Star power: what drives athletes' appeal in 2025?
Star power What's driving athlete appeal in 2025?
Almost two-thirds of sports fans chose a favorite athlete because of their skill level (64%).
Beyond skill and style of play, 30% of sports fans value an athlete's off-field personality.
While not leading reasons for athlete fandom, 1 in 10 like athletes because they have a social media presence or talk about issues – highlighting the impact of everyday engagement and positive sentiment.
Skill level
Style of play
Off-field personality
Play for my team
Stylish/cool
Physical apperance
Interaction with fans
Social media presence
Speak about issues
From my local area
Question: What are the main reasons that you like your favorite athletes? Please select up to 3 reasons. 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> 100 (Among those who have at least 1 favorite female athlete). "Don't know" and "Other" responses not shown.
ingStar power Skill and style drive athlete affection among football fans globally and even more significantly in Italy
Italian football fans prioritize skill level (68%) and style of play (56%) even more than global fans. Off-field personality and team affiliation also matter, but image-based traits like style and social media presence are far less influential in Italy. This highlights a more performance- and loyalty-driven admiration among Italian supporters.
What are the main reasons that you like your favourite athletes? Please select up to 3 reasons
YouGov Surveys, March 14 - April 9, 2025.
Global football fans - unweighted average of 17 markets: [AU, CA, DK, FR, GB, DE, HK, ID, IN, IT, MX, PL, SG, ES, SE, UAE, US] n> 2.100 Italian football fans n=143
