Growing a sports brand
250 million Americans played a sport or did a fitness or leisure activity in 2025. Men are about three times as likely as women to be sports superfans. Reach fans on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X.
How big is the sports industry?
250 million Americans age 6 and older took part in a sport, fitness or leisure activity in 2025. Team sports passed 90 million players for the first time.
| Measure | Figure | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Americans 6 and older active in a sport, fitness or leisure activity | 250 million | 2025 |
| Team sports participants | More than 90 million | 2025 |
| NCAA championship sport athletes | 554,298, a record | 2024-25 |
| Coach and scout jobs | 298,800 | 2025 |
| Growth in coach and scout jobs | 6% | 2025 to 2035 |
The participation figures come from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association's 2026 Topline Participation Report.[1, 4, 5]
Who are sports fans and players?
Most US adults don't follow sports closely, and men are about three times as likely as women to be superfans.
| Group | What the figures show |
|---|---|
| All US adults | 16% follow pro or college sports extremely or very closely; 39% follow none |
| Men and women | 10% of men and 3% of women are superfans |
| Adults under 50, women, lower incomes | Among the groups least likely to follow sports closely |
| Teens 13 to 17 | Inactivity rose 4.4% in 2025 and fell in every other age group |
The fan figures come from Pew's 2023 survey. Pew's superfans follow sports extremely or very closely and talk about them daily.[1, 2, secondary]
Which platforms should a sports brand grow on?
YouTube reaches the most US adults, and X leans toward men, reaching 23% of men against 14% of women.
Ads for online betting and fantasy sports need Meta's authorization and can't target anyone under 18. TikTok certifies gambling advertisers and allows their ads only in markets where gambling is legal. Protect a team or league name with a trademark, and keep schedules and tickets on your own .com. For domain endings and the rules on "Olympic", see naming a sports brand.[3, 6, 7, secondary]
Checks the .com, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and trademarks in one search.
Who are the top sports creators?
IShowSpeed and Jesser are on Forbes' 2026 list of top creators, and Ilona Maher and Olivia Dunne are on the TIME100 Creators 2025 list.
| Creator | Known for | Named by |
|---|---|---|
| IShowSpeed | Soccer videos, including with Cristiano Ronaldo; 184 million followers | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #8 |
| Jesser | Basketball stunts and dunk contests; more than 44 million YouTube subscribers | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #14 |
| Ilona Maher | Team USA rugby sevens bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics | TIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
| Olivia Dunne | Former LSU gymnast and a pioneer of college athlete endorsement (NIL) deals | TIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
Which sites are the authorities on sports?
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association, the NCAA, the Aspen Institute's Project Play and BLS are the main authorities on US sports.
| Site | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Fitness Industry Association (opens in a new tab) | Trade association for the sports and fitness industry | Participation reports |
| NCAA (opens in a new tab) | Oversees 90+ national championships for more than 500,000 college athletes | College sports data and rules |
| Aspen Institute Project Play (opens in a new tab) | Aspen Institute program on building healthy communities through sports | Youth sports research |
| BLS: Coaches and scouts (opens in a new tab) | US government job data | Pay and job growth for coaches |
Sources (10)
- PrimarySFIA: Participation hits new high, SFIA's 2026 Topline Report finds (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Most Americans don't closely follow professional or college sports (opens in a new tab) (archived)
- PrimaryMeta: Online gambling and games ad standards (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryNCAA: A record number of NCAA student-athletes participated in 2024-25 (opens in a new tab); and About the NCAA (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryUS Bureau of Labor Statistics: Coaches and Scouts (opens in a new tab), Occupational Outlook Handbook
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab), survey of US adults
- PrimaryTikTok: Gambling and Games ad policy (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryForbes: Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab) (archived)
- SecondaryTIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab): profiles of Ilona Maher and Olivia Dunne
- PrimaryAspen Institute Project Play: About (opens in a new tab)