The role of social media: How sports fans engage online
The role of social media
Half of all sports fans follow their favourite teams and athletes on social media
This increases to 8 in 10 among sports fans aged 18-34. 4 in 10 sports fans aged 55+ follow athletes, demonstrating the importance of social media for engaging all fan groups, tailoring the platforms and content to align with their online behaviors.
How likely, if at all, are you to follow your favourite teams and athletes on social media?
% answered: Extremely likely or somewhat likely.
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
GB sports fans by age n> 250. N/A - I don't have a favourite team/athlete, N/A - I don't use social media respondents excluded.
Which types of content do you enjoy seeing athletes posting on social media? Please select all that apply.
Game highlights
Personal life updates
Interaction with other athletes
Training routines
Causes/charity efforts
Nutrition/health content
Interactions with celebrities / influencers
Participating in social media trends
Brand/Product recommendations
Sponsored content
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
GB sports fans n> 1,100. "Don't know" and "None of these" responses not shown.
The role of social media While game highlights are the most popular content type, fans also want off-pitch updates
Interaction with other athletes are enjoyed by more than 1 in 4 sports fans, highlighting the opportunity to use this to bring in fans from different sports through collaborative content.
Brand/product recommendations and sponsored content are rated lowest, with fans being suspicious of corporate messages. Looking for ways to align these with more popular areas, such as nutrition/health content, will help them land as authentic and aligned with fans' interests.
The role of social media Generation spotlight: What each age group enjoys on social
Younger sports fans are more likely to want to see more personal and engaging content on social media than their older counterparts, with a significantly greater appetite for social media trend participation and athlete/celebrity 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. GB sports fans by age n> 350. "Don't know" and "None of these" responses not shown. Top 6 options over-indexing for sports fans aged 18-34 (compared to GB sports fans)
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.
GB sports fans by gender n> 500. "Don't know" and "None of these" responses not shown. Top 6 options with highest differences between Male and Female sports fans shown. Sorted by difference
