For many fans, allegiance to a team, sport or favorite athlete is fundamental to their identity. It’s a devotion that brings pride, joy and pain in equal measure. Fandom is also a shared experience between friends, family and strangers alike, providing a deep sense of community.
For brands, successfully associating with fan identity can pay huge dividends, driving consumer loyalty, brand recognition, website traffic and sales.
“Sports is a powerful catalyst,” says Michael Guth, Senior Vice President, Growth at Spectrum Reach, the advertising sales business of Charter Communications. “It’s a powerful connector. It allows advertisers to tap into consumer passions and for viewers to make connections with friends and family .”
In fact, according to Nielsen, nearly 95% of fans watch sports live or on the same day, a remarkable rate in today’s media landscape. Sports fans are also some of the most engaged consumers across platforms. SalesFuel studies show that around 71% of sports viewers take action after seeing an ad on traditional TV, while 66% do the same after seeing an ad while watching sports on streaming platforms. These actions take the form of internet search, advertiser website visits, in-store visits and purchases.
Solving the Fragmented Sports Ecosystem
For both marketers and consumers, today’s content environment is more fragmented than ever. Viewers have endless ways to watch, tuning into live sports across broadcast TV, regional sports networks and a growing number of streaming platforms.
“The trick is to harness today’s fragmentation and bring simplicity to the media ecosystem by aggregating inventory, then combining it with powerful, privacy-focused first-party data to create customized solutions,” Guth explains.
Going Beyond Gameday
These days marketers can connect with audiences beyond game day itself, ensuring that media campaigns are not just buying the moment, but also reaching audiences that coalesce around sports. The fan journey extends well past the live broadcast into highlight reels, post-game interviews, fan community forums and social media feeds. Marketers have an opportunity to follow that journey, maintaining relevance before, during, and after the event.
Spectrum Reach recently analyzed women’s sports fandom and how it has grown since 2019. Time spent with women’s longtail sports (Softball, Rugby, Swimming, etc.) has increased 180% and the number of households tuning in has increased 85% in the past 5 years.1
“When we looked at the data, we realized this wasn’t just the Caitlin Clark effect,” Guth says, referring to the WNBA star. “Superstars are unquestionably playing a role in this surge, but the rising tide is elevating all women’s sports—not just higher-profile leagues and events like the WNBA, women’s college basketball and the LPGA.”
For advertisers, insights like these mean more authentic opportunities to align with targeted audiences, particularly in premium, highly engaged environments.
The Power of Data-Backed Sports Marketing
Addressable TV and streaming have transformed sports advertising. Marketers can now tailor their messaging based on audience insights, geography and even fan behavior, creating personalized, relevant ad experiences in a privacy-focused way.
“It starts with understanding why consumers are viewing an event in the first place, then leveraging good data and the latest technology to create contextually relevant messages and holistic campaigns,” Guth says. This is true not just for the most prominent games and tournaments, but also for smaller events and growing sports, such as F1, MMA, pickleball and women’s sports across the board.”
Guth continues: “When looking at both golf and tennis, we see key factors brands should note when trying to reach dedicated audiences.In the evolving landscape of golf, the PGA remains the magnet that draws most viewers together, but the addition of new leagues, including TGL and LIV, provides great opportunities for advertisers to break in with new audiences.”
A deeper look at tennis fandom similarly reveals discovery crucial to connecting with a growing and dedicated viewership. “We know that tennis fans have a high propensity for viewing the sport via the Spectrum TV app, through their phones and tablets, and watching online,” Guth says.1
Making the Most of a Big Year for Sports in 2026
2026 will be a banner year for sports fans and the marketers hoping to connect with them, with the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympics joining annual marquee events such as the NCAA’s March Madness tournaments.
“Any time there is a big tentpole event, anticipation around creativity and tactics increases,” Guth says. “But it’s incumbent on advertisers to understand why consumers are attracted to that large event and think about their broader marketing plan.”
As the live sports landscape continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the connection between fans and brands has never been more powerful—or more possible. “By embracing fragmentation as an opportunity rather than a challenge,” Guth concludes, “marketers can meet fans wherever they watch and create experiences that resonate long after the final whistle.”
Sources: Spectrum Reach Internal first-party viewing data. 2019-2025 in Spectrum households – Total U.S. Minimum Dwell Time: 30 seconds. Viewing from traditional TV (linear) and Streaming (Spectrum TV App). Multiscreen = Spectrum TV App Viewing hours and Traditional TV viewing hours combined. Data Extracted: October 2025 via Spectrum Reach Audience Measurement Platform (Audience Finder)
