Of people who follow at least one sport in season, how many actually watch the sport in person?
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Virtually all fans watch sports through the mass media. But in our survey of people who follow or watch at least one sport in season, far fewer (20%) said they typically watch in person at a stadium or arena.
How do gender, age, income, and level of interest affect attendance at sports events?
Gender
Males (23%) are more likely than females (16%) to watch sports in person.
Age
Sports fans age 35-54 are most likely to typically go to the stadium or arena (24%). This compares to 18% for all of these age categories: less than 18, 18-24, 25-34, and 55-64. And 14% of those age 65-74 typically attended in person.
Income
Given the steadily-increasing price of tickets, it should not be surprising that those with more money are more likely to go to sporting events. There is a direct relationship between household income and likelihood of typically watching a sport in person at a stadium or arena.
Only 12% of those with a household income of less than $25,000 report typically going to a sporting event. This compares to 16% for those with a yearly household income of $25,000 to less than $50,000, 23% for the range $50,000 to less than $75,000, 24% for those with $75,000 to less than $100,000, 29% for fans with yearly household income of $100,000 to less than $125,000, and 32% for those whose household income is $125,000 or more.
Region
The region of the country in which ones resides is also related to live attendance. Those in the Northeast (25%) are most likely to typically watch a sport in person. This is followed by the West (22%), South (18%), and Midwest (16%).
Level of fan interest
And, as expected, intense fans (31%) are more likely to typically attend a sporting event in person at a stadium or arena, than are moderate fans (23%) or casual ones (10%).
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January 16, 2018