Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Figure 1: Sports Fans, by type, July 2017
- The issues
- Game length may lead to multi-tasking viewers
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- Figure 2: Attitudes about passion for sports, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Cost of attending sporting events can be prohibitive for families
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- Figure 3: Avid Fans’ attitudes about issues for sports, by sport followed, July 2017
- Sports compete with a variety of activities for consumers’ leisure time
- The opportunities
- Real-time viewing still dominates
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- Figure 4: Devices used by Avid Fans to watch sports – TV, by sport followed, July 2017
- Access to fans during games transcends the TV
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- Figure 5: Sports Fans’ concurrent sports viewing activities – digital and mobile items, July 2017
- Fans’ engagement with sports extends beyond just watching games
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- Figure 6: Fantasy sports and eSports engagement, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, by age, July 2017
- What it means
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The Market – What You Need to Know
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- America’s top sports leagues brought in $35 billion in annual revenues
- The most dedicated of fans, Avid Fans, skew young and male
- Different sports have different types of fans
- Sports compete with consumers’ attention and interest
- Tech advances benefit fans but hurt cable/satellite providers
Market Size
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- Major US sports leagues generate more than $35 billion annually
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- Figure 7: Revenues of major US sports leagues ($ billions), 2016-17 season
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- Figure 8: Key stats of major professional sports, 2016
Who Are Sports Fans?
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- 85% of adults aged 18+ are Sports Fans, 43% are Avid Fans
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- Figure 9: Sports Fans, by type, July 2017
- Avid Fans tend to be young, partnered/married, men…
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- Figure 10: Sports Fans vs Avid Fans, by gender, age, and marital status, July 2017
- …who are parents (most likely dads), middle-income earners, and…
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- Figure 11: Sports Fans vs Avid Fans, by parent status and gender, and household income, July 2017
- …Hispanic, employed, and urban dwellers
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- Figure 12: Sports Fans vs Avid Fans, by race/Hispanic origin, area, and employment status, July 2017
Key Demographics of Avid Fans by Sport
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- Football goes…all…the…way…for older adults
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- Figure 13: Avid Fans of professional football, by key demographics, July 2017
- Basketball is a slam dunk for multicultural and young adults
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- Figure 14: Avid Fans of professional basketball, by key demographics, July 2017
- Baseball is a grand slam for parents and Hispanics
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- Figure 15: Avid Fans of professional baseball, by key demographics, July 2017
- Younger, more affluent Avid Fans are hooked on hockey
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- Figure 16: Avid Fans of professional hockey, by key demographics, July 2017
- Young, Hispanic crowd gets a kick out of soccer
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- Figure 17: Avid Fans of professional soccer, by key demographics, July 2017
Market Perspective
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- Endless entertainment options could impact passion for sports
- Sports Fans embrace the second screen
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- Figure 18: Sports Fans’ concurrent sports viewing activities – digital and mobile items, July 2017
- Sports may motivate fans to travel to other cities
- Experience-based rewards elicit greater interest among young travelers
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- Figure 19: Interest in reward redemption options – Select items, by age, March 2017
Market Factors
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- Spending habits point to growth in leisure market
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- Figure 20: Perceived change in leisure and entertainment spending – Spending more or the same, 2014-17
- Cable and satellite dish subscriptions are down…
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- Figure 21: Household cable and satellite dish subscriptions, 2010-17
- …while smartphones are increasingly used for sports content
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- Figure 22: Attitudes about cell phones/smartphones – To keep up with news or sports, 2010-17
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Fans have wider access to watch sports and connect with athletes
- Politics, cost, and health are on fans’ minds
- Ads on jerseys, split-screen play, and Vegas are changing the game
What’s Working?
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- Non-traditional platforms joining the sports viewing space
- Connecting with athletes (and fans) is seamless through social media
- Fantasy sports continue to boom
What’s Struggling?
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- For families, going to games means dishing out some serious cash
- Political stances and criminal issues are having NFL fans tune out
- CTE studies impact support and concern for athletes’ health
What’s Next?
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- Fast-paced lifestyles impact changes to the game
- The next pro sports hub: Vegas, baby
- Non-stop watching, thanks to in-screen advertisements
- NBA opens opportunity for brand sponsorships on jerseys
- Disney’s ESPN to have its own sports streaming service
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- America loves football (no…not soccer)
- TV beats out streaming and real-time trumps recorded sports viewing
- Viewing on social media/apps most popular for pro soccer, tennis fans
- Fans prefer to watch their teams’ games/events at home
- “Distracted” viewing allows for greater opportunity to reach fans
- Team sports fans more likely to indulge in unhealthy food while watching
- Home or away, hockey fans are willing to pay to watch their team
- Football fans love to talk about their team and to watch with others
- Connecting with friends is an important component of fantasy sports
- Attending sports games/events on trip is a fun activity
- Game length is an issue for three in 10 Avid Fans
- Attending games is pricey and fans are more interested during playoffs
Sports Followed
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- Football is America’s most followed sport
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- Figure 23: Team sports followed, by engagement, July 2017
- Individual sports garner less interest than team sports
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- Figure 24: Individual sports followed, by engagement, July 2017
- College sports elicit similar interest to professional team sports
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- Figure 25: College Sports followed, by engagement, July 2017
Devices Used to Watch Sports
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- Sports Fans still watch their sports in real-time
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- Figure 26: Devices used to watch sports, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Football fans most likely to watch games live, soccer fans record and stream
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- Figure 27: Devices used by Avid Fans to watch sports, by team sports, July 2017
- Avid Fans of individual sport least likely to view in real-time
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- Figure 28: Devices used by Avid Fans to watch sports, by individual sports, July 2017
Platforms Used to Watch Sports
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- Nearly one in five Avid Fans use real-time updates for their team
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- Figure 29: Platforms used to watch sports, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Soccer fans most likely to turn to digital to watch games
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- Figure 30: Platforms used by Avid Fans to watch sports, by team sports, July 2017
- One in three tennis fans watch competitions on social media
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- Figure 31: Platforms used by Avid Fans to watch sports, by individual sports, July 2017
Places Where Sports Are Watched
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- At-home viewing is most common
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- Figure 32: Places Avid Fans watch sports, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Sports bar viewing is most common among basketball and soccer fans
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- Figure 33: Places Avid Fans watch sports, by team sports, July 2017
- Viewing games in-person is most common among college sports fans
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- Figure 34: Places Avid Fans watch sports, by college sports, July 2017
Concurrent Sports Viewing Activities
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- Majority of Sports Fans do something else while watching sports
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- Figure 35: Concurrent sports viewing activities, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Soccer fans skip commercials, stream music, listen to radio while watching
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- Figure 36: Concurrent sports viewing activities of Avid Fans, by team sports, July 2017
- Avid Fans of pro golf are least likely to socialize while watching
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- Figure 37: Concurrent sports viewing activities of Avid Fans, by individual sports, July 2017
Food-related Behaviors
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- Unhealthy foods are a part of the game for three in 10 Avid Fans
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- Figure 38: Food-related behaviors, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans July 2017
- Football fans indulge most in unhealthy food while watching sports
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- Figure 39: Food-related behaviors of Avid Fans, by team sports, July 2017
- Fans of individual sports most likely to recognize athletic spokespeople
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- Figure 40: Food-related behaviors of Avid Fans, by individual sports, July 2017
Viewing-related Behaviors
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- Avid Fans travel and pay extra to watch sports
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- Figure 41: Viewing-related behaviors, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans July 2017
- Hockey fans most likely to have cable primarily to watch sports
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- Figure 42: Viewing-related behaviors of Avid Fans, by team sports, July 2017
- Golf and tennis fans more likely to have cable, record events
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- Figure 43: Viewing-related behaviors of Avid Fans, by individual sports, July 2017
- Avid Fans of college sports watch at home and go on-the-road
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- Figure 44: Viewing-related behaviors of Avid Fans, by college sports, July 2017
Social-related Behaviors
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- Not all Sports Fans are “big sports fans”
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- Figure 45: Social behaviors, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans July 2017
- Social component of sports is most important for football fans
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- Figure 46: Social behaviors of Avid Fans, by team sports, July 2017
- Individual sports fans don’t need to bond with others to stay passionate
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- Figure 47: Social behaviors of Avid Fans, by individual sports, July 2017
Traditional Sports Alternatives: Fantasy and eSports
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- Participation in fantasy sports/eSports is low…but growing
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- Figure 48: Fantasy sports and eSports engagement, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Young adults drive fantasy sports participation
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- Figure 49: Fantasy sports and eSports engagement, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, by age, July 2017
- Fantasy sports helps users stay connected – with others and their sports
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- Figure 50: Attitudes toward fantasy sports, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Adults aged 25-44 enjoy the connecting element of fantasy sports
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- Figure 51: Attitudes toward fantasy sports, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, by age, July 2017
Attitudes: Sports and Travel
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- Most Avid Fans consider sporting events to be a fun trip activity
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- Figure 52: Attitudes about travel for sports, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Football fans are least likely to travel to watch live sports
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- Figure 53: Avid Fan’s attitudes about travel, by team sports, July 2017
- Tennis fans are willing to travel to other cities to watch live sports
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- Figure 54: Avid Fan’s attitudes about travel, by individual sports, July 2017
Attitudes: Passion for Sports
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- Sports Fans are just as likely as Avid Fans to think games last too long
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- Figure 55: Attitudes about passion for sports, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Soccer fans struggle most with season and game length
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- Figure 56: Avid Fans’ attitudes about passion for sports, by team sports, July 2017
Attitudes: Issues for Sports Fans
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- Majority of fans think attending sporting events is too expensive
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- Figure 57: Attitudes about issues for sports, by Sports Fans and Avid Fans, July 2017
- Tech advances impact soccer fans more than other major team sports
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- Figure 58: Avid Fans’ attitudes about issues for sports, by team sports, July 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – Market
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- Figure 59: Revenues of major US sports leagues ($ billions), 2016-17 season
- Figure 60: Household cable and satellite dish subscriptions, 2011-17
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- Figure 61: Attitudes about cell phones/smartphones – to keep up with news or sports, 2010-17
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Appendix – Consumer
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- Figure 62: Team sports followed, by Sports Fans, July 2017
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- Figure 63: Individual sports followed, by Sports Fans, July 2017
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- Figure 64: College sports followed, by Sports Fans, July 2017
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- Figure 65: Team sports followed, by Avid Fans, July 2017
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- Figure 66: Individual sports followed, by Avid Fans, July 2017
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- Figure 67: College sports followed, by Avid Fans, July 2017
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