This week marks ten years since Colin Kaepernick protested the national anthem for the first time during a San Francisco 49ers preseason game.
More protests followed in the NFL and spread to other leagues over the next few years, including especially active periods after President Trump’s callout in 2017 and George Floyd’s death in 2020. The current environment in sports may seem calm by comparison, but political issues still cross over into the sports arena. This happened in recent weeks with controversies over transgender athletes in the WNBA.
With this in mind, we look at the importance of political alignment for fans of the major sports this week.
For the past few years, Sports Poll™ has asked Americans how important it is for them to share the same political views as their favorite teams and athletes.
Among all Americans, 42% say it’s important. Opinions vary by sport. It matters the most to avid fans of the WNBA (59%) and pro soccer (58%). Alignment is least important to college football (41%) and NFL (43%) avid fans.
Not surprisingly, political affiliation and demographics influence fans’ views.
The level of fandom plays a role, but it’s a complicated relationship that varies sport by sport. Importance for fans also changes with the political landscape, and we’ll be monitoring to see how this evolves over the next few years.
For more information on how fans are engaging in sports today, reach out to us.
Sports Poll by SSRS™ is conducted continuously throughout the year and includes a nationally representative sample of more than 24,000 Americans each year.
