The Best Seats in the House

In our attention economy, marketers are constantly seeking opportunities to reach a committed and engaged audience. Live sports delivers a highly sought-after, passionate audience in mass to advertisers.

To understand more about the where, how, why and who is viewing live sports, VAB conducted a custom research study of over 1,000 sports fans, ranging from casual to avid with additional analysis across age, gender, and ethnicity.

Here are the 5 Insights Essentials from Best Seats in the House - and go deep and download the full marketer's guide for additional analysis.

For sports fans, their “fandom” is an essential part of who they are
- 40% of sports fans say sports are a “core passion” of their lives. This is true across fans. For example, 36% of female fans say sports are a "core passion" and 51% feel personally connected to the teams they root for. Check out page 17.
Regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or level of sports fan, the majority prefer to view live sports at home
- 7 out of 10 fans prefer to watch at home. Check out page 23.
In-home viewing satisfies the 6 need-states of sports fans – Connection, Camaraderie & Community, Commitment, Contact, Comprehension, Comfort & Convenience
- 91% of casual fans and 93% of avid fans praise "home viewing" for convenience and ease of experience. Check out page 30.
Fans attend sporting events in person to enjoy an immersive experience and to celebrate team pride with other fans
- Over 90% of avid fans attend to see everything happening on the field/court and to immerse themselves in the gameday atmosphere. Check out page 36.
Sports fans are engaged with brand messaging, both at home and in-stadium; however, TV viewers are particularly motivated to take action
- Sports fans are 32% more likely to have purchased a product or service they saw advertised while watching sports on TV than a product or service they saw advertised within a stadium or arena. Check out page 45.