The NFL's fandom reigns supreme in America, soundly defeating other professional and collegiate sports according to a new Seton Hall Sports Poll (SHSP). The strongest percentages for sports fans are NFL (42%), NBA (32%), and the Men’s FIFA World Cup (29%). The poll surveyed 1,500 U.S. adults and their interest levels for sports. It was conducted from Oct. 25 to Oct. 28 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.0%.
The poll was formulated online through YouGov Plc. using a national representative sample that mirrors the U.S. census percentages on age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, and region. Participants were selected through YouGov’s opt-in panel. Results were broken down based on age, gender, and the participants’ interest levels.
NFL is King & Men Love Sports
A significant portion of the general population prefers the NFL (30%) with a seven-point lead over NBA (23%). Men’s FIFA World Cup placed third at 22%. Men have a slight two-point lead over women in the sports fans category (52%-50%) and a 14-point lead in the avid sports fans category (26%-12%).
“The NFL does the best job for its viewership with competitive games,” Charles Grantham, former executive director of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), said. “The number of games they play also has an important role in developing a passionate fanbase.”
Grantham believes that the NFL’s 18-week regular season has an advantage over the leagues with longer seasons, such as the MLB and the NBA. Watching an 18-week regular season is less of a commitment for fans than watching the 26-week seasons of the MLB and NBA.
The NFL also has an advantage because the league was established in 1920. Grantham emphasized how the league is very controlled, has a high salary cap, and is broadcast on every major network.
The Kids Are All Right: Gen-Z loves its sports!
In a result that is encouraging for sports rights holders and venues looking to invest in the future, the poll confirms that young adults enjoy sports more than older adults. An astounding 79% of the 18-34 age demographic declare their interest, including 23% that are highly interested. The poll confirms that the older Americans get, the less likely they are to be sports fans.
Grantham is confident that young adults’ interest in sports will continue to increase, especially due to the recent introduction of NIL.
“College athletes getting compensated through NIL won’t be a bad thing because players will wish to stay in college longer if it doesn’t appear that they’ll get drafted to a team they want to play for,” Grantham said. “This will lead to college athletes staying and then, later becoming someone’s favorite professional player.”
The young adults already have a decisive lead over the older demographic. Just 21% of 18 to 34-year-olds are not sports fans, nearly double the amount of the 55+ age demographic that are not sports fans at 39%. The 35 to 54-year-old Gen X are in the middle, with 27% not being sports fans. According to the poll, 70% of Americans are sports fans to some degree. The breakout is 19% avid sports fans, 51% sports fans, and 30% that aren’t sports fans.
The SHSP, conducted regularly since 2006, is performed by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. The poll is run by Charles Grantham. Professor Daniel Ladik is the methodologist for the SHSP and an associate professor of marketing at Stillman. Len DeLuca is the associate director of the poll. The SHSP aims to explore a broader overview of sports issues including the ethics, culture, and business of sports.
The results from this poll are evidence that the NFL is in a class by itself. Although leagues like the NBA, MLB, and Men’s FIFA World Cup are very popular, they still have plenty of catching up to do to beat out the NFL: an American mainstay for over 100 years.
Matthew Soetebeer is the head editor for The Setonian's Sports section. He can be reached at matthew.soetebeer@student.shu.edu.
