Monday, October 27 marks a rare occurrence in the sports calendar when the four major US professional sports leagues – the NFL, MLB, the NBA, and the NHL – play games on the same day. This typically only happens once a year in late October and is referred to as a “Sports Equinox”.
With all four of these professional leagues playing on the same day, it is one of the largest opportunities for widespread sports fan engagement during the year. Happening (usually) once every year, it is also a unique moment when these leagues are all in direct competition for viewers, making it a perfect case for understanding the importance of prioritization among sports fans, one of the key dynamics of fan engagement.
The Sports Equinox Impacts Nearly 90% of Americans
There are few singular days during the year that provide the potential reach of the Sports Equinox. 86% of the US Population (12+) are fans of at least one of the “Big Four” leagues (interested in the NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL). It is one day where there is something to watch for almost every person in America.
Nearly ¾ of Americans are Fans of Multiple “Big Four” Leagues
The Sports Equinox shows that very few sports fans are fans of just one sport. Not only are almost all Americans a fan of at least one Big Four league, most people (71% of US population 12+) are fans of at least two of the Big Four. Half of the population are fans of at least three of these leagues, and 26% are fans of all four. Fans of all four leagues are the smallest group, but they are the most likely to be AVID sports fans and have the highest potential to engage.
Only 1% of Americans are AVID Fans of all “Big Four” Leagues
With heavy overlap of fans across the Big Four, it is important for these leagues to identify their AVID fans who are most likely to engage when competition for their attention is high. 39% of the population are AVID fans (very interested) of at least one Big Four league. The biggest fans, who are almost certain to tune in for the Sports Equinox, are AVID fans of all four leagues. They only make up 1% of Americans, which is in stark contrast to the 86% who are general fans of at least one of the Big Four.
Identifying and growing the AVID fan base will increase potential fans who will engage when competition for their attention is high. However, AVID fandom doesn’t guarantee engagement; it depends on prioritization.
Fans who Prioritize are Most Likely to Engage
The Sports Equinox is a great case for understanding the importance of prioritization to engagement. Fans who prioritize a league over others are most likely to choose to watch games for that league when they have multiple options. In Sports Poll, we ask all sports fans “Which sport are you most interested in right now?”. This helps us understand which sports are prioritized most at different times throughout the year.
Fans can name any sport, but we isolated the Big Four leagues to see how they differ in priority among Big Four fans. We also specifically chose to look at responses to this question in late October from 2021 to 2024 (the typical period of the Sports Equinox). Among fans of the Big Four in late October, 25% say they are most interested in the NFL, 13% are most interested in MLB, 9% in the NBA, and 4% in the NHL.
The fans who are most interested in one of the Big Four sports during this period are the most likely to tune in and engage. The Sports Equinox highlights the importance of priority as a dynamic for fan engagement because games across four major professional leagues are happening on the same day, and fans will have to choose which ones they want to watch most. However, this same fan dynamic can apply to all sports throughout the year.
With the sports and free time landscape evolving faster than ever before, there is a greater need for actionable insights. Sports Poll provides the intelligence to engage fans in more meaningful ways. With others. All year round. For life. Learn More >>
