The role of social media: How sports fans engage online
How likely, if at all, are you to follow your favourite teams and athletes on social media?
of Australian sports fans are likely to follow their favourite team on social media.
of Australian sports fans are likely to follow their favourite athlete on social media.
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Australian sports fans n> 600. N/A - I don't have a favourite team/athlete, N/A - I don't use social media respondents excluded. Likely: net of extremely likely or somewhat likely.
Which types of content do you enjoy seeing athletes posting on social media? Please select all that apply.
Game highlights
Personal life updates
Training routines
Interaction with other athletes
Causes/charity efforts
Nutrition/health content
Participating in social media trends
Brand/Product recommendations
Interactions with celebrities/influencers
Sponsored content
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Australian sports fans n> 650. "Don't know" and "None of these" responses not shown.
The role of social media While game highlights are the most popular content type on social media, fans also want off-pitch updates
Interaction with other athletes are enjoyed by 30% of sports fans, highlighting the opportunity to use this to bring in fans from different sports through collaborative content.
Sponsored content and celebrity/influencer interactions are rated lowest, highlighting a reduced appetite for commercial content. Aligning branded content with more popular areas, such as nutrition/health content or game highlights, will help them land as authentic and better suited to fans' interests.
The role of social media Generation spotlight: What each age group enjoys on social
Younger sports fans are significantly more likely to want to see personal life updates and training routines from their favourite athletes, highlighting a more personal and engaged level of fandom among the group. The 55+ group has the least interest in off-pitch interactions.
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Question: Which types of content do you enjoy seeing athletes posting on social media? Please select all that apply. Australian sports fans by age n> 200. "Don't know" and "None of these" responses not shown. Top 6 options over-indexing for sports fans aged 18-34 (compared to Australian sports fans)
The role of social media Gender spotlight: What men and women enjoy on social media
Comparatively, male sports fans are more likely to enjoy sponsored content and interactions with celebrities/influencers (albeit still at low levels), and game highlights, while female sports fans are more likely to enjoy personal life updates and charity efforts. Game highlights and athlete interactions drive appeal relatively equally for both genders.
Which types of content do you enjoy seeing athletes posting on social media? Please select all that apply.
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Australian sports fans by gender n> 300. "Don't know" and "None of these" responses not shown. Top 6 options based on differences between Male and Female sports fans shown.
