, “With this strategic initiative that we have, I think the world is our oyster.” 

Pitching to potential sponsors of the event, Duffy went on to say, “Whoever’s ever out there and wants to connect with a very smart, sophisticated audience, this is your play.”