Audio Is Rewriting the Sports Marketing Playbook

The Super Bowl. FIFA World Cup. Wimbledon. With millions of fans locked in, there’s no denying that major sporting events are packed with advertising opportunities. 

But the sports marketing playbook has changed.

There’s more to connecting with sports fans than aligning with big moments. As fandom expands beyond single events and scheduled viewing, so has the landscape—and opportunities for advertisers. From who’s tuning in, to where they’re showing up, and when they’re paying attention, today’s audience is revolutionizing what it means to be a true fan.

And through it all, audio is there to keep the energy, excitement, and engagement going for both fans and brands. Audio is the go-to they reach for when they want more action, more analysis, more stories, and more time with the sports, teams, and athletes they love. 

So if you’re still treating your strategy like it’s game day or bust, allow us to introduce you to the new sports marketing playbook and how audio can help you stand out in an oversaturated space.

Fans don’t just watch sports anymore—they live in it

Sports fandom is always on, and major sporting events are like a crescendo in an ongoing rhythm of engagement—and audio sets the tempo.

Digital audio keeps sports fans connected anywhere, anytime. Listening is a part of the routine, with the average fan tuning in for over six hours a day. 1Nearly 30% of sports fans consume sports content through digital audio, and 51% listen to sports audio while doing other activities. 2

Sports audio listeners are following predictions and rankings. They’re tuning in for commentary on the commute. They’re going deeper with athlete interviews. They’re consuming post-game analysis long after the event ends. Case in point: 95% of sports fans engage with their favorite team or league during the offseason. 3

Sports content consumption has evolved into an ongoing ecosystem of conversation, anticipation, reaction, and community. And advertisers can leverage digital audio consistently get attention, build lasting connections, and inspire action—with 78% of sports audio listeners taking action after hearing an ad on a sports podcast or satellite radio show. 2

Monolith no more: What the modern sports audience actually looks like

Another major problem with the traditional sports marketing playbook? It assumes sports audiences are monolithic. Spoiler alert: They most definitely are not. 

While it’s true that white adult males still take up a large percentage of the fanbase, it’s no longer the staggering majority it used to be. Seemingly overnight, the audience has become significantly more diverse. Women, multicultural audiences, and younger fans are quickly gaining ground as some of the most engaged sports enthusiasts.

Female sports fans

Women are becoming an increasingly powerful force in sports fandom, with 83M identifying as sports fans. 4 They’re highly engaged, community-driven, and valuable for brands—more likely to be younger, affluent, daily social media users, and avid fans than the average sports audience. And increasingly, they’re turning to audio to stay connected, with 67% of female sports fans consuming sports audio to follow their favorite teams and sports. 2

Women's sports fans

At the same time, interest in women’s sports is surging. Media coverage of women’s sports has tripled over the last five years, 5 and nearly two-thirds of sports fans say they’re interested in women’s sports or female athletes. 6 That momentum is creating major opportunities for brands—especially in audio, where fans are tuning in for deeper analysis, athlete stories, and ongoing conversation.

Multicultural fans

Sports fandom has always been deeply tied to culture—and multicultural audiences are helping shape where it goes next. Black, Latino, and Asian American fans over-index across multiple sports categories and are more likely to engage with sports audio, creator-led content, and culturally connected moments around the game. 2

And they’re not just watching—they’re listening. Black listeners spend nearly eight hours a week with sports audio, while Latino listeners are 30% more likely to tune into sports podcasts than the average sports fan. 6 Asian American audiences are also increasing their sports consumption rapidly, spending 15% more time viewing sports content than the general public. 7 Together, these audiences represent some of the most engaged and influential fans in modern sports culture.

Gen Z fans

For Gen Z, sports fandom extends into personality-driven content, podcasts, highlights, creator commentary, memes, and cultural conversations. More than 60% of Gen Z sports fans continue to follow their favorite athletes when they are traded to a new team, and over 50% closely follow the personal lives of athletes beyond their sports careers 2—highlighting a more personal, intimate connection to sports.

And podcasts make these young followers feel closer to their favorite athletes. That’s why over 40% of Gen Z fans started consuming sports podcasts in the last year, 8 and they’re 26% more likely to say these shows dive deeper into sports topics than TV or social media. 6 And 20% of Gen Z sports fans over-index for using podcasts to hear sports history (137 index), athlete stories (138 index), and the business of sports (137 index). 2

Across audiences, sports fandom has become less about passive viewing and more about active participation. And brands need to rethink not only where they show up, but how.

The fan journey: fragmented, but constant

The modern sports ecosystem is complex. Fans are navigating streaming services, social platforms, podcasts, and more just to stay connected. In fact, over 75% of sports fans say they need too many TV networks and streaming services to access all the sports content they want. 2

That fragmentation is challenging for marketers to navigate, and traditional media strategies often treat sports as isolated moments. But fans don’t consume sports in silos. They move fluidly between platforms and touchpoints throughout the day: listening on the commute, watching highlights on social media, streaming live games, following athletes on and off season.

The brands winning in sports marketing today are building strategies around the full fan journey—not just the biggest moments.

This is where audio changes the equation. Unlike other channels, audio moves with fans throughout the day. It’s integrated into workouts, commutes, errands, social gatherings, game-day rituals, and everyday routines. Audio is a part of sports fandom. And in a fragmented media environment, it’s where advertisers can consistently attract and hold attention.

SiriusXM Media: Powering the new sports marketing playbook

Audio integrates naturally into everyday life, allowing brands to stay present throughout the entire fan journey. And SiriusXM Media is a one-stop destination for sports audio.

We reach 255M US listeners monthly, including millions of female, multicultural, and Gen Z consumers. And we connect with them across the everyday behaviors that define modern fandom. We help brands address fragmentation challenges by bringing the full fan experience together in one ecosystem. Across satellite radio, streaming audio, podcasts, live play-by-play, creator-led content, and cultural programming, we help advertisers stay connected to fans no matter where—or when—they’re engaging.

That means showing up:

• Before the game through predictions, rankings, and pre-game hype

• During the action with tailgating and viewing party soundtracks, live commentary, and real-time conversation

• After the final whistle through analysis, reactions, and ongoing cultural discussion

• And throughout the off-season with personal stories and all the latest speculation

SiriusXM Media is the largest audio ecosystem in North America, giving advertisers the scale they need with access to:

• 6 official league partnerships across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, and PGA

• 8 podcast publisher partners

• 20+ sports talk channels

Audio scores sports marketing touchdowns, goals, and home runs with us

In today’s sports landscape, winning isn’t about showing up for a single moment. It’s about showing up for the full fan experience.

Audio is what connects it all, and we can help you bring it to life. Let’s talk.

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