Game On! Unlocking the Power of Fandom in Sports

From the roar of the crowd to the thrill of victory, sports ignite passions like no other. New research from Snap and National Research Group dives into the power of fandom in sports, exploring how consumers, particularly Snapchatters, engage with sports — and how brands can best leverage this power to drive real business results.

National Research Group recently conducted a custom study amongst 8,400 13- to 45-year-old weekly social platform users across seven markets (US, UK, FR, CA, DE, KSA and IN) to unveil compelling insights into the role sports plays in consumers’ lives:

Snapchatters are highly engaged with sports

Snapchatters are hugely passionate about sports and always want to stay in the loop, including checking out games and tournaments. Almost 9 in 10 Snapchatters engage with sports at least weekly, and 85% watch sports matches at least monthly¹. What’s more — every day, Snapchatters globally view 25 million minutes or more of sports content on Spotlight².

Sports is a passion that is ingrained in who Snapchatters are. Almost half of Snapchatters say sports “is a part of who I am”, and 92% love sports because it allows them to connect to broader cultural trends.

How Snapchatters unite through the love of sports

Almost every consumer has at least one passion in their lives, and they’re further brought to life through sharing with others. 89% of consumers say their passions are even better when shared with friends or family.

Sports in particular helps consumers strengthen bonds with friends, family, and the broader sports community. It’s no wonder that Snapchatters love sharing their sports experiences with others, with almost 9 in 10 Snapchatters watching sports with friends or family. Snapchatters see sports as a universally appealing way to spend more time with those they love, and are actually more likely to watch with others vs. alone.

Furthermore, consumers look to friends and family for sports recommendations because they deliver a level of trust they can’t find anywhere else. In fact, friends and family are the #1 influence when purchasing sports-related products.

How social platforms, especially Snapchat, are transforming sports fandom

Snapchatters use social platforms in a variety of ways to fuel their passion for sports and to build excitement. Over 9 in 10 Snapchatters say that “social platforms help build excitement around activities I take part in," and 83% love sharing moments around their passions online.

Snapchatters use social platforms throughout their entire passion journey, meaning they can enjoy sports beyond just watching a single event. Even if fans aren’t attending the event in person, they love accessing behind the scenes content, following their favorite athletes, and connecting with other fans about the matches.

For those watching live events, Snapchat is an awesome “in the moment” platform to help fans fully enjoy the game. Snapchat is used for authentic live interactions with fellow viewers, connecting with others passionate about the same content. This means that brands need to meet Snapchatters where they are — through big sports moments on Snapchat.

How brands can participate in Snapchatters’ love of sports

Consumer passion points create highly valued and engaged moments, opening the door for brands to connect more meaningfully. 

Snapchatters are diving into their passions to a greater extent than ever before and are eager to find products and services that help them enjoy their passions. Our research found that:

• 94% of Snapchatters say ‘When I am engaging in my passions, I'm more present and receptive to information’

• 89% of Snapchatters say they are ‘more likely to remember brands I come across while engaging with sports’. 

• 86% of Snapchatters agree that they have more loyalty to brands that are connected to their passions. 

This means that brands should take advantage of engaging Snapchatters during major sports moments, as they will be more likely to receive — and retain — the information.

Partnering with athletes and creators is also a key way for brands to stand out and engage fans through content they already love to see. 90% of Snapchatters say they feel a closer connection to their favorite teams or athletes because they follow them on social platforms.

Snapchatters are also keen to see brands getting involved with creators, and they are 54% more likely than non-Snapchatters to want to see partnerships with creators.

What's the score?

Key takeaways from the research found that:

1. Snapchatters are highly engaged in sports

2. Passions are all about the people we share them with, and sports help consumers strengthen bonds with friends, family, and other fans

3. Platforms, especially Snapchat, enhances consumers’ love of sports

4. Brands need to participate in major sports moments, especially through creator partnerships, to engage more deeply with sports fans

If you would like to see the full reports, please reach out to your Snap Sales Rep.