In 2023, around 95.5 million people in the U.S. watched live sports on digital platforms, outpacing the number of traditional pay TV sports viewers for the first time. While the digital sports viewership is forecast to continue to grow in the upcoming years, traditional television is becoming increasingly unpopular to watch this kind of content.

The National Football League (NFL) was the most watched sports league in the United States in 2023. Viewers watched a combined 974.7 billion minutes of football action across the 284 televised games between November 2022 and November 2023. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball (MLB) ranked second with a little less than 330 billion combined minutes from viewers.

How much does a Super Bowl ad cost?

The price of running an ad during the Super Bowl has tripled over the past two decades. In 2024, advertisers paid an average of seven million U.S. dollars to air a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl LVI broadcast. The renowned sporting event is highly anticipated each year and is watched by millions around the world. In the U.S., the 2024 edition of the Super Bowl was watched by over 123 million Americans.

How many people watch the World Series?

Unlike the Super Bowl, MLB World Series TV viewership experienced an overall decrease over the past two decades. The games of the 2023 World Series, in which the Texas Rangers achieved a five-game series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, were watched by around nine million viewers. This shows a considerable drop from the previous year, when nearly 12 million people tuned in to see the Houston Astros win the Commissioner’s Trophy.

Live sporting events often attract some of the highest TV audiences in the United States, with millions of viewers tuning in to watch the live action play out. In 2021, approximately 57.5 million viewers in the United States watched digital live sports content at least once per month, a figure that is projected to rise to over 90 million by 2025.

This sample covers forecast grade TV viewership data. PredictHQ’s Live TV Events data includes the seven top US leagues: NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, D1 NCAA Basketball, D1 NCAA Football, and MLS. The data also includes the top 100 sports games based on viewership that includes golf tournaments and boxing matches by county level. Filter by city or county to access relevant data rather than by broad designated market areas (DMAs) used by other providers.

Customers can use televised sports viewership data to anticipate where demand for their products will be highest, and plan accordingly. Insight into high-viewership sports games combined with an understanding of how these events historically impact them unlocks the ability for these businesses to: 1) Better align inventory levels with local demand levels to process the influx of orders 2) Staff enough drivers to meet increased demand for deliveries and 3) Better mobilize drivers to ensure fast delivery times. For example, pizza deliveries may skyrocket during football games and having insight into the counties or locations that will be impacted by this demand most depending on the teams playing is key.

Location: California Visibility Window: 1 month period (July 2023) Categories: Live TV Events Viewership Features Data

Fields Included: - phq_viewership_sports_american_football_stats_count - phq_viewership_sports_american_football_stats_sum - phq_viewership_sports_american_football_stats_min - phq_viewership_sports_american_football_stats_avg - phq_viewership_sports_baseball_stats_count - phq_viewership_sports_baseball_stats_sum - phq_viewership_sports_baseball_stats_min - phq_viewership_sports_baseball_stats_max - phq_viewership_sports_baseball_stats_avg - phq_viewership_sports_basketball_stats_count - phq_viewership_sports_basketball_stats_sum - phq_viewership_sports_basketball_stats_min - phq_viewership_sports_basketball_stats_max - phq_viewership_sports_basketball_stats_avg - phq_viewership_sports_ice_hockey_stats_count - phq_viewership_sports_ice_hockey_stats_sum - phq_viewership_sports_ice_hockey_stats_min - phq_viewership_sports_ice_hockey_stats_max - phq_viewership_sports_ice_hockey_stats_avg - phq_viewership_sports_soccer_stats_count - phq_viewership_sports_soccer_stats_sum - phq_viewership_sports_soccer_stats_min - phq_viewership_sports_soccer_stats_max - phq_viewership_sports_soccer_stats_avg

Data quality: PredictHQ's data quality is one of its key strengths: 1) We have developed a set of Quality Standards for Processing Demand Causal Factors (QSPD), which are used to define the criteria for high-quality event data. By following these standards, PredictHQ ensures that their data meets the highest levels of quality. 2) We use more than 450 data sources to collect event data, including public records, social media, and ticketing websites. 3) We have built thousands of machine learning models that standardize, verify, enrich, and rank every single event. 4) On average we process 28 million events and 422,000 entities every day 5) We track the quality of our data over time and make improvements as needed.

About PredictHQ: PredictHQ is the world’s first and only company that provides the missing context for the biggest external factor that impacts businesses demand – events. PredictHQ’s intelligent data of verified global events enables businesses to forecast shifts in demand from events to be able to adjust their inventory, make changes to labor, dynamically price and operate more efficiently. Think conferences, sports games, college graduations, floods, and more. PredictHQ brings all events into one place, combines it with world-first tools and intelligence to allow organizations to better predict and respond to changing customer demand created by events in an easy, reliable, and scalable way. We meet customers exactly where they are, ensuring they can access our data the way that suits them best.

Learn more about PredictHQ's real-world event data by visiting our Developer and Data Science Documentation: https://docs.predicthq.com/ Or from our website: https://www.predicthq.com/features/live-tv-events

Keywords: attended events, attendance, sports, festivals, expos, conferences, concerts, performing arts, community, polygon, consumer spending, predicted spend, location information, demand intelligence, financial data, venue location, accommodation, transportation, restaurant, demand intelligence, event intelligence, event categorisation, business insights, event tracking, historical event data, even impact analysis, event-driven decisions, predictive analytics,

In a September 2024 survey, 54 percent of respondents in the United States watched professional football (NFL) on TV. Meanwhile, NBA basketball was watched by 32 percent of respondents.

The NFL was the most watched sports league in the United States in 2023 based on average viewership per game. An average of 9.2 million fans tuned in to watch the football action between November 2022 and November 2023.

This statistic shows data on the share of internet users who watch sports on TV and online worldwide as of 4th quarter 2017, broken down by region. During the survey, 64 percent of internet users from North America stated that they watched sports on TV.

There are millions of sports fans across the United States, from those religiously following an NFL team to avid tennis fans or those who watch every Formula One Grand Prix. During an April 2023 survey in the United States, 44 percent of male respondents stated that they were avid sports fans. Meanwhile, this figure was just 15 percent among female respondents.

National Football League fans in the U.S.

Football is a widely enjoyed sport in the United States, as is evident from the millions of fans who tune in to watch their favorite teams compete every Monday night. The sport enjoys a diverse viewer demographic, with more than two thirds of white, Hispanic, and Black participants in an online survey identifying as either an avid or casual fan of football in January 2023. The survey also investigated the level of interest in the NFL in the U.S. broken down by gender, with a significantly larger share of men identifying as avid fans of the sport than women.

Women’s professional sports fans in the U.S.

Women’s professional sports viewership in the U.S. has grown significantly in recent years, helped at least partially by tournament victories across a wide range of sporting categories. When asked about the reason behind their interest in women’s sport in the U.S., nearly a third of respondents highlighted international events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup as primary motivators for their interest. Meanwhile, when asked about the role of advertisers in promoting the growth of women’s sport in the U.S., more than half of survey participants believed that media agencies had a responsibility to do so.

According to a study conducted from November 2023 to January 2024, cricket had the largest audience base among various sports in India, amounting to over 600 million viewers who watched the sport on either television or streaming services. Football followed second, with roughly half that audience size. The growth of the Indian sports market Over the last couple of years, India’s sports industry experienced rapid growth in its market size. While there was a dent in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the sports industry made a swift recovery from 2021 onwards, bolstered by advertising, sponsorships, and endorsements. Overall, the sector attributes the highest amount of its spending to the media, which amounted to 75 billion Indian rupees and accounted for two-thirds of the entire sports market expenditure in India in 2023. And the winner is… Within the rapidly growing sports sector, cricket continues to be the most popular sport in India. One of the biggest and most lucrative tournaments in the cricketing world is the Indian Premier League (IPL). Featuring among the most popular sporting events among Indians viewers, it even surpassed the Olympic Summer Games and the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2021. Post-pandemic, the value of the IPL has skyrocketed, grossing over 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. While the IPL's financial success is largely attributed to high-value sponsorships and financial contributions of the franchisees, the key source of its revenue stream was broadcasting rights.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global Sports Sponsorship market size will be USD 58641.5 million in 2024. It will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.00% from 2024 to 2031.

North America held the major market share for more than 40% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 23456.6 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% from 2024 to 2031.
Europe accounted for a market share of over 30% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 17592.4 million.
Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 13487.5 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.0% from 2024 to 2031.
Latin America had a market share of more than 5% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 2932.0 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4% from 2024 to 2031.
Middle East and Africa had a market share of around 2% of the global revenue and was estimated at a market size of USD 1172.8 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% from 2024 to 2031.
The Club and Venue Activation Type held the highest Sports Sponsorship market revenue share in 2024.

Market Dynamics of Sports Sponsorship Market

Key Drivers for Sports Sponsorship Market

Rising Popularity of Sports to Increase the Demand Globally

Sports have a global appeal, with major events like the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics, and the Super Bowl drawing millions of viewers worldwide. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the sports industry in China reached a total output of 3,300.8 billion yuan and an added value of 1,309.2 billion yuan in 2022. Compared to 2021, the industry's total output grew by 5.9 percent, while its added value increased by 6.9 percent. This growing viewership and engagement are driving brands to invest in sports sponsorships to connect with diverse audiences. As sports gain traction in emerging markets like Asia-Pacific and Africa, sponsors are seizing new opportunities to engage with previously untapped audiences. https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202401/t20240115_1946566.html

Large Number of Sporting Events to Propel Market Growth

The sports sponsorship industry fuels the growing global popularity of sports and the increasing number of viewers for various sporting events. According to the latest report, The Ormax Sports Audience Report: 2024, India's sports audience is an impressive 678 million. Cricket, football, and kabaddi lead in popularity, with audience figures of 612 million, 305 million, and 280 million, respectively. This data comes from the largest sports research conducted in India between November 2023 and January 2024, involving 12,000 participants from both urban and rural areas. Sports are played globally across a range of disciplines, with numerous associations and governing bodies organizing major events where athletes and teams compete. Key annual events include the UEFA Champions League, the Super Bowl, tennis Grand Slam tournaments, Formula One racing, and the NBA. https://www.ormaxmedia.com/insights/stories/678-million-sports-audiences-in-india-game-on.html

Restraint Factor for the Sports Sponsorship Market

Expensive Sponsorship Deals to Limit the Sales

Major sports events and teams often command high sponsorship fees, which can be a significant financial burden, particularly for smaller brands or companies with limited budgets. These high costs can limit opportunities for potential sponsors. Economic downturns or recessions can lead to reduced marketing budgets and tighter financial constraints, causing companies to cut back on sponsorship investments. Accurately measuring the ROI of sports sponsorship can be challenging. Sponsors may struggle to quantify the direct impact on brand awareness, consumer behavior, or sales, making it difficult to justify large investments.

Impact of Covid-19 on the Sports Sponsorship Market

Many sports events were canceled or postponed due to the pandemic. Major events like the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and numerous leagues and tournaments faced delays or rescheduling, disrupting sponsorship timelines and diminishing the immediate value of sponsorship deals. Restrictions on live audiences and limited attendance at sporting events led to decreased visibility for sponsors. This reduction in live viewership impacted...

In the U.S., sports content is still the most popular on traditional TV, with around 70 percent of the viewing time happening via cable, satellite, and over-the-air TV in the second quarter of 2024. However, with more and more consumers opting for streaming options, the time spent watching sporting events on providers, such as Prime Video and ESPN+ is increasing.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in December 2023, sports had the highest viewership rating among women sixty years and older, lying at 0.49 percent. This genre was generally more popular among men compared to women across most age groups. It was also more popular among older groups. Total average viewership that month amounted to around 0.35 percent.

This statistic provides information on the number of TV viewers of major sporting events in 2017 in the United States and their ratings, sorted by sport. According to the source, the most viewed sporting event of 2017 was Super Bowl 51, which drew in over 111.3 million viewers in the United States.

As of January 2024, professional football was the most popular men's live sport in the United States, with 70 percent of people watching it. Professional basketball came second with 40 percent of viewers. By contrast, college football and basketball drew 38 and 30 percent of viewers, respectively.

College sports in the United States are hugely popular, with college games often attracting thousands of fans to stadiums and many more watching on television back home. During a May 2021 survey in the United States, four percent of respondents stated that they watched men's college sports on a daily basis.

According to a study conducted from November 2023 to January 2024, the largest share of the sports audience in India was attributed to cricket, at 90 percent. Meanwhile, football and kabaddi audiences constituted over 40 percent each. The overall number of sports viewers in India was estimated to be 678 million during the surveyed period.

The sporting event of 2023 with the highest TV rating in the U.S. of 40 was Super Bowl 57, which drew over a 100 million viewers in the United States. Second was the AFC Championchip game between the Bengals and the Chiefs, with a rating of 25.5.

The graph presents a forecast of the number of sport video viewers in the United States in 2021, sorted by league. According to the forecast, video viewership of the National Football League will amount to about 141 million in 2021.

As of January 2024, the Olympic events were the most popular women's sports in the United States, with 35 percent of people watching it, respectively. Tennis and professional basketball followed, both drawing 22 percent of viewers, respectively.

The preferred sports content format for engaged sports fans worldwide was to watch the games in their entirely, with 36 percent of respondents to a late 2022 survey indicating to engage with sports through this format. This was in particular the case for European and North American countries. In contrast, markets like Hong Kong, Singapore, and China preferred watching clips or highlights of games.