When Tom Brady was selected by the New England Patriots with the #199 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft on Sunday, April 16, he did so in front of a handful of fans at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and a small Sunday afternoon television audience on ESPN2.

Fast forward a quarter century later to 2025. When Cam Ward was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the top pick, the announcement was made by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in front of an estimated audience of 600,000 in Green Bay¹ and a television audience of 13.9 million for the prime time spectacle on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network².

There were an astounding 4.25 billion social media impressions³ emanating from the 3-day homage to football, and without one touchdown being thrown or one tackle being made. 

Nielsen’s intelligence platform analyzed a number of trends that have helped drive the meteoric rise in viewership and engagement around the NFL Draft, from overall fandom to local market viewership to social media and sponsorships. 

Football’s expanding demographic reach

It is no wonder interest in the NFL Draft continues to soar. Nielsen Fan Insights reveal that interest in football continues to rise in every demographic surveyed.

Digital engagement beyond gameday

The conversation and debate around the NFL Draft actually begins the day after the year’s previous draft. Fans take to social media for 364 days leading into the Draft to discuss, argue, and guess where players will land. According to Nielsen’s Fan Insights, this type of chatter caters perfectly to the football fans who utilize social media for their sports news and gameday action.

Energizing local fanbases

Holding the top pick in the draft can forever change the fortunes of a franchise. In particular, drafting a quarterback in the top slot energizes and galvanizes a franchise like nothing else. Currently, there are 14 quarterbacks drafted first overall in the NFL Draft who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame from Peyton Manning to Terry Bradshaw.
Over the last three years, the local markets who had a team drafting a franchise QB at #1 experienced a significant household ratings increase on ABC for the Draft vs. the year prior.

Fernando-Mania in the 2026 Draft

In 2025, the Las Vegas ABC affiliate drew a 1.3 HH rating for the NFL draft. This year with “Fernando-Mania” sweeping the city, viewership should see an exponential rise. The anticipation for Indiana’s Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive number one pick in Las Vegas, can also be reflected in the National Championship semifinals and championship television ratings. Viewership in the Las Vegas market for the Rose Bowl and the National Championship game to watch their soon-to-be QB savior were up +45% and +87% respectively.⁴

How rotating cities drives viewership

New York City hosted the NFL Draft for 50 consecutive years (1964-2014).  However, in 2015, the NFL began rotating the Draft to different cities. The NFL Draft quickly became a must-see event, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans, becoming a three-day festival showcasing gridiron fandom. That decision to move the event to different cities has also had a profound impact on the local ratings on ABC for the host market, showing double-digit growth year over year.

To put Kansas City’s local ratings for the NFL Draft into perspective, the 2026 Academy Awards delivered a 9.2 HH this past year locally in Kansas City, -12% lower than the HH rating for the NFL Draft when they hosted in 2023.⁵

Even a Super Bowl victory can impact the ratings for a local market for the NFL Draft. For example Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate saw a +53% bump in HH ratings for the 2025 draft (4.83 vs. the 2024 draft (3.16).⁶

With surging ratings and fan interest, the NFL Draft represents another great opportunity for brands to partner with such highly engaging content. Nielsen Fan Insights took a deep dive into why the sponsorship can be a touchdown for marketers. 

It was 90 years ago in February, 1936 that Jay Berwanger (RB, University of Chicago) was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the first pick in the first NFL Draft in a quiet meeting among team executives. Today, the NFL Draft has become a cultural phenomenon with ratings that rival the highest-profile award shows on television. With upwards of 700,000 fans predicted to attend the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh⁷, Nielsen will be measuring every moment from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s highly–anticipated “With the first pick…. “ on Thursday April 23 in primetime to the announcement of Mr. Irrelevant to conclude the proceedings on Saturday afternoon.

Notes

¹Source: ESPN, “Attendance in Green Bay for NFL draft hits 600,000,” April 27, 2025.
²Source: Nielsen Big Data+Panel, Live+SD
³Source: WBAY, “Discover Green Bay tourism official says NFL Draft exposure was worth millions,” April 29, 2025.
⁴Source: NLTV Program Standard, Live+SD, TV Households, HH, ABC, NFL DRAFT-4/24
⁵Source: NLTV Program Standard, Live+SD, TV Households, HH, ABC, OSCARS-ABC (3/15/26)
⁶Source: NLTV Program Standard, Live+SD, TV Households, HH, ABC, NFL DRAFT Program Average by year
⁷Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “NFL draft history: Mel Kiper, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the draft’s return to Pittsburgh,” March 25, 2026.

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The viewership on FOX, FS1, FS2, and FOX Deportes for the 2026 World Baseball Classic    supported that narrative, culminating with 10.78 million viewers (FOX and FOX Deportes ) for the championship game between the US and Venezuela.

It’s not just about scale either. The WBC is attracting a broader, more multicultural audience than ever before, turning it into a cultural touchpoint that extends far beyond traditional baseball markets.

In an era where sports serve as both entertainment and identity, the World Baseball Classic has transitioned from a niche tournament into a global phenomenon characterized by shifting demographics and evolving media habits. 

The WBC tells the story of evolving trends among baseball fans that parallel factors fueling a worldwide growth in sports, including rapid audience gains, rising multicultural engagement, and an increasingly connected digital fanbase. 

The explosive growth in viewership

The record-setting audience growth for WBC games reflects a rising global interest in baseball and the diversification of the sport’s fanbase.

Not only driven by scale but also by who is watching, the WBC has attracted a broader, more multicultural audience than ever before. It’s become a cultural touchpoint that extends far beyond traditional baseball markets. 

This was in part the result of FOX deftly moving the championship from cable (FS1 in 2023) to the main broadcast network, which increased access and ensured the final would reach a wider audience. However, it should be noted that the US -Dominican Republic semifinal on FS1 and FOX Deportes brought in 7.37 million, with 6.86 million on FS1 alone. And what makes that even more remarkable, is that the game went head-to-head with the Academy Awards, typically one of the most-watched programs of the year. The overall growth has also been seen by Major League Baseball, where the 2025 playoff season notched 58.2 billion viewing minutes, a 24% increase over the previous year.² 

As discussed in the second part of our 2026 Upfront Planning Series, the growing interest in baseball is part of a larger powerhouse era for live sports where they accounted for nearly 30% of all ad supported TV viewing in Q4 of 2025.³ 

A celebration of cultural diversity

What distinguishes the World Baseball Classic is not just how many people are watching, but who those viewers are. The audience composition figures above accentuate the tournament’s ability to draw a broader and more representative audience than many traditional sports broadcasts. The long-term trends are even more compelling. Hispanic viewership of the WBC final increased by 61.5%, Asian viewership rose nearly 80%, and Black viewership showed a 63.5% gain.⁴

These increases mirror broader MLB trends where Asian American viewership of the 2024 World Series rose 146% year-over-year and 2025 international season opener viewership was up 111% among Black viewers and more than 200% among Hispanic viewers.⁵

The WBC does not just reflect diversity—it accelerates it, turning representation into a central feature of the viewing experience. Fox Deportes understood this, tapping into intense national pride and passionate fan bases to create an atmosphere mirroring the passion of soccer-style international competition.

Commercial power meets cultural relevance

As baseball’s audience becomes more multicultural  and engaged, its commercial value continues to rise. Brands are increasingly recognizing the importance of aligning with culturally resonant sports properties like the World Baseball Classic and the MLB. 

At the highest level, sponsorship assets tied to baseball generate significant returns. In 2025, deals such as Guggenheim Partners’ Los Angeles Dodgers jersey sleeve ($80.3 million in media value), Security Benefit’s home plate signage ($44.1 million in media value), and Starr Insurance’s New York Yankees jersey sleeve ($38.3 million in media value) ranked among the most valuable in sports.⁶ 

On an individual level, fans respond through support and purchases when they feel represented, showing the tangible impact sports partnerships have on consumer behavior. 

Cultural collaborations are also driving huge returns. A co-branded collaboration between artist Takashi Murakami and MLB for the 2025 Tokyo Series delivered over $40 million in sales and sold out almost instantly.⁷

Digital communities and year-round engagement

The growth of the World Baseball Classic has been amplified by how fans engage with the sport beyond traditional broadcasts.

According to a Forbes article, social media posts during the WBC tournament from MLB, MLB Español, and the World Baseball Classic accounts generated more than 2.24 billion global views across platforms through the semifinals.⁸ 

Today, almost 75% of U.S. baseball fans use social media to stay informed about sports, turning platforms into real-time hubs for highlights, commentary, and cultural conversation.⁹ This always-on engagement is particularly important for reaching younger and more diverse audiences.

These behaviors show how the WBC exists not just as a broadcast event, but as a multi-platform ecosystem—one that supports deeper and more sustained digital engagement across culturally diverse communities.

Learning the lessons from the WBC

As Nielsen media intelligence shows that while the tournament only occurs once every four years, the World Baseball Classic is a microcosm of the trends and opportunities for advertisers and marketers looking to connect with a growingly diverse audience through baseball and sports in general. 

What was once a niche international competition is now drawing record-breaking audiences and capturing the attention of a broader audience.

At its core, the WBC tournament is not just about who wins or loses. It is about representation, visibility, and the emotional ties that bind fans to teams that reflect their heritage and identity. 

As the tournament grows in scale and significance, it is redefining what baseball means in the 21st century—not just as a sport, but as a cultural force that commands attention.

For more insights into today’s AANHPI fans and how to connect with them, check out our report Breakthrough ROI: Investing in Asian American audiences and media.

For more insights into today’s Black fans and how to connect with them, check out our report The Black influence: How Black culture & identity drive the market.

For more insights into today’s Hispanic fans and how to connect with them, check out our report How Hispanic consumers are influencing the media landscape.

Notes:

¹ Nielsen National TV Ratings, Live+SD, Big Data + Panel. Includes simulcasts on FOX Deportes.
² Nielsen national TV ratings, live+SD, 2025 MLB postseason, panel-only
³ Analysis of 4Q25 (9/29/25 – 12/28/25, Nielsen National TV Panel Data augmented by Streaming Platform Ratings ad supported includes broadcast and independents, ad supported cable, and streaming minus non ad supported streaming Sports Event Summary type and live streaming events excluded from broadcast, cable, and streaming buckets and re-aggregated
⁴ Nielsen National TV Ratings Panel, Live+SD, all simulcasts combined
⁵  Nielsen National TV Audience Measurement Big Data + Panel, Persons 2+
⁶ Nielsen Sport24
⁷ Sportico
⁸ Forbes
⁹ Nielsen Fan Insights, Dec 2025 – Jan 2026

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Tops of sports

Media trends shaping sports marketing for 2026

Discover sports fan behavior trends from 2025 and insights fueling the industry to plan your sports sponsorship strategy with confidence.

Download now

Tops of sports

Media trends shaping sports marketing for 2026

Discover sports fan behavior trends from 2025 and insights fueling the industry to plan your sports sponsorship strategy with confidence.

Download now

Start your 2026 strategy now.

Download now

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The tournament is set to significantly boost soccer’s popularity, with 37% of the general population expecting their interest in the sport to increase over the next 18 months.¹ Currently, 74% of dedicated current World Cup fans also foresee their interest growing even further. But most notably, Hispanic communities and younger audiences are leading the way in driving soccer’s over popularity and engagement.²

Where to engage with fans

There’s a significant opportunity for in-person engagement and localized activations with 25% of World Cup fans planning to attend the games.³ Fans attending games in host cities also intend to engage in a variety of activities beyond just the matches themselves, indicating an interest in a broader festival atmosphere and exploring local culture and attractions.

This data highlights a strong inclination among U.S. World Cup fans to immerse themselves fully in the event, both inside and outside the stadiums. 

And for those not attending the games, 67% of U.S. World Cup fans and 30% of the U.S. general population plan on watching full games, further underscoring significant engagement opportunities outside of the in person action.⁴

Connecting on digital platforms

What fans are interested in

Similarly to in-person attendees for the games, World Cup fans in general demonstrate a strong inclination towards cultural experiences. 

A significant 71% are interested in attending music concerts, compared to just 57% of the general population.⁵ This interest is even more pronounced among Hispanic World Cup fans, with 76% expressing interest in live music.⁶ Similarly, 69% of World Cup fans are interested in arts and culture (vs. 52% general population), a figure that jumps to 78% for Hispanic World Cup fans, indicating a strong overall overindex compared to the general population in both areas.⁷ Hispanic fans also show a strong interest in team merchandise as they are more than two times as likely to have purchased Major League Soccer or team gear in the past 12 months than the total U.S. population.⁸

It’s also important for brands to know perceptions and attitudes of their fans—and U.S. soccer fans are leaning in. Soccer fans overall, compared with NBA, MLB and NFL fans, are more responsive to choosing brand sponsored products, care more about social engagement, stay informed about brand sponsors and buy more sponsored products after watching a game.

There’s also several standout areas for what U.S.-based World Cup fans are interested in compared to the general population.

• Investment — Overall U.S. World Cup fans are 78% more likely to be interested in cryptocurrency and 55% more likely to be interested in stocks.
• Social themes — 52% of World Cup fans and 63% of Hispanic fans are more likely to be interested in social causes and themes.
• Entertainment — 38% of World Cup fans and 49% of Hispanic fans are more likely to be interested in video games or mobile games.⁹

Prepare to kick off 2026

The soccer fandom in the U.S. is buzzing, bringing passion and excitement as the FIFA World Cup 2026™ draws closer in June 2026. Do you have a plan in place to take advantage of this momentous cultural moment? Get advanced insight data into the soccer fandom to get ahead of the game with our 2026 Soccer Fan Insights.

For more soccer and sports sponsorship trends, our 2025 Global Sports Report and 2025 Hispanic DIS Report have further soccer trends and insights to support your brand strategies ahead of the big tournament and beyond.

Notes: 
^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9}  Nielsen Fan Insights (April-June 2025)
⁸ Scarborough USA+ 2025 Release 1 Total (Jan 2024-May 2025)

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Who are tennis fans? 

A fundamental understanding of the tennis fanbase is the cornerstone of any successful strategy. These passionate individuals are the lifeblood of the sport. The good news is that tennis was among the most popular sports in 2024, demonstrating its widespread appeal across the globe. And over the last four years, Nielsen Fan Insights data shows that the global fandom for tennis has grown, reaching 33% in 2025.

Tennis’ popularity transcends age groups. The sport’s diverse age profile underscores its ability to attract and retain fans across different life stages, offering a broad spectrum of target audiences for brands. Analyzing the demographic breakdown globally also reveals a relatively balanced gender split, with women representing 46% of fans and men representing 54%.

The sport’s broad appeal contributes significantly to its global reach, making it a powerful platform for sponsorship and economic impact. To maintain its leading position and continue its impressive growth trajectory, tennis must proactively address upcoming challenges and leverage its inherent strengths.

The rise of other racket sports

Tennis does not exist in a vacuum. Other racket sports, particularly padel and pickleball, have also been growing in popularity. Padel, in particular, has gained popularity in Europe, and globally, the sport has a fandom of 16%.¹ Meanwhile, pickleball has quickly gained traction in several large markets, like the U.S. where 13% of people are fans.² This highlights the dynamic nature of the racket sport landscape and the need for strategic positioning.

The popularity of these sports varies significantly across different countries, offering nuanced opportunities for targeted engagement. To better understand how fandom varies, we looked at some of the top markets for tennis fans and compared how padel fans stack up. As we can see, both Spain and Italy have similar share of tennis fans, but Spain has more padel fans.

These sports present clear opportunities for audience renewal and tennis’ continued expansion. Fans of other racket sports also show strong interest in tennis, with 70% of padel fans and 68% of pickleball fans also fans of tennis.³

How brands can connect with fans

The good news for brands is the positive sentiment toward sponsorships among fans of all three racket sports. Fans of tennis, padel and pickleball are demonstrably more receptive to brand partnerships than the general population. This intrinsic openness creates a highly fertile ground for authentic and impactful brand integration, translating into greater return on investment for sponsors.

Fans across all three sports are also more likely than the general population to see themselves as trendsetters—following music, arts and fashion and investing in innovative products. To that end, top players, with their global reach and personal brands, can act as powerful magnets, drawing in new audiences and solidifying existing fandom. Their social media presence, personal stories, and athletic achievements resonate deeply with fans, making them invaluable partners for brands seeking authentic connections.

The power of racket fans

The loyalty, global distribution, and receptiveness of racket sports fans to brand partnerships present a compelling proposition for brands and rights holders. Investing in tennis, padel and pickleball means investing in passionate, engaged, and expanding global communities, promising significant returns in brand visibility, consumer engagement and economic impact. By understanding the sports’ demographic trends, acknowledging the competitive landscape, and recognizing the influential role of its players, stakeholders can strategically align themselves with sports vibrant with future potential.

For more insights into how the world of sports is evolving, download Nielsen’s 2025 Global Sports Report. 

1. 1. Nielsen Fan Insights, 2024. Countries: Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, U.K., U.S. ↩︎
2. 2. Nielsen Fan Insights, 2024. U.S.-only. ↩︎
3. 3. Nielsen Fan Insights, November 2024. ↩︎

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Case study

Undervalued to unstoppable

Why and how women’s football is reshaping global sports

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Case Study

Undervalued to unstoppable

Why and how women’s football is reshaping global sports

Download report

Introduction

Tracking the rise of a global sport

As one of the world’s biggest supporters of women’s football (soccer), PepsiCo collaborated with Nielsen to chart the global rise of the sport across audiences, participation, and brand relevance. Together, they produced “Undervalued to Unstoppable,” a landscape report built to inspire greater investment, faster growth, and more meaningful sponsorship in one of the fastest-growing fandoms in sport.

Objective

Understanding and charting the brand potential in women’s football

PepsiCo wanted to quantify and illustrate the global growth of women’s football and spotlight where, why, and how brands can invest to drive both cultural relevance and commercial return.

Challenge

Proving the value of the movement

While interest in women’s football has exploded since 2019, many brands still see it as a niche rights offer. PepsiCo and Nielsen wanted to build a globally recognized case for investment—one that captured the sport’s reach, trajectory, and brand alignment across key markets.

Solution

Turning data into momentum

Nielsen deployed a bespoke insight program combining syndicated global data sets across Nielsen Fan Insights, Sports Sponsorship Intelligence, Media Impact, and global participation. The result: a multi-market, multi-channel view of how women’s football is evolving—and what it offers brands ready to invest.

Key findings

Key findings

800M

A growing global fan base

The global women’s football fanbase is expected to grow to 800 million by 2030, up from more than 500 million today.

60%

A female-led fanbase

By 2030, 60% of women’s football fans globally will be female—creating one of the few sports where women represent a majority audience.

72%

Fans want more brand investment

Fans connect sponsorship with positive sentiment, and 72% of sports fans in the UK believe sponsoring women’s sports reflects positively on the sponsor brand.

79%

Diversified interests

Women’s football fans are cultural drivers; 79% are interested in film (vs. 64% of the general population), 65% are interested in music (vs. 45%) and 64% are interested in video games (vs. 47%).

Results

A platform for action and influence

PepsiCo and Nielsen can now use “Undervalued to Unstoppable” as a core strategic asset—guiding internal decision-making, external partnerships, and industry engagement. The report has been used across brand marketing, media outreach, and C-suite presentations. Its influence will likely extend beyond PepsiCo, with rights holders, federations and sponsors using the findings to reframe how they value and invest in the women’s game.

How it works

A custom-built insight engine

Nielsen designed a tailored analytics framework that integrated global and local syndicated data sets across Nielsen Fan Insights, as well as media consumption trends, social engagement, and sponsorship impact. Combined with growth modeling and participation data, the solution delivered a nuanced picture of opportunity facing the sport, and those that partner with it. Outputs included future-forward forecasts, brand alignment scoring, and audience overlap mapping, giving PepsiCo a blueprint for investment with long-term payoff.

Conclusion

Proof that pays off

“Undervalued to Unstoppable” helps industry leaders stop guessing and start investing. It arms brands with data that proves women’s football isn’t emerging; it’s arrived. For marketers looking to grow with purpose and relevance, this is the moment to act.

“Women’s sports fans are expected to be 60% female by 2030, and the rise of women’s football presents a timely, targeted opportunity for all brands to build meaningful relevance. Through this collaboration with Nielsen, we’re sharing the data, the momentum, and the future-facing view of a fanbase that’s ready to be seen, heard, and championed.”

 — Jane Wakely, EVP, Chief Consumer and Marketing Officer, PepsiCo

Want to talk with our team of experts?

Contact us

Want to talk with our team of experts?

Contact us

Download your copy of “Undervalued to Unstoppable” now

Download report

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2025 Global
Sports Report

Key factors transforming sports
and your sponsorship strategy

Download the report

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For years, marketers have known that sports drive engagement. And that’s especially true for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) audiences. According to Nielsen’s latest Diverse Intelligence Series Report, while AANHPI audiences spend less time with TV overall, when they do tune in, they’re spending a larger share of their linear TV time watching live sports compared to the total population. 

Asian American fans are also 33% more likely to subscribe to sports-focused streaming services, based on Nielsen Attitude on Ads study. In addition, they’re highly engaged across apps like MLB.com At Bat and BetMGM, driving real-time interaction around the games they love.

AANHPI audiences are gravitating toward sports that center players who look like them, speak their languages, and represent their cultures. Shohei Ohtani, the LA Dodgers’ star player from Japan, helped drive Asian American viewership. The 2024 World Series had a remarkable average of 15.2 million viewers, with Asian American viewing increasing 146% over the 2023 World Series.

Nowhere is the intersection of culture and sports more visible—or more culturally electric—than in Los Angeles. Whether it’s the authentic Japanese flavors available at concessions or the mash-up of African American and Mexican music, multicultural fandom is front and center at Dodger Stadium.

Attendance also rose for Latino audiences at Dodgers games between 2019 and 2024, with the composition of Latino fans increasing by 3%. This is sustained, measurable momentum—and it’s creating a new baseline for audience expectations.

For advertisers, this moment offers more than just cultural visibility. Sports offers a brand-safe, emotionally resonant media environment with a  real-time viewing experience that draws in co-viewing, live engagement, and multigenerational audiences. For diverse segments, that engagement is even more meaningful—because it’s anchored in identity, community and celebration.

All of this is amplified by global events like the MLB Tokyo Series. Ohtani led the Dodgers in the 2025 international season opener, driving a 113% spike in AANHPI viewership over the prior year’s MLB Seoul Series. Black, Hispanic and total audiences also grew their viewing for this international event, year-over-year, increasing 111%, more than 200% and 107%, respectively. This momentum is echoing back home, shaping not just fandom but consumer behavior, from streaming preferences to merchandise sales.

These global sports moments are having local impact. Fans are tuning in, showing up, and sharing cultural pride in unique ways—whether it’s sneakers commemorating Jackie Robinson Day or anime-patched jerseys. Events like Japanese Heritage Night at Dodger Stadium lean in even further, providing full-sensory experiences with stadium menus that blend Japanese flavors with Dodger Dogs and exclusive merch featuring world-renowned artist Takashi Murakami that sold out almost instantly. The stadium came alive with Japanese music, cuisine and colors—and the crowd reflected LA’s true makeup: Fans with diverse cultural backgrounds standing shoulder to shoulder, celebrating a passion for sports and culture.

When fans feel represented, they respond. Nielsen’s Attitudes on Representation study found that 59% of AAPI audiences say they wish they saw more representation of their identity group when they watch TV. And Asian American Gen X are 48% more likely to buy from brands that advertise in programming that feature someone from their identity group. Not to mention, Asian Americans who speak a language other than English told us their brand affinity grows when ads are delivered in their language. Representation improves brand recall, favorability and purchase intent.

For brands, networks, and advertisers, this is a moment to reimagine the fanbase—not as a static demographic segment, but as an evolving cultural force. Sports, particularly baseball in LA, is no longer about appealing to “target groups” in isolation. It’s about understanding where cultural connections overlap—and building campaigns, content, and partnerships that reflect that.

For more insights into today’s AANHPI fans and how to connect with them, check out our report Breakthrough ROI: Investing in Asian American audiences and media.

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To maximize the effectiveness of these engagements and return on investment, brands need a deep understanding of the sport’s valuable markets, interests that shape cricket’s devoted fans worldwide, and impactful ways to leverage emotional connections between fans and the game to drive measurable results.

Cricket’s global reach

Reaching global cricket audiences effectively requires advertisers to move beyond broad generalizations. The sport’s reach, while extensive, is characterized by significant regional differences in fan behavior and market dynamics-factors that are essential to connecting meaningfully with this diverse audience. 

India stands out as the most significant market in the global cricket landscape, where a remarkable 66.1% of people are fans of the sport, the highest amongst the countries we looked at. Beyond India, the UAE also shows significant traction, with 52.2% of people demonstrating strong interest.

Cricket maintains solid and loyal fan bases in countries like Australia, where 34.2% of the individuals said they are interested or very interested, followed by New Zealand at 27.9%, and the U.K. at 25.5%. Advertisers looking to tap into such established markets with a history of strong fan loyalty can find significant value in reaching these cricket fans. 

However, alongside these established markets, it’s equally important to consider emerging markets when anticipating future shifts in market share. The U.S., for example, has a lower level of interest, with fans representing 12.8% of Americans. Despite this, the market presents an attractive proposition for brands as it represents a sizable group within the large U.S. population and a significant 71.9% of U.S. cricket fans agree that companies sponsoring sports gain appeal with the audience, compared with just 51% of the general population.

Leveraging cricket’s appeal 

Cricket fans’ engagement extends beyond the boundary rope, creating a fertile ground for brand partnerships. The sport’s passionate fan base doesn’t just consume content—they actively engage with the brands that support their beloved game. Engaging in this way creates powerful dynamics for sponsorship effectiveness.

• Influencing purchase decisions

Cricket fans show a strong tendency to favor brands that sponsor the sport. In regions where cricket enthusiasm is high, consumers are more likely to choose a sponsor’s product over a competitor’s when price and quality are comparable. In the UAE, 69% of cricket fans prefer sponsor brands versus 60.6% of the total population. India shows 61.1% of fans preferring sponsors compared to 56.7% overall, and the UK sees 44.3% of fans preferring sponsors against 31.2% of the general population.

• Boosting brand recall

Cricket has the capacity to boost brand recognition, especially within its dedicated fan base. Fans report an enhanced ability to remember sponsoring companies’ names compared to general advertising. In the U.S., 74.3% of cricket fans report stronger ability to recall brands through sponsorships, compared to 49.5% non-cricket fans. The UAE also shows impressive figures, with 72% of cricket fans exhibiting this effect, compared to 66.4% of the general audience. In India, 64.7% of cricket fans show better recall, compared to 60.1% of others who aren’t fans.

• Driving engagement

Cricket fans display a more proactive interest in sponsor brands than others, actively informing themselves about brands engaged as a sponsor in sport. In the UAE, 70.5% of cricket fans actively inform themselves about brands engaged as a sponsor in sport, compared to 63.5% of the general population. The U.S. also exhibits this trend, with 66.4% of cricket fans engaging in this behavior, compared to just 28.4% of those outside the cricket fanbase. India follows suit, with 58.1% of cricket fans actively informing themselves about brands engaged as a sponsor in sport, compared to 53.9% of the general population.

Cricket fans’ other interests

Cricket fandom doesn’t exist in isolation. Across various countries, cricket fans consistently demonstrate strong interest for the most popular national or regional sports, creating valuable opportunities for strategic integrated marketing efforts that combine cricket advertising with campaigns targeting fans of other sports. 

When looking at sports other than cricket, football/soccer and tennis show widespread popularity among cricket fans in various countries. Football/soccer ranks within the top three interests in India, New Zealand, U.K., U.S. the UAE. Regional sports are also highly popular—such as Australian rules football in Australia and rugby league and rugby/rugby union in New Zealand. The established sporting cultures of these countries significantly shape sporting preferences beyond cricket. The top rankings of baseball among the U.S. cricket fans, and strong interest in Kabaddi in India, serve as examples of this alignment.

Understanding these nuances of fan behavior and market dynamics is important for optimizing advertising campaigns within the cricket landscape. To drive fan growth and connection globally by understanding fan interests, media habits, and brand attitudes with Nielsen Fan Insights, marketers can gain the deeper fan understanding needed to maximize campaign performance and prove ROI. Learn more about measuring your ad campaign’s success during events like the Tata Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL) on our website.

Source notes:

¹ Dominance of Cricket in Commonwealth Nations: A Sporting Legacy

All data presented in this article is from Nielsen Fan Insights (November 2024: Australia, India, New Zealand, UK, May 2024: UAE, August 2024: U.S).

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