BERWYN, PA (March 19, 2024) – Playfly Sports, the Fan Focused and Data Driven leader in sports media, marketing and technology, today released its latest Playfly Fan Score: NBA Edition, created through an exclusive partnership between Playfly and Vision Insights and proprietary access to Playfly data.
As a thought leader in the space, the findings underscore the rapidly growing popularity of the NBA, particularly its expanding roster of internationally-born players. NBA game attendance is also at an all-time high, with average attendance across the country breaking 18,000 for the first time in league history.
“The Playfly Fan Score reflects the soaring popularity of the NBA, with fan engagement higher than at any other time in league history,” said Mike Schreiber, Founder and CEO of Playfly Sports. “By applying Playfly’s proprietary Fandom as a Service methodology, coupled with Fan Score, we deliver actionable insights to the NBA and its partners that unlock incremental and unique revenue-driving opportunities.”
This NBA Edition of the Playfly Sports Fan Score report seeks to explore the current state of the league, delve into fans’ outlook on the future of the sport, examine what differentiates the NBA, and explore best practices for cultivating the most valuable asset in fandom, the NBA’s “Forever Fan.”
“We are proud to offer this data set that enables partners to better understand this unparalleled fan segment,” added Schreiber. “Our team will be working with partners on exclusive studies that explore every aspect of the fan experience.”
Among the Fan Score insights:
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- The NBA has the highest percentage of fans under 44 years old (56%), including nearly 30% in the sought-after 18-34 demographic.
- The NBA has a diverse fanbase: 40%of NBA fans are non-white (15%African American, 13% Hispanic, and 7% Asian).
- The hottest stars hail from Serbia, Greece, France, Cameroon, and beyond, further solidifying the NBA’s global presence.
- Of the 573 million users who follow the top 10 American athletes on social, 81% are following NBA stars.
- Basketball is the most popular sport to play recreationally in America today; 53% of NBA fans played basketball as a child, compared to 44% of MLB fans and 32% of NFL fans.
The Playfly Fan Score is based on proprietary algorithms grounded in elements of fandom that can help predict future sentiment and engagement.
The specific scoring system utilizes 12 fan-based factors that Playfly has historically been providing as part of broader, impactful analyses for teams, leagues, and brands. These industry-leading factors support Playfly’s clients in driving revenue, reach and engagement through sports fans.
The Playfly Insights team is actively plugged into NBA teams, tapping into the exclusive tools, custom studies, and data activation plans to support growth and innovation. For more information about Playfly Insights, access to the complete Playfly Fan Score: NBA Edition, and to stay up to date on future editions of the Playfly Fan Score powered by Vision Insights, please visit: www.playfly.com/thought-leadership
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ABOUT PLAYFLY SPORTS
Playfly Sports is a sports media, marketing and technology business centered around the team, league, brand, and network. Believing in ‘Fandom as a Service’ and focusing on a consultative, data driven approach to REACH, ENGAGE, MONETIZE AND MEASURE FANDOM gives the company’s partners and brands a competitive advantage. Playfly connects more than 2,000 brand partners with approximately 83% of all U.S. sports fans. Through the proprietary platform the business delivers scalable, data-oriented marketing, technology, and media solutions with capabilities including exclusive MMR management, sponsorship sales and activation, streaming, consulting, ticket/premium sales, all along with new revenue-driving platforms and technologies. Founded in September of 2020, Playfly Sports is now home to approximately 1,000 team members located across 43 U.S. states dedicated to maximizing the impact of highly passionate local sports fans. Follow Playfly Sports on social media @PlayflySports or visit www.playfly.com.
