Sports Gamers - The Power of Sport Meets the Passion of Gaming: Part 1
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by Jack Milko
Sports video gamers represent untapped potential: brands who currently sponsor sports properties should strongly consider sports gamers as part of their overall marketing strategies due to their younger age and more engaged tendencies. Our first article in this three-part series dives into sports video gamers further, explaining the demographics and behaviors of this intriguing subsect.
In this Insight:
In 2024, the global sports industry generated more than $470 billion dollars in revenue, making sports the largest entertainment business in the world. Sports play a huge role on every continent, whether it be American or Aussie Rules football, soccer, golf, cricket, handball, and countless others, so it’s no surprise to see sports lead the way. But ranking directly behind sports in entertainment are video games, a testament to their growing popularity around the world. Various reports estimate that video games generated almost $200 billion in revenue last year.
Of course, sports video games have been popular for decades. Those of a certain age can remember Bo Jackson of the Los Angeles Raiders dominating the Tecmo Bowl in the late 1980s. ESPN even dubbed Jackson as the “greatest video game athlete of all-time” in 2003, an opinion that many still agree with today. Younger generations can immediately recall Pablo Sanchez’s five-tool skillset from ‘Backyard Baseball,’ or the “Sunday Tiger” character in any Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise throughout the mid 2000s. Madden NFL and EA Sports College Football also reigned supreme during this era and continue to do so today. Similar sentiments can be said about EA FC, formerly known as EA Sports FIFA. But sports video games have never been more well-liked and sought after than they are in 2025.
Those who play these sports video games are a fascinating subsect. Sports gamers are more passionate about their games than typical gamers and are more passionate about sports than the typical sports fan. This group loves their hobbies, and playing sports video games is a way for these individuals to bridge these interests together. Sure, many identify as sports fans first, but that passionate fandom is reflected through their sports video game habits.
Best of all, this group represents untapped potential: brands and sponsors who partner with sports and their fans should strongly consider sports gamers as part of their strategies.
Who Are These Sports Gamers?
Unsurprisingly, sports gamers are predominately male and younger than the average sports fan. According to a SPORTFIVE internal study that included over 2,000 respondents, roughly 72% of all sports gamers are under the age of 45. Meanwhile, 61% of sports fans are 45 or younger.
Knowing that sports video game enthusiasts are younger, brands should look at this demographic with great potential. They are digitally savvy and willing to try something new. Better yet, SPORTFIVE’s data shows that sports gamers are significantly more accepting of brand partners than the average sports fan. 28% of sports gamers are more likely to buy brand names versus general gamers and are 26% more likely to do so when compared to sports fans.
What Makes Sports Gamers More Valuable Than Traditional Fans?
Sports fans are loyal to a team, league, or an overall sport like golf, spending hours consuming games, matches, or events on television and digital platforms. Many will also go the extra distance to attend an event, immersing themselves further into the experience, thus increasing their overall affinity with their favorite sport.
But there are big differences in how a sports gamer engages with sports as opposed to fans. For starters, sports are readily available across multiple gaming platforms, whether it be consoles, computers, or mobile devices. Sports gamers thus spend more time with sports simply by playing and engaging.
Perhaps most importantly: sports gamers can play sports video games at anytime and anywhere. They do not have to wait for a set time and date to watch their favorite team play. College Football and NFL teams play only once per week, giving their fans a three-to-four window to watch on a given Saturday or Sunday. Sports video games, however, are much different. Brands can reach a much wider – and younger – audience every day of the week. While sponsors are reaching a huge audience through live sports like the NFL, they have the potential to cast a much wider net, to a much more engaged audience, within the sports video game universe. Don’t just take our word for it, let the data speak for itself.
Sports video gamers tend to spend more time engaged than sports fans. According to SPORTFIVE’s data, 72% of Sports Gamers play games for five or more hours per week. Meanwhile, only 50% of Sports Fans watch live sports for five or more hours on a weekly basis. That’s an additional 5-plus hours per week they are engaging with their favorite team or sport, a place few brands have captured to date. Not only is the activity of playing a video game a more engaging activity than watching, but pound-for-pound, sports gamers are playing video games 1.5x more frequently than sports fans are watching their favorite team play. Sports gamers are not fully captured with a traditional sports spend because they are spending their time elsewhere consuming content – in this case, it’s with video games.
“Our research validates what we have long held to be true: gaming and sports are made up of some of the most passionate communities on the planet. Furthermore, the intersection of these two communities, brings to light an even more passionate consumer base, in sports gamers. Brands have a tremendous opportunity to engage this young, fervent, and loyal audience through the games they love.”
Ryan Dow, Vice President of Gaming and Esports for the Americas at SPORTFIVE
Gamers & Sports Gamers: The Same, But Different
Is there a difference between a “general” gamer and a sports gamer?
This is a complicated answer. Both segments are considered “gamers” by definition. However, behaviorally, there is a stark difference. Yes, they are gamers, but they are overly passionate about the two largest entertainment platforms in the world, sports and gaming, making sports video gamers an attractive audience to corner.
Things get interesting when considering a sports gamer’s socio-economic status. Per SPORTFIVE’s research, 27% of sports gamers are more likely to reside in a household with an annual income of $100,000 or more. That figure drops to 21% for general gamers, or those individuals who play non-sport video games, such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, or Minecraft. They have the spending power. Check.
Sports gamers also tend to take their consumption habits above and beyond that of gamers. They stream gaming related content on Twitch and YouTube 1.5x more hours per week when compared to regular gamers. We’re still baffled that they have time in the day. From watching content, playing games, and watching live sports, they are all in on their passions: Gaming & Sports.
An Innovative Opportunity
A massive crossover opportunity exists for any brand that finds an organic path into the world of sports gamers. First, sports gamers are a younger and more passionate community. Brands can build a strong foundational strategy that takes on both sports and gaming by targeting this audience. Sports video games are less cluttered as well. Brands that do it right will have a spotlight on them as the current sports gaming landscape is uncluttered with other brands.
Sports Games unlock an innovative marketing approach that cannot be delivered within TV advertisements or digital media buys. The immersive nature of games open a fresh world of integration opportunities ranging from starting your own franchise/university, creating a branded stadium or jersey or fun challenges – delivering an unforgettable experience for players that cannot be found elsewhere.
Something that can give brands comfort to try something new is the audience’s willingness to accept brands. As opposed to traditional gamers, sports gamers are 20% more likely to view sponsors favorably. Perhaps this is because sports gamers have grown accustomed to seeing sponsors integrate across major sport. Still, a successful brand partner is one who supports the community, enables new content, but most importantly, does not force their marketing message into the content.
It’s an open invitation to build upon an existing strategy. Or perhaps a brand is willing to enter this space, knowing that the audience they will reach is a core demographic of future trend setters, business leaders, and, most crucially, an integral part of the economy. Put simply, they are the best brand advocates a potential sponsor can ask for.
This is Part I of a three-part series on sports gaming insights. Our next article in this series will explore American Football, with references to Madden NFL and EA Sports College Football, two of the most popular games in the United States.
