How Travel Brands Can Win Sports Tourism with Audio

These days, it’s not just work trips, dream vacations, and family get-togethers that are driving travel bookings. A surprising new audience segment has started influencing consumer behavior in a major way: sports fans. Sports tourism is booming—and that’s not hyperbole. The industry is projected to reach $2T by 2032. 1

National sports tourism is already on track to garner some huge increases. Over the next decade, the US will be playing host or co-host to a premier lineup of major global sporting events:

• 2026 FIFA World Cup

• 2028 Summer Olympics

• 2031 Women’s World Cup

• 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics

And that’s just on a national level. International sporting events like the World Cup, the French Open, and the Tour de France have millions of fans packing their bags and crossing borders to be a part of the magic.

Travel brands should treat these moments as a perfect opportunity to connect with high-value audiences. After all, as cities transform into bustling destinations, fans across soccer, tennis, hockey, gymnastics, and more are flocking to support their favorite teams. 

And what is the best way to connect with an audience on the move? Audio is there every step of the way, from building the itinerary to celebrating the biggest triumphs.

Today’s sports fans are travelers

Modern sports fans aren’t just sitting at the bar screaming at the TV (although that’s still very much a thing). Instead, they’re packing their bags and heading to the airport. The numbers back it up: more than half of fans attend live sporting events, 2 with sports tourism now accounting for 10% of global tourism spending. 3

And it’s not just the quick trips across state lines, either. International sports tourism holds a predominant market share, accounting for 61% of the total market. 4 For a huge chunk of these fans, traveling for the big game isn’t a one-off thing; one study found that 44% traveled internationally for their last sporting event. 5

But just because a fan is watching a sports event from the bleachers doesn’t mean your ad strategy should jump from their home straight to the stadium. The massive opportunity lies in between. Think of showing up across the whole fan journey, from buying their tickets to listening to the post-game analysis.

• The pre-game anticipation: 1 in 3 sports fans lock in early, turning to game previews and match breakdowns. 2

• The commute: 44% of sports fans stream music to set the mood while traveling to a game. 2

• The post-game breakdown: 42% of sports fans listen to post-game analyses to dissect and relive the play. 2

• The celebration: 1 in 3 sports fans keep the momentum alive by streaming music together after a live game. 2

Audio is the constant companion for fans on the move

Getting ready for a game, especially when traveling for it, means staying constantly in motion and wrestling with a to-do list. Traditional visual media isn’t an option when a fan is packing a suitcase or shopping for snacks. Audio, on the other hand, is an easy and natural addition, with 51% of sports fans listening to sports podcasts or talk radio while going about their day. 2

And think of all that time spent on highways and interstates. Here’s why audio and travel make a great team: 90% of SiriusXM listening happens in-vehicle, with listeners on the road spending over two hours per day with it. 6

Big events drive massive, multicultural travel demand

With a massive lineup of global events heading to the US, a huge wave of sports travel is upon us. The fan interest is heating up: 72% of sports fans are tracking the Summer Olympics. 2

And if you look closer at the crowd of sports enthusiasts, you’ll notice that sports fans are incredibly diverse. Multicultural fans significantly lead in sports event interest, and digital audio gives travel brands a direct lane to the moments and content they care about most.

Latino fans

Soccer culture runs deep among Latino fans—73% planned to follow this summer's World Cup tournament. 2 That love for soccer lives right next to an appetite for audio: Latino fans are 30% more likely to tune into sports podcasts than the average sports fan. 2

Black fans

As the biggest sports loyalists, Black sports fans spend over two hours more per week listening to sports audio than the average American. 7 The Summer Olympics and the NFL are favorites—two out of three Black fans follow the latter, more than any other demographic. 8

AAPI fans

AAPI fans are a highly mobile cohort, with 57% attending live sporting events. 2 They are 21% more likely to tune into post-game analyses in sports audio programs compared to average sports fans. 2

Capture the full sports travel journey with audio

Very few media channels can follow travelers in the moments they buy their tickets, walk out the front door, and get onto the flight. But audio does it effortlessly. For travel brands, it acts as connective tissue, putting together a cohesive picture of your brand every step of the way:

• Planning and anticipation: Long before they pack their bags, you can find fans tuning in to podcast deep dives. Step in at this stage to influence their flights, hotel choices, or car rentals while intent is brewing.

• Travel and commute: What’s the best thing to pass the time during a road trip or hours in the airport terminal? The answer, again, is audio. When fans finish up with their podcast match previews, they switch over to streaming music and talk radio.

• Live experience: Even on game day, audio remains in play. Fans tune in for real-time updates and live coverage, making it a perfect window for branded sponsorships and live integrations.

• Post-event and celebrating: No matter the score, the journey continues after the final whistle with expert analysis and a post-game breakdown of highlights. Audio is also great for keeping the stadium energy alive to celebrate victory or filling the silence on the drive back to the hotel.

Need some pointers on where to start to connect with sports enthusiasts? Here are the top categories across SiriusXM Media:

• Top five music genres on Pandora: Latin, Afro-Latin, world, Christian, and jazz.

• Top non-sports podcast genres:  Comedy, true crime, and politics are where travelers spend a meaningful chunk of their time.

• Curated podcast collections: Ready-made packages covering NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, college sports, and more.

From stadiums to speakers—audio brings fans closer to the action

Audio doesn’t just follow fans. It becomes a genuine part of the fandom and the experience surrounding their favorite teams and players. Sports fans are highly dedicated, and they’ve long made podcasts another ritual:

• 63% say podcasts dive into sports topics deeper than other media. 2

• 179i say podcasts are part of their game-day routine. 2

• 187i listen year-round, even in the off-season. 2

And with the SiriusXM Media ecosystem, you can follow sports fans exactly where they are, especially when it comes to sports talk. From official league partnerships to over 20 sports talk channels and more than 500 sports podcasts, we’ve got range.

Turn moments into impact with live and custom integrations

When excitement, attention, and fan intent are at their absolute peak, it’s time for bold moves far beyond a standard pre-roll ad. We offer a range of sponsorship formats to place your brand at the heart of the action:

• Tap our trusted show hosts and their credibility for a 60-second on-air brand message.

• Become a branded sponsor of sporting event live coverage.

• Own targeted brand spots and billboards airing in live play-by-play sports coverage.

• Experiment with custom integrations, staying alongside anything from match previews to tournament tickers.

Make your brand part of the sports tourism journey with SiriusXM Media

By now, it’s clear how sports tourism can become a part of a successful travel brand strategy. Millions of fans cross borders every year to show their support and witness history firsthand. The best way to catch them on the move is audio, from deep-dive talk shows to game-day mood playlists. 

With SiriusXM Media, you get the scale, expertise, and cultural relevance needed to truly click and connect. Let’s talk and get the ball rolling on your audio strategy.

Discover more of our sports audio insights