Sports fandoms often go hand in hand with certain stereotypes. From golfers and tennis fans rolling in cash to snooker fans only coming from economically disadvantaged areas of Northern England. For some sports, the stereotype rings true. Snooker is most popular among people earning less than £20,000 a year[1], and the World Snooker Championships have taken place in Sheffield since 1977. However, this isn’t always the case.
But which sports fans earn the most, and which sports are the most popular across the US and UK? The team at Prime Casino has delved into the data, looking at average salaries in each country and using search data to find out which sports are Googled the most among US states and UK counties.
Sports With The Wealthiest Us Fans
1) Motorsport Average annual fan salary: $63,898
Motorsport can be crowned the sport with the wealthiest US fans. Many races have high ticket prices, as they take place in various international iconic locations like Monaco or Silverstone. This means Americans with higher incomes can more easily afford to attend motorsport events in person. The average US motorsport fan earns $63,898 annually.
2) Tennis Average annual fan salary: $63,862
Next up are tennis fans, with the average US fan earning $63,862 annually. The sport has a long association with wealth and is traditionally only played in exclusive country clubs and private courts. While this has changed over the years, serious fans often take expensive lessons and are members of exclusive clubs requiring higher salaries.
3) Cricket Average annual fan salary: $63,777
Cricket is a relatively niche sport in the US, which could explain why it has some of the wealthiest fans. Cricket is not widely available on mainstream US television networks, so only those with more disposable income can afford premium channels or streaming services to watch live matches. One option is ESPN+, which costs $119.99 annually as of October 17th, 2024. US cricket fans earn an average of $63,777 annually.
4) Ice hockey Average annual fan salary: $63,669
Ice hockey takes fourth place, with fans earning $63,669 annually. Many of the sport’s most popular teams are based in the northern US, which means fans from outside this area need enough disposable income to travel to watch games in person. The sport is also expensive to play recreationally, factoring in the cost of protective equipment and rink hire.
5) Rugby union Average annual fan salary: $63,600
In fifth place is rugby union. The sport is relatively niche in the US but has a strong association with elite universities. Students at these universities who foster a passion for rugby during their studies tend to be wealthier. The average US rugby union fan earns $63,600 annually.
Sports With The Wealthiest Uk Fans
1) Tennis Average annual fan salary: £36,231
Tennis fans are the wealthiest fans in the UK, with an average salary of £36,231. Many tennis players come from affluent backgrounds, which can influence the fanbase’s demographic, as fans are often drawn to athletes who reflect their own social status.
2) Basketball Average annual fan salary: £36,191
Basketball takes second place. As the sport is still growing in popularity in the UK, it attracts more dedicated fans. These fans often have the disposable income to travel internationally to watch games in person, which could explain why the average basketball fan in the UK earns £36,191 a year.
3) Baseball Average annual fan salary: £36,106
Despite being known as America’s pastime, baseball is also beginning to attract UK fans. Baseball games are not widely broadcast in the UK, so fans need a subscription to streaming services such as Apple TV+ or TNT. These streaming services require more disposable income to afford. This could explain why UK baseball fans have the third highest income, averaging £36,106.
4) Field hockey Average annual fan salary: £35,976
In fourth place is field hockey. In the UK, the sport is primarily associated with wealthier fans as its popular in private schools and playing field hockey fosters a love of the sport. Private schools have greater access to specialised facilities like astroturf pitches. The average field hockey fan earns £35,976 annually.
5) Ice hockey Average annual fan salary: £35,918
Rounding out the top five is ice hockey. Despite the sport being one of the fastest growing in the UK, the sport suffers from a lack of media coverage. As a result, fans have to travel to watch games in person, which requires fans to have a higher level of disposable income. UK ice hockey fans earn an average salary of £35,918.
Most Searched-For Sports Across The Us
1) Basketball Most searched-for sport in: 27 states
Basketball is the most searched sport in the US, topping the list in over half the US. Thanks to its easy-to-learn rules and fast-paced nature, the sport is hugely popular in the country, with regular season games in 2023/24 averaging 1.56 million viewers[2].
2) Baseball Most searched-for sport in: 22 states
“America’s pastime” takes second place, being the most popular sport in 22 states. Baseball is a cultural icon in the US, widely shown on TV and easily accessible to play with minimal equipment required.
3) American football Most searched-for sport in: 1 state
American football is next, being the most searched-for sport in only one state, Michigan. The sport has had over 1.7 million searches over the last 12 months. This could be due to the Michigan Wolverines, the college football team that went undefeated during the 2023-2024 season.
Most Searched-For Sports Across The Uk
1) Football Most searched-for sport in: 32 counties
It comes as no surprise that football is the most popular sport in the UK. It tops the list in all 32 counties for which data was available. The sport is ingrained in British culture, with local communities and those further field gathering to support their favourite teams.
Most Expensive Tickets
1) Motorsport Average ticket price: £383
Motorsport tops the list as the most expensive sport to watch in person. The sport has seen a rise in popularity over recent years, leading to an increase in demand for a limited supply of tickets, which has raised prices. The average motorsport ticket price is £383.
2) Tennis Average ticket price: £249
Next is tennis, with the average ticket costing £249 per adult. The high price could be due to the operational costs of running high-profile tournaments like Wimbledon and the US Open. These costs can include prize money, court maintenance, and officiating technology like Hawk-Eye.
3) Snooker Average ticket price: £166
Snooker takes third place, with tickets averaging £166. Compared to other sports venues, snooker tournaments often take place in smaller venues with limited seating capacity. This means they can charge a premium for the small number of tickets available.
4) American football Average ticket price: £116
In fourth place is American football, averaging £116 a ticket. One reason for this could be the high demand for tickets to key games like playoffs or the Super Bowl. This high demand drives up prices due to the increased interest.
5) Football Average ticket price: £81
Rounding out the top five is football. As player wages and transfer fees can often go into the millions, clubs have to make up revenue in other areas. One of these areas is high ticket prices. Football tickets cost an average of £81.
Methodology
We used Google Ads Keyword Planner to find the total number of Google searches for the following terms for each sport between September 2023 and August 2024:
- ‘Sports league’ fixtures
- ‘Sports league’ standings
- Watch ‘sports league’
- Where to watch ‘sports league’
- Watch ‘sport’
We collected data for two separate seed lists: one made up of US states, and the other included all UK counties with a population of more than 500,000 residents. Any areas where the data was unavailable were removed.
We used Forbes and ONS to find the average annual salary for each US state and UK county.
We combined the number of searches for each term by sport to create a total search count for each sport.
We divided the total number of searches in each area by the total number of searches nationwide to find the percentage of searches per sport for each location.
We multiplied each area’s annual salary by their percentage share of searches to calculate the proportional average salary for each area.
Finally, we combined the average salary of every location by sport to calculate the overall average salary per sport.
Average ticket prices were sourced from SeatGeek and the official websites of major tournaments in the US and UK. For sports without major tournaments in either country, an average was taken from either the US or UK.
Currencies were converted using xe.com on 17/10/2024.
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