What a year for sports fans. From quadrennial spectacles like the Winter Olympics and World Cup to wall-to-wall NBA, NHL, and MLB action and tentpole events like NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and the NFL Draft, the first half 2026 is already stacked with must-cheer events. We haven’t seen a moment like this in quite awhile.  

Today’s fans are keyed into all these big moments, as they should. But they’re also living their best fan life before and after the games, surrounded by their favorite sports content, and Audio is their home turf.

Not all impressions are created equal. In today’s fractured media landscape, sheer audience size tells only part of the story. What matters more is how deeply people care.

The most valuable sports fans aren’t just tuning in for tip-off. The avid fans are completely immersed. They listen to pre-game breakdowns on their commute. They stream post-game reactions before they even leave the stadium parking lot. They subscribe to podcasts for insider analysis. They follow players across platforms. 

Avid fans don’t just absorb content — they seek it out. In today’s sports landscape, brands can chase passive reach across screens, or they can align with the environments fans actively prioritize. The difference shows up in outcomes.

Because when fandom becomes habit, advertising isn’t an interruption. It’s part of the experience. In modern sports marketing, avidity is the new scale. And sports Audio delivers the highest avidity of any platform.

Avid sports nuts in 2026 are younger, more diverse and more engaged than ever. They live for live games and events – and so much more. From analysis, insights, debates, and behind-the-scenes takes, there’s no offseason for their fandom. 

In fact, seven in ten avid sports fans say they use every medium possible to keep up with their favorite teams and sports.  

For a long time the default picture of a sports fan was pretty narrow. Middle-aged men, kicking back in a recliner with a frosty beer to watch football or baseball. That caricature is outdated. 

Today’s sports culture is rapidly expanding to new sports and leagues, and bringing new fans along. Women’s hockey, basketball, soccer, and volleyball attract passionate fans, while the traditional pro leagues cultivate more diverse, younger and global audiences. Consider this: over a quarter of sports audiences consume 4+ hours of sports content each day.

Modern fans reflect these shifts; they’re younger, more multi-cultural, and female. 27% are 18 to 34 years old. 38% are Asian, Black, and Latino. And 38% are women.

Among younger avid fans, live TV isn’t the primary touchpoint — sports podcasts, sports radio, and social platforms often are.

These younger fans in particular are redefining fandom. These fans turn to podcasts, YouTube, sports talk, fantasy leagues, social media, sports betting, and even watching their favorite athletes game on Twitch to fill their cup. 

These platforms are not secondary — they’re now premium sports content. 

We hear it from our clients everyday: they want to spend smarter. And brands will continue to double down on sports to take advantage of engaged mass-reach audiences. But as rights and sponsorship deals climb higher every year, the savvy brands are widening their playbook. Audio offers access to more avid fans, and a stronger ROI. Radio, streaming, and podcasts offer brands something TV often can’t: flexibility, speed, and the ability to take meaningful ownership around teams, leagues, and big moments. 

Audacy Sports listeners don’t just hear ads. They act on them. In fact, brands advertising on Audacy Sports see an average 40% lift versus brands advertising elsewhere. 

And if you think sports fans are only interested in beer, betting, and big trucks, think again. Sports Audio is a performance booster across some of today’s most competitive ad categories. 

Marketers in insurance, financial services, and home improvement, among others, have recorded significant lifts in web traffic with Audacy Sports campaigns.  

Financial Services +105%

Home Improvement +42%

Insurance +32%

As modern sports fans build their own sports culture and ecosystem, sports Audio is uniquely positioned to meet them wherever they are. Live games are the center of sports fandom, but super fans will go across platforms to find community, insights, and deepen their experience. 

Audacy Sports delivers the content, voices, community, and moments these fans crave and offers brands a chance to align with that unmatched engagement and passion. In 2026, winning brands will move beyond the screens and expand into sports Audio’s vast multiplatform universe with Audacy Sports leading the charge.  

Looking for more sports fandom insights? Download the full playbook.