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How to win connections in the always-on era of sports fandom

A study from The Trade Desk Intelligence reveals what drives the year-round pursuit of modern sports fandom and helps advertisers build a playbook for reaching fans across the full fan journey.

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Infographic titled 'Beyond the Game: How sports fandom became a year-round pursuit' featuring sports equipment illustrations and statistics.

When it comes to sports fandom, the game has changed. Hyper-engagement is no longer anchored around one live event or a single screen. Globally, today’s fans follow four sports on average throughout the year and move fluidly between connected TV (CTV), digital audio, and premium websites to keep up.1 

Spanning seven countries, research from The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting uncovers the factors steering this shift and defines what it all means for marketers. The study surfaces five distinct fan mindsets that shape engagement across the fan journey, identifies the channels that carry the most influence at each stage, and shows that fans are 1.6 times more likely to turn to the open internet to stay informed than to social media.1 

For marketers looking to reach this always-on audience, the findings shed light on the moments, mindsets, and media driving year-round engagement and offers strategies to help reach fans at every turn.

Fandom by the numbers

  • A group of friends sitting on the floor watching a soccer game and laughing with the number 4 overlaid in white text.

    Fans follow 4 sports on average throughout the year

  • 82% of sports fans say reliving winning moments drives their engagement

  • Fans cheering on a sports game with beverages in their hands and a 2 in 3 in white text overlaid on the image.

    2 in 3 agree CTV heightens excitement and enjoyment of a sporting event

  • Fans cheering at a sporting event with the numbers 3 in 5 overlaid in white text.

    3 in 5 fans say sports make them feel like a part of something bigger

    Discover more insights and learn how you can reach sports fans all year by downloading our report below.

    Source: The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting, Sports Fandom Study, n=3,500, U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Saudi Arabia, 2026. 

    Explore the findings

    Read our report to help turn year-round fandom into year-round opportunity.

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