Welcome to the College Athletics Fanbase Fan Report
CONNECTING BRANDS WITH COLLEGE ATHLETICS FANS
Brands aim to harness the power, passion and excitement of college athletics, turning consumers into devoted fans. Learfield’s Fanbase™ is the largest and most comprehensive database of college sports fans. By examining first-party fan data enriched with additional attributes for more precise targeting, Fanbase delivers insights into the dynamics and behavior of college sports fans, unlike any other data tool available. Armed with this data, brands can better engage and reach these highly desirable fans with comprehensive campaigns that integrate college brand assets to drive successful business outcomes and customer loyalty.
Connecting with College Athletics Fans
College sports fans represent the largest fanbase in the United States, more than any other sports league. These fans are highly affluent, educated, and passionate, showing a strong affinity for their teams and the sponsors who support them. College fans are rooted in tradition, with their formative years spent at these institutions that create a lifetime of loyalty for these teams, their players, and their partners.
42
MARKETS (DMAs)
Represented by NFL,
NBA, NHL, & MLB
98
TOP 100 MARKETS (DMAs)
Represented by
Division 1
College Teams
COLLEGE SPORTS FANS ARE EVERYWHERE
COLLEGE SPORTS: MOST TELEVISED GAMES
8x
more Men’s College Basketball than NBA
8.2x
more Women’s College Basketball than WNBA
3.8x
more College Football than NFL
*Source: Nielsen
COLLEGE SPORTS FANBASE
195 M
ESTIMATED TOTAL FANS
Source: Fanbase
College Sports: The Largest Fanbase In Sports
COLLEGE SPORTS FANDOM IS LIFELONG, GENERATIONAL, AND GROWING EACH YEAR.
2M+
Incoming Freshmen
Annually
*Source: InsiderHigherEd
College Sports Fans Are More Avid About Their Team And Sports.
College Sports fans are the most avid sports fans in the world. 45% report being "very interested" in 3 or more sports. While this overlaps with some pro sports, the most engaged college sports fans show significantly more interest in college sports, as measured by their game attendance, merchandise purchases, and game viewing/listening habits, than their professional counterparts.
College Football
50%
Lift Over NFL
Men’s College Basketball
Lift Over NBA
65%
*Source: Scarborough. ** Source: YouGov
COLLEGE SPORTS FANDOM IS LIFELONG, GENERATIONAL, AND GROWING WITH NEW COLLEGE STUDENTS.
1M+
Incoming Freshmen
Annually
COLLEGE FANS ARE MORE LIKELY TO:
Attend Games
Buy Apparel
Watch/Listen to Games
COLLEGE SPORTS FANS ARE MORE AVID ABOUT THEIR TEAM AND SPORTS.
College fans report a higher level of interest than their professional counterparts. Associating a sponsorship partner with these college teams taps into fandom to realize business objectives.
74%
College Football
50%
NFL
48%
Men’s College Basketball
29%
NBA
COLLEGE FANS REPORT HIGHER INCOME THAN AVERAGE CONSUMERS & PRO SPORTS FANS:
$100K - $150K
11%
13%
22%
Household Income - % of Population
National Average
Pro Fans
College Fans (Fanbase)
$150K - $250K
6%
6%
19%
$250K+
2%
2%
10%
College Sports Fans Earn More
College fans index higher than professional sports fans and average consumers in spending by several categories, including the following and more:
Automotive
Fast Food Restaurants
Financial Services
Health and Nutrition
Insurance
Online Streaming
Cable and Satellite TV
Retail
Digital Media and Software
Travel and Lodging
Logistics
Education
*Source: Wiland
College Sports Fans Spend More
Fueling Fandom & Connecting Brands with Fans
Learfield is at the center of college sports, partnering with more than 160 collegiate properties to manage their multimedia rights. We are the authority on college athletics fan data and provide data and digital solutions that enable partners to connect with their target audience and craft compelling stories to a variety of fan profiles and personas.
Through our proprietary programmatic advertising product, Fan365™, we enable audience segmentation and digital advertising to help over 12,000 brand partners deliver a highly targeted message, including college sports intellectual property, to the right audience at the perfect time.
6B+
Fan Data Points*
93M+
First-Party Fan Records*
150M+
Reachable Fans via Digital Marketing*
When brands consider who to partner with to connect with college athletics fans, it is important to understand the source of the data, how it is managed, and how it is leveraged to drive performance. When considering enterprise data capabilities, it is essential to understand key questions:
*Source: Fanbase
WHERE IS THE DATA COMING FROM?
Fanbase™ provides the most fan connections across college athletics through first-party data gathered from direct purchases of tickets or athletics donations (Paciolan), MMR sponsorship activations, via engagement of the athletics websites/mobile apps (SIDEARM Sports), or direct survey response from fans.
HOW CAN YOU MONETIZE THIS DATA?
Learfield's Fanbase fan profiles and fan models provide the most comprehensive understanding of fan behavior and interests, targeting key audiences with the right message at the right time.
WHAT IS BEING DONE WITH THE DATA?
The 6B+ fan data points are securely compiled, cleaned, and enriched to create fan profiles. Advanced analytics techniques are further applied to better understand and model the likelihood that fans are likely to engage with different brands and industries.
Learfield's Fanbase™ platform is the most robust data infrastructure in college sports – spanning Learfield's sports properties and reaching over 150 million college fans. By gaining insights into these fans, including their preferences, affinities, and demographics, brand partners can tap into the largest and most affluent fanbase in sports to drive business value.
Cole Gahagan
Learfield, President & CEO
College Fan NIL Sentiment
Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is one of the hottest trends in college athletics. Many brand partners are enhancing their marketing efforts by aligning themselves with student-athlete influencers, which is most impactful when those student-athletes wear team jerseys or gear.
Brand partners see strong results on key performance indicators for sponsorship campaigns incorporating real NIL - well above the baseline without it.
Sponsorship Recognition Impact*
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Brand
Awareness
Brand
Consideration
Positive Brand
Impression
Brand Regard
(Higher)
Purchase Intent
(Higher)
1.29
1.39
2.04
1.66
1.65
With Real NIL Assets
Baseline Index
*Source: Learfield 2024 Sponsorship Survey
College Fan NIL Sentiment Survey
We asked over 10K college fans across multiple schools three questions, analyzed their responses, and generated insights based on fan segments. The results demonstrate strong support for NIL opportunities among college sports fans. It also indicates a positive impact on recognition and purchase intent when incorporating school intellectual property (IP) into brand partner campaigns featuring student-athletes.
Survey Questions
SINGLE
I support the payment of student-athletes by brands through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).
SINGLE
I would be more likely to buy a product or service from a brand endorsed by a student-athlete I like.
SINGLE
I would recognize a student-athlete I like if they are wearing their school's uniform or branded clothing.
NIL Fan Sentiment by Households with Children vs. Households without Children*
NO CHILDREN
41%
YES
CHILDREN
45%
YES
NO CHILDREN
54%
YES
CHILDREN
65%
YES
Support NIL
Likely To Buy
There is a strong link between households with children supporting NIL and their likelihood to purchase products endorsed by student-athletes.
*Source: Learfield 2024 Sponsorship Survey
NIL Fan Sentiment by Household Income*
Under $50k
$50k-$100k
$100k-$150k
$150k-$200k
$200k-$250k
$250k-$300k
$300k+
43%
61%
60%
49%
46%
59%
58%
45%
45%
60%
59%
44%
50%
Support NIL
Likely To Buy
65%
Fan sentiment by household income and likelihood to purchase products is evenly distributed, attracting a diverse consumer base interested in buying products and services endorsed by student-athletes.
*Source: Learfield 2024 Sponsorship Survey
57%
20%
23%
42%
38%
20%
81%
16%
4%
NIL Survey Results*
Strongly Agree/Agree
Neutral
Disagree/Strongly Disagree
Support NIL
Likely to Buy
Recognize Athlete
*Source: Learfield 2024 Sponsorship Survey
NIL Fan Sentiment by Age*
65+
55-64
45-54
35-44
25-34
18-24
76%
50%
87%
79%
53%
85%
67%
45%
85%
59%
42%
83%
49%
39%
78%
42%
37%
75%
Support NIL
Likely To Buy
Recognize Athletes
Social media components are crucial to many NIL campaigns, as younger audiences consume social media at higher rates and express the most positive sentiment. NIL campaigns include assets to reach this demographic effectively.
*Source: Learfield 2024 Sponsorship Survey
NIL Fan Sentiment by Families vs. Single Households
SINGLE
41%
NO
FAMILIES
45%
YES
SINGLE
54%
NO
FAMILIES
65%
YES
Support NIL
Likely To Buy
There is a positive correlation between fans with kids in the household who also support NIL and are likely to buy products endorsed by NIL.
NIL Support by Top Fan Profiles
Trendy
Urbanites
68%
Big City
Affluent
64%
Cost Conscious Young Families
60%
Metropolitan Middle Class
59%
College Grad Families
57%
Invested Professionals
55%
Suburban Blue Collar
54%
NIL Fan Sentiment by Household Income
Under $50k
$50k-$100k
$100k-$150k
$150k-$200k
$200k-$250k
$250k-$300k
$300k+
43%
61%
60%
49%
46%
59%
58%
45%
45%
60%
59%
44%
50%
Support NIL
Likely To Buy
65%
Fan sentiment by household income and likelihood to buy NIL products are evenly distributed, offering a wide range of consumers who are interested in purchasing products and services endorsed by NIL.
Fan Likely to Buy NIL Endorsed Products Compared to Ticket Spending Habits
< $1,000
41%
$1,000 - $10,000
44%
>$10,000
46%
NIL Fan Sentiment by Age
65+
55-64
45-54
35-44
25-34
18-24
76%
50%
87%
79%
53%
85%
67%
45%
85%
59%
42%
83%
49%
39%
78%
42%
37%
75%
Support NIL
Likely To Buy
Recognize Athletes
Many NIL campaigns have a social media component, and younger audiences consume social media at higher levels, creating a correlation between age, support, and likelihood to buy.
NIL Fan Sentiment by Age
Support NIL
Likely To Buy
Recognize Athletes
76%
50%
87%
79%
53%
85%
67%
45%
85%
59%
42%
83%
49%
39%
78%
42%
37%
75%
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
NIL Fan Sentiment by Household Income
Support NIL
Likely To Buy
Under $50k
$50k-$100k
$100k-$150k
$150k-$200k
$200k-$250k
$250k-$300k
$300k+
65%
50%
59%
44%
60%
45%
58%
45%
59%
46%
60%
49%
61%
43%
NIL Fan Sentiment by Families vs. Single Households
Support NIL
Likely To Buy
YES
65%
YES
45%
NO
41%
NO
54%
NIL Support by Top Fan Profiles*
68%
Trendy
Urbanites
Younger, non-college graduates living in cities.
64%
Big City
Affluent
Highest earning segment who received advanced education and live in big cities.
60%
Cost-Conscious Young Families
Young families living in the suburbs. Parents do not have an advanced college education.
59%
Metropolitan Middle Class
College graduates living in big cities have household incomes well above-average household incomes.
57%
College Grad Families
Families living in the suburbs. Parents have college degrees.
55%
Invested Professionals
Graduate school educated with above-average household incomes.
Fanbase™ utilizes first-party fan data enriched with appended third-party data to create fan profiles or personas showcasing similar characteristics. These personas can be leveraged for marketing campaigns and targeting to amplify the impact of NIL.
*Source: Learfield 2024 Sponsorship Survey, Fanbase
41%
< $1K
44%
$1K - $10K
46%
>$10K
Fan Likely to Buy Student-Athlete-Endorsed Products Compared to Ticket Spending Habits*
Fans likely to purchase student-athlete-endorsed products are also more likely to spend money on college athletics tickets. This enriched segment data provides valuable insights for targeting effective campaigns.
*Source: Learfield 2024 Sponsorship Survey, Fanbase
College Fan Demographic Summary
Learfield conducted various demographic analyses using first-party fan data to gain deeper insights into college sports fans. These include age, gender, income, location, presence of children in the household, and education level. The demographic data shows that college athletics fans tend to be more affluent and educated compared to average consumers or professional sports fans.
55%
Male*
46%
Has Children*
*Source: Fanbase
45%
Female*
26%
25%
42%
22%
21%
17%
14%
9%
7%
Some College
Undergraduate
Degree
Postgraduate
31%
29%
30%
34%
19%
17%
16%
13%
11%
36%
36%
20%
29%
17%
20%
23%
12%
14%
Ages 18 - 34
Ages 35 - 54
Ages 55 +
Education
National Average
Pro Fans
College Fans (Fanbase)
10%
11%
21%
18%
5%
4%
9%
2%
2%
$100K - $150K
$150K - $250K
$250K +
13%
15%
24%
22%
8%
7%
11%
3%
3%
11%
12%
20%
19%
6%
5%
11%
2%
2%
Ages 18 - 34
Ages 35 - 54
Ages 55 +
Household Income
National Average
Pro Fans
College Fans (Fanbase)
Sponsorship Survey
Featured Industry: Telecom
In the Telecom industry – which includes offerings such as internet service providers, home and cellular phone service providers, and cellular device manufacturers – brands that are sponsors in college athletics see significant increases across major brand performance metrics.
+62%
Brand Impression
+120%
Brand Regard
+114%
Purchase Intent
College Fans are more likely to shop/switch for new mobile carriers over the next year.
College Fans are more likely to shop/switch for new mobile carriers over the next year.
NCAA Fan
Nat'l Average
8.0%
7.2%
5.3%
More than 12 months from now
Within the next 4-6 months
3.9%
10% Increase
12% Increase
36% Increase
Within the next 7-12 months
Within the next 2-3 months
Within the next month
4.6%
4.1%
4.5%
3.4%
30% Increase
12% Increase
1.9%
1.7%
College Fans spend more money for cellular services than the average American.
NCAA Fan
Nat'l Average
4.2%
3.7%
3.9%
More than $200 per month
$150 to $200
per month
3.6%
11% Increase
8% Increase
8% Increase
$125 to $150
per month
$100 to $125
per month
$75 to $100
per month
4.3%
4.0%
7.5%
6.6%
14% Increase
14% Increase
11.6%
10.2%
College Fans are also more likely to consider switching device brands.
NCAA Fan
Nat'l Average
11.5%
8.6%
14.2%
Very Likely
Likely
10.2%
35% Increase
39% Increase
College Fans are more willing to pay for 5G access.
NCAA Fan
Nat'l Average
62.5%
54.3%
43.2%
Having 5G benefits my life in many ways
I am willing to pay more money to access 5G technology
34.5%
15% Increase
25% Increase
Learfield and the Fanbase platform have provided us with unique and innovative ways to connect with our customers while opening the door to valuable business-to-business relationships across Morgantown. Their expertise in sports marketing has amplified our brand’s reach, creating new opportunities and strengthening our presence in the community."
Tom D.
Breezeline Regional Marketing Manager
Success Story
Breezeline Partners With Mountaineer Sports Properties
OVERVIEW
Breezeline is a provider of internet, cable television, home telephone and cellular services operating in 12 states across the Eastern U.S., including West Virginia and surrounding states in which fans of WVU Athletics are likely to reside. In an effort to expand its consumer base in the region, Breezeline approached the team at Mountaineer Sports Properties about expanding their partnership to reach more Mountaineer fans.
SOLUTION
Using a Fanbase heat map that displays more than half a million Mountaineer fans located in West Virginia and surrounding states, the Mountaineer Sports Properties team was able to showcase that Breezeline would reach its desired target audience in large quantity through the expanded partnership. The data provided allowed Breezeline to invest with confidence and reach new potential customers throughout the region.
College Fans are also more likely to consider switching device brands.
Other Industries
