GWI: 2021 Sports Report

GWI released the "2021 Sports Report", revealing the social media engagement of sports fans. In the past, sports fans could only stay connected with their favorite teams or athletes by watching live games. Now, those days are gone. Social media has enabled sports fans to not only follow their favorite teams, but also reach out to players, coaches, and sports experts.

Looking at the social media behavior of connected sports fans (aged 16-64) in 15 markets around the world, fans of all ages follow sports figures and teams to some extent, but younger fans are more likely to do so. The data shows that younger people are more likely to use social media and follow influencers or brands on social media.

These younger fans are also most likely to follow athletes. 58% and 49% of 16-24 and 25-34 year olds surveyed follow athletes, respectively. Other sports-related content followed include leagues (43% each), sports experts (26% and 29%, respectively), and coaches (19% and 20%, respectively).

YouTube is the platform that sports fans are most likely to visit (52%), followed by Facebook (47%) and Instagram (43%). Although fans of all ages are willing to watch sports events on TV, younger fans are more likely to watch sports online. For example, about three-quarters of millennials (74%) watch sports online, while less than half of baby boomer respondents (46%) do so.

In addition to social media, sports fans also enjoy participating in fantasy leagues (social betting), which are most popular among cricket fans (35%), American football fans (22%) and soccer fans (21%).

When it comes to sponsorship, fans of American football, motorsports, soccer and tennis all said they noticed sponsorship most on shirts, followed by LED boards around the pitch or stadium.

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