Fan engagement strategies are adapting to connect with a new kind of fan. With more entertainment choices than ever before, the sports industry, including clubs and organizations, must turn to data to uncover a competitive edge. This is true whether the goal is to drive season ticket sales, group outings, or even premium seating through corporate sales initiatives.
One thing that has not changed is that not all sports fans are alike. Football fans have a completely different profile than golf or soccer fans for example. Our research team has access to thousands of variables about sports fans ranging from basic demographic factors to motivational data, and even B2B data about them as professionals and leaders in their organizations. We selected 23 statistics to help paint a picture of how these fans are unique when compared against the general US population to provide insight into how you can improve fan engagement.
Media consumption behaviors are varied across sport
- Sports fanatics who watch 4+ major sports on TV regularly are 27% more likely to watch TV on a phone and are 45% more likely to watch SciFi programming.
- Sports fanatics, who watch 4+ major sports on TV regularly, are 56% more likely to use Steam to purchase video games.
- Basketball fans are 60% more likely to be podcast fans compared with the general population.
- Hockey fans are not big TV watchers. In fact, they are 52% less likely to watch 6+ hours of TV a day when compared with the general population.
- OTT TV is a great way to connect with basketball fans who are 43% more likely to be subscribed to 3+ on-demand streaming services.
- Golf fans are 51% more likely to also watch baseball, while baseball fans are 52% more likely to also watch hockey.
Demographic and behavior differences between fans
- Baseball fans are 51% more likely to work in the formal sciences (such as logic, math, statistics, AI, computers, etc.) when compared with the general population.
- Golf fans are 40% more likely to have an interest in domestic traveling.
- Golf fans are 43% more likely to donate to art, culture, education, or museum nonprofits.
- Soccer fans are 48% more likely to be subscribed to subscription box services.
- Soccer fans skew younger than other sports fans. 2.8X more likely to be Gen Z and 2.2X more likely to be millennials.
- Soccer fans are 40% more likely to be single, and 54% more likely to be in the market for online dating services compared with the general population.
- Hockey fans are 58% more likely to have children ages 3-5 in their household, and 31% more likely to be minivan owners.
Golf fans lead the pack on environmental concern
- Golf fans are 36% more likely to purchase green or energy-efficient products for their homes,
- Both golf and basketball fans are 36% more likely to drive a purely electric car, while baseball fans are 49% more likely to drive a hybrid (compared with the general population).
- Golf fans are 44% more likely to contribute to environmental issues financially.
- Soccer fans are 54% more likely to purchase organic foods.
Sports fans live by their Apps
- Basketball fans are 57% more likely to make mobile investments, while football fans are 39% more likely.
- Sports fanatics who watch 4+ major sports on TV regularly are 68% more likely to utilize Uber and Lyft.
- Basketball fans are 44% more likely to use AirBnB.
- Basketball fans are 50% more likely to purchase groceries online for delivery and 44% more likely to order from a meal delivery service weekly.
- Soccer fans are 51% more likely to be early adopters of technology advances.
AnalyticsIQ data powers the creation of all the sports fan predicted stats referenced in this article. Any comparisons that show a comparative lift or decrease in behavior (EX: X% more likely) are predictions compared against the general population.
Want to dig in deeper on sports marketing and entertainment audiences or gain a better understanding of how data can drive better fan engagement? Check out our Sports & Entertainment page to access additional resources. At AnalyticsIQ, we love collaborating to find new ways our data can solve everyday problems, so reach out to us at sales@analyticsiq.com. Let’s talk!