What Nielsen’s 2025 Global Sports Report means for sponsors
Released last Thursday, Nielsen’s 2025 Global Sports Report outlines the shape of the modern fan and the emerging frontiers of sponsorship strategy. For current or potential sponsors, it’s not just a snapshot of growth, but a roadmap for where brands are finding traction and where value is being redefined. We looked at the four core narratives within the data and highlighted the key takeaways for sponsors.
1. Football’s global grip holds, but growth is shifting
It will be no surprise that football remains the world’s most-followed sport, accounting for 51% of global fandom and 41% of sponsorships. However, the growth patterns within the sport are changing, particularly in the U.S., where 62 million fans (76% of them Gen Z or Millennials) are making the sport younger and increasingly diverse. Hispanic fans make up 22% of this base, and household incomes are 25% above average.
With FIFA World Cup 2026 on the horizon, held across Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., and with European clubs investing heavily in U.S. expansion, the American market is more than a commercial opportunity: it’s a proving ground for future-facing sponsorship. Success here won’t just be about visibility; it will require cultural fluency and fan-first thinking.
To read about Verizon's sponsorship strategy for the 2026 World Cup, click here.
2. Women’s sports are a core commercial force
Interest in women’s sports has climbed to 50% of the global population, up from 45% expressing interest just two years ago. The commercial shift is real: the WNBA grew its fan base 31% since 2022 and logged a 201% rise in 2024 season viewership. Women’s football meanwhile continues to expand in markets such as China, India, Germany, and the UK.
Sponsorships are evolving too. Women now make up nearly half the audience for women’s sports, and over 40% for men’s sports, undermining outdated assumptions about who watches what. This audience is more inclined to engage: 41% of fans of women’s sports are more likely to consider sponsor brands, compared to 31% of the general public.
Brands like Coach, the WNBA’s first ever presenting partner, are leading the way, and others will follow. What was once anticipated is now proven: investing in women’s sports delivers real returns.
To read more about why brands should be backing women's sports, click here.
3. Streaming is redefining the fan journey
Live sport is still central, but how fans get there is changing. Streaming grew 21% among fans over 50 from 2022 to 2024, while platforms like TGL Golf are flipping the script, drawing younger viewers back to linear broadcasts. Remarkably, 32% of TGL’s 18–34 audience were not prior PGA fans.
Short-form and social content are, perhaps unexpectedly, primary touchpoints. Rugby, for instance, saw global fandom rise 14%, and a remarkable increase in India, helped by social-first storytelling and a focus beyond traditional consumption through television.
The lesson is clear: attention no longer lives on a single screen.
4. Fan sophistication demands smarter sponsorship
Today’s fans are more global and more data-aware. They expect relevance, not repetition. A sponsor’s impact varies widely across markets: football fans in Brazil and the U.S. are 25% more likely to find sponsors appealing than fans in the UK or South Korea.
Above all, Nielsen’s 2025 Global Sports Report shows that sponsorship requires detailed insights into who fans are, how they engage, and what drives them. Brands that acknowledge this data can tailor authentic experiences and build genuine emotional connections, turning attention into lasting loyalty and palpable business impact.
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