Sports are having a banner year, but what doesn’t get nearly enough attention is the underdog in the sports media world: sports audio. To shine a light on the topic, SiriusXM Media, GroupM and Edison Research recently surveyed over 3,500 sports fans (Americans ages 13 and older who self-identify as a four or higher on a 10-point scale of sports fandom) to create the first-ever Sports Audio Report.
And just as audio might not be top of mind when you think of sports content, women might not be what you first picture when you think of sports fans–but more than ever, women are listening, tuning in and leaning into sports content.
Women are connecting with sports fandom
While the majority of those who identify as sports fans are men, 57% is probably not as high as many would expect. Sports are a huge passion point among all Americans, regardless of their gender identity, as evidenced by the fact that roughly six in 10 women aged 13 or older in the U.S. consider themselves to be sports fans. In some ways, women who are sports fans are not that different from men who are fans—the top sports or leagues they follow are the NFL, college basketball, the NBA and the MLB.
Where there is some division is in the depth of their fandom. Women are more likely to fall on the more casual end of the sports fan spectrum, with 62% self-identifying as a four-to-seven on the 10-point scale compared to just 36% of men who are sports fans. Women are also more likely to turn to sports for connection, with seven in 10 agreeing that following sports brings their family closer together. This carries through in their listening habits, with 80% of women who are fans ever co-listening with other people to sports audio content, compared to 73% of men who are fans.
Podcasts bring a personal touch
For women, their love of the game goes beyond the field or court. Nearly half (45%) of women who are sports fans say they closely follow the personal lives of the athletes they like, beyond their sports careers—that’s higher than the 41% of men who agree. And what better way to dive deeper into their favorite athletes’ lives than through sports podcasts?
It’s no wonder that sports podcasts are growing in popularity among women (as also seen with podcasts as a medium). Almost half of women sports fans have listened to sports podcasts in the past year, and the topic they listen to most is athlete interviews, while men typically listen for post-game analysis or game previews.
Over four in 10 women who listen to sports podcasts just started listening to them within the past year, compared to just 22% of men who listen, signaling a strong surge in appeal and listenership among women. This growing interest will likely draw more women athletes and commentators to create podcasts about women’s sports specifically, helping to close what’s currently a bit of a content gap, which should only bolster listenership further.
Women support women’s sports
Close to one-third of all sports fans currently follow a women’s sports team or athlete, with younger and diverse fans coming in at even higher rates. Among women who are sports fans, 34% follow a women’s team or athlete, higher than 30% of men. Compared to five years ago, 29% of all sports fans say they are following women’s sports more now, again with younger and diverse sports fans more likely to agree.
Focusing on women sports fans who follow women’s sports, compared to all sports fans, they over-index for following gymnastics, tennis, soccer, college basketball and WWE. And their reasons for listening to sports audio content also differ from total sports fans–they are 26% more likely to listen to get exclusive content, 25% more likely to listen to be part of a community of fans and 32% more likely to listen to be connected to athletes.
Ads on sports content resonate with women
That connection with athletes carries through to their experience with advertising. Eight in 10 women who follow women’s sports say they like hearing or seeing their favorite athletes in ads, much higher than the 67% of all sports fans. Two-thirds of women who follow women’s sports say they trust the products or services used by the athletes they follow, again higher than all sports fans at 56%.
Sports audio content is a great place for brands to inspire women who are sports fans to act. Three in four women who follow women’s sports have taken action after hearing an ad in a sports podcast or sports audio program, with six in 10 saying they have gathered more information about a company or product, and half saying they have purchased a product or service they heard advertised in the sports podcast or audio program.
“There’s such an exciting opportunity for brands looking to get involved in audio storytelling at the intersection of sports and entertainment, especially as players cultivate more influence with their audiences,” explained Martin Blich, executive director of sports and live Investment, GroupM. “Fans want to listen and learn more about their favorite players’ interests whether it’s streetwear, food, you name it. Podcasts are a personalized way for brands to be a part of the sports culture, especially for younger audiences that are developing and expanding their own personal perspectives.”
If brands are looking for ways to engage with women, they should not discount sports as an important content pillar. And within sports, the power of audio should not be underestimated, particularly podcasts, in engaging with a passionate audience of women fans.
