Young Brits among the most passionate fans but hardest to win over

Global sports intelligence and research organisation GSIQ has published the UK edition of its Next Generation of Sports Fans white paper series, based on a survey of 5,500 young people aged 15 to 25 across 11 markets. The UK findings offer a detailed picture of how the next generation of British sports fans play, watch, follow and respond to sponsorship in sport. 

Key findings include:

High fan intensity. The UK stands alongside MENA as the most intense fandom market in the study. Over a quarter (27%) of young British fans identify as either Superfans (12%) or Passionate Fans (15%), compared with a fifth (20%) globally. The proportion of Casual Followers is lower in Britain (29%) than across all markets (33%). 

High participation, family-driven fandom. Family influence is the single strongest driver of fandom at 28%, significantly above the 18% global figure. Football dominates participation (56% ever played) and fandom (59%), while boxing (16%) has emerged as the second most popular fandom sport, ahead of basketball (15%). 

Social-first consumption. Instagram (50%), YouTube (47%) and TikTok (37%) are the primary platforms through which young Brits follow sport, outperforming traditional TV (28%) and streaming services (16%). Over a third (35%) consume sports content daily, well above the 27% global average. 

Resistant to new entrants. More than a quarter (27%) of respondents said they would never follow a new sport or league, even one backed by strong media and brand support. That makes young Brits the most entrenched audience of all 11 markets surveyed. Fewer than half (46%) said they would consider it, compared with 57% globally. 

Sponsorship receptivity with a sceptical edge. Over two thirds (69%) of young Brits say sponsorship makes them more interested in a brand's products, slightly below the 76% global figure. Sports brands, food and drink, and gaming/entertainment are viewed as the most authentic sponsor categories. Just over half (51%) say grassroots sponsorship makes them feel more positive about a brand. 

Access is the growth lever. The top three factors that would make young Brits bigger fans are all practical: more live events (29%), easier access to watch or follow (28%), and lower costs (27%). Cost is a particularly significant barrier for young women, cited by over a third of female respondents compared with around a fifth of males. 

Charlie Dundas, GSIQ Co-founder, said: "The UK data is full of surprises. Boxing beats established sports like rugby and cricket when it comes to current fandom and also places well when we asked young people what they think they’ll get into in the future.   If this data holds true – and of course you have to attach some caveats to it - we could be looking at a sea change in the Britain’s favourite sports over the next 20 years. Padel could be as popular as rugby; table tennis could overtake tennis and cricket could be overtaken by a number of niche sports.  

“But there’s also plenty of time and opportunity for established sports to engage this audience – as well as for tastes to change with age. What’s clear is that there rightsholders need to be very confident that their strategies are informed by this kind of nuanced data.” 

The Next Generation of Sports Fans series covers eight markets: UK, US, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India and MENA (Saudi Arabia and UAE combined). Each report draws on a core survey of approximately 500 respondents per market, with quota controls for age and gender. The full dataset spans 11 markets including Indonesia and Vietnam. The UK white paper is  available free to download at www.gsiq.com.