During the spring of 2025, BONUS.WIKI run an anonymous survey among sports enthusiasts to reveal fascinating trends about how people engage with their favorite sports – both as spectators and participants. It was also interesting to link their sports affinities to their geographical location. The study was run on the stats247.com network of websites, which includes SoccerStats247.com, TennisStats247.com, BasketballStats247.com, HandballStats247.com, VolleyballStats247.com, RacingStats247.com. A number of 1450 users have taken part in the 26 questions study, from 45 countries from across the world.
If you’re curious about results of the favourite sports survey, keep reading and we’ll dive right in. The study was run anonymously, without collecting any personal info from users in an attempt to keep the answers as real as possible.
First thing we got to ask was for the users’ country of residence, which brought us answers from users in 45 different countries, covering Europe and Africa, all American continents, Asia and Australia.
On the age category, we also managed to get a wide range of users, with the 33.8% of users in the 40-49 years old range, 20.7% of users in the 30-39 years old range, and also some balanced numbers in the other age categories as presented in below graph.
Top Sports to Watch and Play
1. Most Watched Sport: Soccer emerged as the most popular sport to watch, followed by Basketball and Tennis.
2. Most Played Sport: Interestingly, Soccer also leads as the most played sport, while Basketball and Tennis remained strong contenders.
The charts above highlight the top sports in both categories. We can see that these rankings clearly show that while some sports are widely watched, they are not always the most commonly played (ex. American football may be watched more than being played in many countries).
Watching and Playing Frequency
1. Watching: The majority of respondents declared they watch their favorite sport daily or several times a week. This shows a strong level of engagement with sports as a regular part of their entertainment routine.
Related to the media used for watching their favorite sport, watching on TV came in first with 51% selecting this option, and online streaming services coming in second with 33.8% selection. This question offered multiple choices at to go for. Live at the venue selection only gathered 22.8% of users.
2. Playing: Playing frequency is more varied, with many reporting playing their favorite sport once a week or a few times a month. Notably, fewer people play their favorite sport daily, which could be due to access or time constraints.
What Attracts Fans to Their Favorite Sports
Participants shared why they love their chosen sport. The top reasons included:
- Skill and Technique – Appreciation for athletic mastery.
- Excitement and Pace – Fast-paced action keeps them hooked.
- Physicality and Athleticism – The challenge and fitness involved.
These reasons suggest that fans are deeply connected not just to outcomes, but to the beauty and mechanics of the sport itself.
Preferred Content Types
When consuming content related to their favorite sport, respondents favored:
- Analytical Breakdowns – Reflecting a trend toward deeper understanding of tactics and strategy.
- Game Highlights – A quick and engaging way to stay updated.
- Interviews and Behind-the-Scenes – Offering emotional or narrative context to the action.
These insights show how modern fans want more than just scores—they seek context, depth, and connection.
Weekly Time Spent on Sports News
The most common range of time spent following sports news each week is 1–3 hours, though a significant group spends over 10 hours weekly, suggesting a subset of deeply invested fans.
Community and Subscriptions
- Online Community Involvement: While many have not engaged with online communities or forums, a substantial minority have, showing there’s a space for social interaction around sports. 57% of users declared they participate in fantasy leagues.
- Subscriptions: The majority do not subscribe to sports-related services. However, those who do mostly use sports channels and streaming platforms, reflecting a digital-first trend in how sports are consumed.
A strong majority of respondents described their favorite sport as “important”, “very important”, or “slightly important” to their lifestyle. This indicates that for most fans, sports are not just a pastime — they’re a meaningful part of daily life and identity, getting in talks about them with family and friends.
Betting on Favorite Sports
On the question “Do you place bets on games in your favorite sport?”, a whopping 91% of respondents declared they place bets. 65.5% place bets regularly and 25.5% place bets accasionaly. Only 9% of users do not bet.
Key Takeaways
Looking over the survey results there are several key takeaways:
- Soccer dominates both in terms of watching and playing, followed by basketball and tennis.
- Fans watch their favorite sport frequently, but play it less often — highlighting a larger “viewer base” than “participant base.”
- Skill, excitement, and athleticism are the key drivers of interest.
- People engage with sports deeply: following news, discussing with friends, and subscribing to platforms.
- Emotional connection grows over time — sports become part of lifestyle.
- The community aspect is underutilized, suggesting potential for forums or fan engagement initiatives.
