Athlete or team allegiance: what drives sports fandom in 2025?
Athlete or team allegiance? Across all sports fans, team allegiance is the biggest driver of fandom
Following a team remains the top driver for sports fandom globally, with nearly 4 in 10 fans citing it as a key factor. While accessibility to watch ranks second globally (35%), it holds less sway in Italy, where only 24% consider it influential. This suggests that for Italian audiences, emotional or traditional ties to teams outweigh practical access.
Additionally, social and digital influences play a notably smaller role in Italy, highlighting a more traditional or personal approach to sports fandom in the country.
Which, if any, of the following factors are influential in your decision to follow a particular sport? Please select all that apply.
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Global sports fans - unweighted average of 17 markets: [AU, CA, DK, FR, GB, DE, HK, ID, IN, IT, MX, PL, SG, ES, SE, UAE, US] n> 12.200. "Don't know" and "None of these" responses not shown. Italian sports fans n ~ 800
Athlete or team allegiance? For younger Italian fans, individual athletes are more relevant when it comes to following a sport in comparison with older generations
The importance of teams remains high for all age groups, however it is the impact of athletes that shows large variations across generations. For female sports fans, the role of family in driving interest is stronger - creating opportunities to share sporting moments with parents, partners, children and siblings is something to consider for rights holders when looking to bring in more female fans.
Which, if any, of the following factors are influential in your decision to follow a particular sport?
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Italian sports fans n ~ 800. Italian sports fans 18-34 n=174; Italian sports fans 35-54 n=288; Italian sports fans 55+ n=350
Among male Italian sports fans:
say "following a team"
say "I play/played the sport"
say "it's accessible to watch"
Among female Italian sports fans:
say "my family follow the sport"
say "following a team"
say "it's accessible to watch"
Athlete or team allegiance? In Italy, teams play a greater role in fan support in football compared to other club-based sports, athletes are significantly more relevant in tennis
In Italy, fan loyalty in team sports skews heavily toward clubs — especially in football, where 77% of fans prioritize the team over individual players. This reflects a deeply rooted football culture where club identity outweighs star power. By contrast, sports like tennis and motorsports show a stronger pull toward individual athletes.
Football
Tennis
Motorsports
Volleyball
Basket
Question: For each of the following sports, are you a fan of the individual athletes, teams, or equally a fan of both? YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025. Italian sports fans - Football fans n=303, Tennis fans n=194, Motorsports fans n= 190, Volleyball fans n=165, Basket fans n=106
Athlete or team allegiance? If their favourite athlete moved, 1 in 3 Italian sports fan would keep following them, but not support their new team
Leveraging players' personal audiences can be a key route for sports teams to grow their fan bases, particularly internationally where fans may be more open to following an additional team.
Most relevantly the majority of Italian sports fans illustrate a deeply rooted loyalty for a team rather than a specific athlete. 1 in 5 Italian sports fan said they would start supporting the new team as well as their current team.
If your favorite athlete joined a different team in the same league, how would it affect your support?
I would follow the athlete, but not support the new team
I would start supporting the new team as well as my current team
I would stop following the athlete
I would start supporting the new team instead of my current team
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Italian sports fans n> 800 "Don't know" responses not shown.
Athlete or team allegiance? In general Italian sports fans result to be more loyal to their team rather than a specific athlete, this data is even more significant among Italian football fans
1 in 3 global football fan declares to be willing to follow their favorite athlete if he/she changed club but would not support the new team, amongst Italian football fans the percentage increases at 38%. Additionally, Italian football fans are significantly more attached to the team: almost 1 in 5 would stop following their favorite athlete if he/she moved to another club in the same league.
If your favorite athlete joined a different team in the same league, how would it affect your support?
Question: If your favorite athlete joined a different team in the same league, how would it affect your support? YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Global sport fans n=13.634, Italian sports fans n=812, Global football fans n=4.964, Italian football fans n=303
Athlete or team allegiance? 3 in 10 sports fans have started following a new sport because of a specific athlete, showing the impact a star can have on amplifying a sport to a wider audience
Have you ever started following a new sport, league, or team because of a specific athlete?
"Started following a new sport because of a specific athlete"
Multi-market average: Global sports fans
Italian sports fans
"Started following a new league because a specific athlete"
Multi-market average: Global sports fans
Italian sports fans
"Started following a new team because of a specific athlete"
Multi-market average: Global sports fans
Italian sports fans
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Global sports fans - unweighted average of 17 markets: [AU, CA, DK, FR, GB, DE, HK, ID, IN, IT, MX, PL, SG, ES, SE, UAE, US] n> 13.00 Italian sports fans n> 800
