The world is changing at a rapid rate which is affecting how we do everything in our lives. We change habits to accommodate the new technological advancements and make our lives easier and more entertaining.
Watching sports and placing bets on favorite teams has been the popular pastime for centuries. However, the way we do it today is starting to change. Smartphones and social media services have become an inseparable part of the daily goings, so naturally, we started using them to follow sports and place sports bets as well.
Sports Fans Using Social Media
According to the data presented in the interesting infographic below by bettingsites.me.uk, there are more than 650 million hardcore sports fans on Facebook. In addition, this army of loyal users is not passive onlookers. Data shows they love posting about sports and actively engage in discussions with other fans.
The number of sports fans on social media services started growing more significantly in 2011. By 2016, it increased by 11%, showing a tendency to continue this trend in the future.
This switch from traditional media, such as the TV, radio, and newspapers, is causing a shift in the whole sports and sports betting industries. Sports leagues, bookmakers, teams, and players are realizing that they need to change their business and marketing habits to adapt to the new, emerging platforms.
Nowadays, following favorite teams/athletes is a must for any serious sports fan. Fans today are not interested only in sports and players’ performance on the field, but in other aspects of their lives as well. Athletes recognize this, so they share a lot about private lives on social media profiles.
The most popular social media services used by both athletes and fans include Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram.
Who Are the Sports Fans on Social Media?
Millennials are slowly but steadily taking over the internet and starting to dominate most platforms. As the stats presented in the infographic show, 49% of sports fans on the internet are between 16 and 17 years old.
Compared to older demographics, Millennials get bored much more easily and need a lot more input to stay engaged and entertained. Social media services present the perfect platform for such users.
Moreover, data shows that a large number of sports app users are also business travelers. This makes sense as mobile devices and sports apps make it very easy to stay up to date with relevant sports information no matter where you are.
You no longer need to be at home and in front of the TV to know what’s going on. Research shows that fans use sports apps in all sorts of places – 9% even use it in churches.
If you are interested in finding out more about how sports and social media services are connected, we encourage you to take a look at the impressive stats in the infographic below.
