Sports and Entertainment: Key insights on fandom, betting, media, and more

The ways we spend our free time are changing amidst generational shifts, technological innovation, and more. Read on for a closer look at Ipsos’ exclusive data on sports and entertainment.

 

Entertainment is both a central aspect of American cultural life and a major economic driver. But the ways we play, spectate, and entertain ourselves are changing amidst generational shifts, technological innovation, climate change, and more. Read on for a closer look at Ipsos’ exclusive data on sports, entertainment, and media.

 

Different fans express their fandom in different ways

Younger Americans (under age 34) are twice as likely to say they are fans of specific brands and specific athletes than older Americans (ages 55+). They’re four to five times as likely to be fans of celebrities and influencers (often used to deliver brand messages and endorsements) and four times as likely to be fans of video games, a channel to reach young people on. All of this is good news for brands, because younger consumers are notoriously hard to reach and younger fans are more than twice as likely to say they are more likely to buy products or services from sponsors of things they are fans of. (Read more.) 

Four in ten admit to churning streaming services

Half of younger Americans subscribe for a show and then bail. About four in ten across groups say they find it easy to get discount codes or free trials. And six in ten say there are too many services, according to the Ipsos Consumer Tracker. (Read more.)

Accessibility of games and tickets are most important to sports fans

Being able to watch the games easily (41%) is the most important element of sports fandom among sports fans, followed by affordable tickets (37%) and having a team that is fun to watch (36%), according to the Ipsos 2025 Sports Poll. (Read more.)

March Madness continues its plateau

We’ve been asking about the NCAA March Madness college basketball tournaments for a few years, and not much has changed over that period. About half of folks don’t plan to watch any of it (compared to about 25% who sit out of the Super Bowl). A plurality plan to watch on TV (27%) or streaming (16%). (Read more.)

People who didn't have a Super Bowl plan just watched it at home 

Roughly three in four Americans watched the 2025 Super Bowl in some fashion, which tracks with the record ratings reported by the NFL and Ipsos data from previous years. But only 15% partied with friends, and just 3% said they planned to or actually went out to a bar or restaurant to watch — which complicates the whole idea of the Super Bowl as America’s last big moment of shared experience. (Read more.)

The best ads in the 2025 Super Bowl

In a year with a great body of work — literally, body parts everywhere, from legs and breasts to facial hair and Tubi’s “skin hats” — some brands were head and shoulders above the rest. Unlike more simplistic Super Bowl ad rankings, Ipsos assesses each ad on a variety of metrics which are linked to real-world business outcomes, including the ad’s ability to generate sales, build brand equity, change a perception about the brand, or generate buzz and conversation among viewers. (Read more.)

A look at advertising's biggest stage

For many Americans, the commercials are a significant part of the Super Bowl experience, sometimes even overshadowing the game itself. 3 out of 4 people who watch the Super Bowl say they watch the ads, but 24% say they watch all of the commercials attentively — and 11% say the commercials are their primary reason for watching the event. (Read more.)

Four in five Americans think sporting events are too expensive for the average person

Eighty percent of Americans and 88% of self-described sports fans believe that sporting events are too expensive for the average person to attend in-person. In the same vein, fifty-seven percent of Americans and 67% percent of sports fans also agree that there are too many separate platforms needed to watch sports. (Read more.)

Our favorite TV shows, by demographic

Among the tested TV or streaming events in the past year, NFL football, Stranger Things, and Yellowstone are the shows or events that most Americans report watching. (Read more.)

Americans believe people like themselves are among the most underrepresented groups in entertainment

Notably, one-third of Americans report that people like them are excluded from the media they consume, while 9% say that people like themselves are over-exposed. Just half of Americans (52%) say that people like them are represented the right amount, neither excluded nor over-exposed. (Read more.)

Football is sports fans' favorite, even as younger Americans are interested in soccer and pro basketball

Just under half of Americans describe themselves as fans of the NFL—13 percentage points ahead of the second-most-popular sport, baseball—while just under a third consider themselves fans of college football. (Read more.)

One in three Americans support online and in-person sports betting

The sports betting industry’s rapid growth has transpired on the back of a small group of Americans, with fewer than one in ten saying they’ve placed official bets in the past year. (Read more.)

Half of non-sports bettors believe sports betting is a waste of money

People who don’t bet on sports don’t do so because of four broad reasons: money concerns, lack of knowledge, moral opposition, or it’s just illegal where they live. Of those concerns, money comes first. (Read more.)

A majority of Americans support allowing college athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness

A slim majority of Americans, particularly Black Americans, support allowing college athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Likewise, 57% of Americans agree that the monetization of NIL has a positive impact on college athletics by ensuring college players are fairly compensated. (Read more.)

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