by Audrey Sellers Game On Promotional products let brands get in the game. Here’s how to use them to rally sports enthusiasts, engage spectators and win more fans. Sports are big business. By 2025, the global sports market is projected to reach nearly $600 billion, according to Research and Markets. Whether they pour into stadiums, ballparks or arenas, or they stream the game from the comfort of home, fans get fired up for their teams. About one-third of sports fans age 18 to 44 consider themselves to be avid fans, according to a 2022 Statista survey, while about one-quarter of people age 45 to 65-plus say they are avid sports fans. Sports enthusiasts are there for it all—the adrenaline, the thrill and even the heartbreak. Researchers have found that people who identify as sports fans are more satisfied with their lives overall compared to those who aren’t as interested in sports. If their team loses, being part of a community with other fans can help mitigate the disappointment. While there’s big money in the big leagues, college sports alone are a multibilliondollar sector. In the U.S., college football and basketball are almost at the same level as professional sports. Some of these sports’ coaches get paid millions of dollars a year, and universities generate billions from sponsorships, TV deals and ticket sales, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Youth sports are right on par with the majors. Worth an estimated $19 billion, the youth sports market rivals the NFL, which made an estimated $12.2 billion in 2020, according to Investopedia. By 2026, the youth sports market could reach nearly $77 billion, according to a report from Wintergreen Research. From youth to college to professional sports, promotional products can be part of the action on game day and beyond. Read on for insight into the sports market and some promotional ideas to put in play for your clients. Hilch / sportoakim Spo r t s 36 | MAY 2022 | GROW
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