The future of Sport: Nielsen’s 2025 report reveals growth drivers

전 세계 축구 팬의 3분의 1 이상이 브랜드 스폰서십에 매력을 느끼고 있으며, 전체 스포츠 스폰서십의 41%가 해당 종목에서 이루어지고 있습니다.

The FIFA World Cup 2026^TM will open up opportunities to break through with fans, particularly the U.S. fanbase, where 62% expect interest to grow.

여자 스포츠는 빠르게 성장하고 있으며 WNBA 팬층은 불과 2년 만에 31% 이상 증가했습니다.

New York  – June 12, 2025 – Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data, and analytics, today released its 2025 글로벌 스포츠 보고서. The report examines the evolving sports landscape, helping brands and rights holders better understand today’s fans as the world of sports explodes. 

이 보고서의 주요 내용은 다음과 같습니다:

• 전 세계 축구 팬의 3분의 1 이상(67%)이 스폰서십 브랜드가 더 매력적이라고 답한 반면, 일반 인구의 절반 이상(54%)은 스폰서십에 대한 수용도가 높습니다.
• 이러한 현상은 축구 팬들이 일반 스포츠 팬들보다 브랜드 후원을 훨씬 더 많이 받아들이는 미국에서 가장 두드러지게 나타나며, 이는 전 세계에서 가장 큰 시장 중 하나인 브라질에 이어 두 번째로 높은 수치입니다.
• 2025년, 2026년, 2027년에 북미 전역에서 개최되는 FIFA 월드컵 2026™을 비롯한 주요 대회가 예정되어 있는 미국 시장은 젊고 다양하며 부유한 팬층(밀레니얼 세대 또는 Z세대 76%, 히스패닉 22%, 가구 소득 10만 달러 이상 34%)이 후원사와 함께 소비하고자 하는 열망에 힘입어 크게 성장할 것으로 기대되고 있습니다.
• Interest in women’s sports is growing – reaching 50% of the general population globally in 2024, up from 45% in 2022

Today’s sports fans are more connected and passionate than ever. Globalization, diverse fandoms, and evolving media consumption are reshaping sports engagement. The report identifies three growth factors, empowering marketers to optimize sponsorship strategies and unlock global sports potential.

Jon Stainer, Global General Manager, Nielsen Sports, said: “The global sports industry is experiencing an exhilarating evolution, as live sports continue to grow and extend into all parts of media. At Nielsen, we are uniquely positioned to deliver the most important insights for broadcasters, brands, and organizations interested in connecting with fans. The data in our 2025 Global Sports Report illuminates precisely the opportunities that exist for these partners as the worldwide appeal of live sport, especially with major, worldwide sporting events on the horizon, gains even more momentum.”

Firstly, the report identifies that football, as the world’s most popular sport, presents a compelling opportunity to deepen engagement and drive ROI. With 51% global fandom, football significantly outpaces all other sports with notable regional variations — including Mexico at 64% fandom and a substantial 62 million fans in the U.S. alone, making it the fourth largest market globally. But getting brand sponsorship right depends on understanding the nuances of fans in target markets so as to capitalize on this passionate and engaged fanbase. 

Second, the significant surge in interest in women’s sports presents unparalleled opportunities for strategic brand investment and engagement, with particularly strong growth in major markets like India, China, the UK, and Germany. This growth is mirrored by specific sport expansions, notably women’s football and the WNBA, which has seen its U.S. fanbase grow over 31% in two years to 46.9 million, alongside a remarkable 201% increase in 2024 regular season viewership. 

Critically, women now form a larger share of fans for both women’s (47%) and men’s (42%) sports (up from 45% and 40% in 2022). This creates new, diverse, and highly engaged audiences demanding tailored approaches and brand opportunities. This expanding, receptive female fanbase underscores that supporting women’s sports is not merely a social gesture but a compelling business imperative, offering brands access to new consumer segments—as evidenced by luxury brands like Coach entering the WNBA sponsorship space, leveraging high purchase intent among women’s sports fans.

셋째, 빠르게 진화하는 스포츠 미디어 환경은 브랜드, 광고주, 권리 보유자, 마케터에게 기존 플랫폼과 디지털 플랫폼에서 다양한 시청자의 참여를 유도할 수 있는 중요한 기회를 제공합니다. 라이브 스포츠는 계속해서 팬 참여의 강력한 원동력이 되고 있으며, 스트리밍은 점점 더 많은 노년층 팬을 끌어들이고 있고(2022~2024년 사이에 50세 이상 시청자가 21% 증가), TGL 골프 리그와 같은 혁신적인 포맷은 전통적인 시청자가 아닌 젊은 시청자(18~34세 TGL 시청자의 32%가 일반 PGA 시청자가 아님)를 리니어 채널로 성공적으로 끌어들이고 있습니다. 

Concurrently, social media is proving instrumental in globalizing sports and cultivating new fan bases. This is exemplified by the rapid rise of rugby fandom in new markets, driven by influential athletes like Ilona Maher—who grew her Instagram following by 141% during last year’s Olympic Games—and the accelerated growth of women following rugby globally. This dynamic environment, coupled with the emergence of new sports like pickleball and successful social-first brand activations (e.g., Nature Made®’s #ProPickle campaign), underscores the critical need for brands to strategically leverage diversified media and authentic social engagement to reach expanding fan demographics.

닐슨 소개

Nielsen is a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their global audiences—now and into the future. Learn more at www.nielsen.com and connect with us on social media (X, LinkedIn, 유튜브, Facebook 그리고 인스타그램).

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