A new survey finds that not only are most Americans sports fans, but the majority also believe that sports helps them bond with their families.
A recent survey conducted by SiriusXM and GroupM in partnership with Edison Research revealed just how much Americans believe in sharing the joy of sports with friends and loved ones.
According to data released by SiriusXM’s researchers and sales team, more than two-thirds of Americans age 13 and older identify as sports fans — 186 million people.
The data also links sports to stronger family ties, with 68% of sports fans saying that sports brings family members closer together.
“The idea that sports are more than just games is at the heart of what drives fandom.”
It’s unclear whether being with family makes sports fans more emotional than usual, but nearly one in four fans admit to crying over the outcome of a game they watched or listened to.
“This is shocking and amazing news. Now I have a reason to make my daughter listen to sports on the way to see Scottie Scheffler hit golf balls,” sportscaster Gary Sheffield Jr. told The Blaze News.
Due to the nature of this study, the focus was also on audio broadcast listening, and the data showed no change in listener affinity.
by Sports Audio ReportThe survey found that the majority of audio listeners say they listen with others at least sometimes, whether that be podcasts or radio. Podcast and satellite radio listeners were even more likely to “listen together.”
Overall, 64% of sports fans said they often or sometimes watch sports via audio broadcast.
Of course, younger generations are listening to music in different ways: Gen Z and millennials are eager to follow their favorite athletes’ lives off the field, and listening to sports-related podcasts has nearly doubled since 2018, according to the report.
Among people ages 13-34, the ratio of podcast listeners to radio listeners is 3:1.
The data also has good news for audio programmers: 40% of those surveyed say there aren’t enough audio programs following the sports they care about, and another 40% say they want to hear different perspectives. Plus, more than half of sports fans say they have purchased a product or service after hearing about it advertised during an audio broadcast.
According to Gabriel Soto, senior research director at Edison Research, the appeal of sports lies in the very idea that they are more than just games.
“The idea that sports is more than just a game is what drives fandom, audio consumption and the revenue advertisers derive from sports audio,” Soto explained.
“Family, community and emotion drive this passion more than anything else,” the executive added.
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