Social media has given sports fans a new way to interact with athletes. How many interact with athletes on social media? How many fans take advantage of this new avenue, especially while they are on their smart phone or tablet? How is the use of this tool for communication affected by gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, region, and level of fandom?
Overall, 17% of the respondents in our sports study, which surveyed Americans aged 15 to 74 who follow at least one sport in season, said that they often or sometimes interact with athletes on social media through their smart phone or tablet.
Females did this slightly more than males. Eighteen percent of females said that they often or sometimes interact with athletes on social media versus 16% of males.
Asians (38%) and Latinos (30%) were more likely to say that they often or sometimes interact with athletes on social media while on their smart phones or tablets than African-Americans (23%) and whites (14%).
Those aged 25-34 (29%) and those under age 18 (28%) were more likely than those aged 35 to 54 (19%) and those aged 18 to 24 (17%), and especially those aged 55 to 64 (7%) and 65 to 74 (5%), to say that they interact with athletes on social media sometimes or often.
Those with a college degree (21%) were more likely to report that they interact with athletes on social media sometimes or often than those with a high school degree (18%) or some college or an associate’s degree (17%), as well as those with postgraduate degrees (11%).
Those from the West (20%) were most likely to acknowledge that while on their smart phones or tablets they sometimes or often interact with athletes on social media, followed by those from the South (18%), Midwest (17%), and Northeast (13%).
And intense fans (26%) are more likely to say that they interact with athletes on social media sometimes or often than moderate fans (16%) and casual fans (13%).
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February 4, 2019