SBRnet is pleased to announce that the 2024 Sports Fan Data survey results are in. Remember, the data covers results from just under 6,700 sports around the country. The results measure the habits and behaviors of sports fans for nineteen separate sports across sixty-eight categories of data, including four new categories. If you are not familiar with the methodology we use for this,
just click here.
Great insights and stories are everywhere. Before we discuss them, let’s look at what is new for 2024:
- In 2024, we included a set of questions that specifically targeted the sustainable habits of sports fans. We believe that sustainability is not just limited to recycling and hence, we wanted to know which of our fans are most concerned about sustainability. This data is obtainable at various levels such as league, team, and consumer category/brand level.
- In light of the recent economic turbulence and instability, we have included a question in this year's survey that aims to gauge the respondents' feelings regarding their personal economic status. We anticipate that sports enthusiasts will demonstrate a more positive outlook compared to non-sports fans. This presents an opportunity to gain more profound insights into this trend.
- Sports Tourism is growing and offers great career opportunities for students in sports management and related majors. This year, we aimed to understand the secondary market for sporting event tickets.
- We have expanded our coverage of Women’s Sports. Within our “Other Women’s Sports” category of data, you can now get a look at some of the popular sports that are changing the face of women’s sports like Soccer, Volleyball, Softball and Ice-Hockey. We have taken great care to ensure that we asked the question in such a way that ensures the biggest sample size we could get.
- Sports enthusiasts often engage in activities like running and walking to maintain their fitness levels. In this year's study, we inquired about the responsiveness of different fan bases to messages related to running. This is valuable data for those working with footwear brands and should not be ignored.
- Do not forget that we have added a significant amount of data focused on Sports Tourism, Gambling on Sports, and sports like Formula One are now covered.
Now, let us get into a few of the bigger stories as I see it:
- The NFL now has 174 million fans who attend live games or watch via traditional TV or streaming: further widening its lead in terms of total fans.
- The Taylor Swift Effect on the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs has become clear and totally quantified. Without giving the story away, the Chiefs are now the second most popular team among sports fans. They have been able to score big with the Gen-Z and young women.
- Formula One has experienced a significant year-over-year increase in its fan base. Although it is unclear whether the popular Netflix series "Drive to Survive" or the addition of three Formula One races in the USA has contributed to this growth, the data can provide insights to help us answer this question.
- The year 2023 proved to be a momentous success for women's sports. The WNBA, College Basketball, and other sports mentioned in the study have shown remarkable growth. The findings of this year's study provide answers to all key questions related to women's sports.
All data is available via the Premium Data tab on the site:
https://sportsmarketanalytics.com/Premium.aspx
The data on the main part of the site is currently being updated.
There are several exciting stories in this year's SBRnet Study of Sports. We are available to come to classes and discuss the data or specific use cases as determined by faculty. For further information, please contact me at
neil@sbrnet.com or head over to
https://sportsmarketanalytics.com