Purchase power: assessing the impact of athlete endorsements
Purchase power - Global & Italian fans Globally, football fans are more likely to buy merchandise, especially of the team they support
Italian football fans demonstrate strong team loyalty, with 22% purchasing merchandise of the team they support - significantly higher than the 18% of Italian sports fans, but lower than global data.
On the other hand, Italian football fans are less likely to buy athlete-endorsed products (10%) or gear from other teams (6%), showing a more focused and passionate consumer behavior compared to broader sports audiences.
Which, if any, of the following types of merchandise have you ever purchased primarily because of a specific athlete? 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> 13.000. Global football fans n> 5.000. Italian sports fans n>800. Italian football fans n> 300. "Don't know" and "Not Applicable – I have never purchased merchandise because of a specific athlete" responses not shown.
Purchase power - Italian sports fans Italian sports fans are significantly more likely to trust athletes than celebrities in other fields for product recommendations
Italian sports fans express the highest level of trust in athletes, with nearly half (46%) trusting them at least a little and 6% completely - highlighting the strong credibility athletes hold in the public eye. In contrast, influencers face a major trust gap, as 64% of fans report no trust in them at all.
How much do you trust endorsements/recommendations from individuals in the following industries?
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Italian sports fans n> 800
Purchase power - Italian sports fans by age groups Athletes are most trusted by Italian sports fans of all age groups, with Gen-z and Millenials (age gorup 18-34) being more open to all other personalities endorsements - actors, singers, and influencers
In Italy, almost 2 in 3 sports fans aged 18-54 trust athletes a little or a lot for endorsements/recommendations, data is slightly lower for 55+ where only 1 in 3 declares to trust athletes. Recommendations from other famous personalities are trusted less by all age groups when compared to athletes. In general, younger generations result to be more likely to be influenced than older ones.
How much do you trust endorsements/recommendations from:
Athletes (sports)
Actors (film/TV)
Singers/bands (musicians)
Influencers (social media)
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
Purchase power - Italian football fans Athletes outscore celebrities for Italian football fans when it comes to trust their recommendations for product endorsements
Athletes are the most trusted public figures among Italian football fans, with 50% of them expressing at least some trust. In contrast, influencers are the least trusted, with a striking 68% of fans not trusting them at all—highlighting a clear divide in perceived credibility across different types of personalities.
How much do you trust endorsements/recommendations from individuals in the following industries?
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Italian football fans n> 300
