Which fans evangelize the most?
Truly passionate fans try to convert others to follow the league. We asked fans of each league if they (dis)agreed they often found themselves:
- Trying to persuade others to become a fan of the league.
- Defending the league in public, even it causes controversy.
- Convincing as many people as possible to follow the league.
4. Feeling the need to tell everybody that the league is the best.
On average, 40% of NBA fans are league evangelists (agree or strongly agree to all four statements), followed by MLS (35%), NHL (28%), NFL (22%), and MLB (22%). Arguably, fans of the oldest leagues find little need to defend themselves, but here’s the kicker: League evangelism is the strongest predictor of 2021 League Outlook (right direction, watch more, follow more, watch any game). It’s a measure of momentum.
League evangelism is a stronger predictor of 2021 League Outlook than factors related to fan origins, super loyalty, or any demographic (age, gender, income, region, education, ethnicity, and marital status).