SSRS Solutions

Sports Poll

The First and Longest-standing Sports and Free time Intelligence Product in the U.S.

The Sports Poll Journey Began in 1994

Now, it dives deeper into how people spend their free time across sports, entertainment, and leisure.

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.

Engagement: The goal is to get more fans actively viewing, attending, playing, and following in more meaningful ways beyond just the season.

Priority

Priority is the strongest predictor of fan engagement. It is crucial to understand what behaviors lead to priority and how to sustain it over a lifetime.

Community

Fans who “belong” have the strongest connections to teams, schools, brands, musicians, artists, and local communities.

Facilitators

Facilitators bring family and friends together. Clients can drive engagement if they know who these people are and how they choose what they do.

Access

Cable TV is fading, making access the most urgent issue to fan engagement. Fans should be watching more sports than ever, but the landscape creates roadblocks to viewership.

Resources

Fans engage when they have the time, money, and ability. Driving engagement requires creativity when fans don’t have resources.

Generational DNA

Build a pipeline for the next generation of fans. 70% of AVID sports fans become interested by age 10. Starting fandom early and participating in the critical "pipeline" activities builds lifetime avidity.

Insights at Your Fingertips

5,000 variables. Data collected year-round to minimize seasonal interest. Insights accessible through detailed reports and dynamic platforms.

Sports Poll Subscriptions: Includes Reporting, Query Tool, Dashboard and Access to the Team All Year
“State of the Sport” Reports: Comprehensive Analysis, Consumer Insights, Technological Impacts, Youth and Amateur Sports, and Industry Comparisons
Local Market Reports: Market Analysis, Fan Demographics, Engagement Metrics, Youth and Amateur Sports, Technological Integration and Case Studies
Special Topic Reports: Examples include Fan Engagement Strategies in the Digital Age, Sports Betting, The Intersection of Sports and Politics, and Understanding Hispanic Sports Fans

Stay ahead of the game with Sports Poll Highlights, your weekly source for timely intelligence and insights across the sports world.

Each edition delivers sharp analysis and key takeaways from over 30 years of Sports Poll, the world’s longest-running tracking study on sports in the world. If you love data and want a smarter way to follow the action, this is your weekly edge in understanding fandom.

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Looking for more details?

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SSRS Sports, Entertainment & Lifestyle Services

Exploring How People Spend Their Free Time to Understand What Drives Fan Loyalty

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More from the SSRS Sports, Entertainment, & Lifestyle Suite of Services

Sports Poll Kids

Engaging with the Next Generation of Fans

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Sports Poll Global

Syndicated Study Capturing the Pulse of Global Communities

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SSRS Custom Sports Offerings

Tailored to Provide a Greater Understanding of Specific Industry-related Issues or Trends

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Sports Poll in the News

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Mar. 27, 2026

Has the MLB overtaken the NBA as America’s No. 2 league?

New Article from The Athletic and The New York Times Features Data from Sports Poll and Insights from Chad Menefee

Feb. 18, 2026

Leagues must solve media access puzzle to ensure fan base growth

Chad Menefee Featured in Sports Business Journal

Sep. 10, 2024

College football walks a fine line between growth and alienating its fan base

Chad Menefee shares data in new Sports Business Journal article

Nov. 14, 2023

Limited access to live sports threatens growth of next generation of fans

Chad Menefee shares data in new Sports Business Journal article

Jun. 30, 2023

NASCAR to Start Its Engines Along an Unlikely Course: Downtown Chicago

The New York Times Features Data from the SSRS Sports Poll

Jun. 12, 2023

WWE Uses Figures from SSRS Sports Poll

Numbers Show a Positive Indicator for Consumer Sentiment toward Shows, Stars and Brand

Jan. 12, 2022

How Pro Sports Leagues are Trying to Save the Future of Fandom

The New York Times Features Insight from SSRS Sports Poll

Jan. 10, 2022

CBS Pittsburgh Features Rich Luker on Fan N’Ation TV

Jul. 23, 2020

The Four Bases of Baseball Fans During COVID

Apr. 8, 2020

A Crisis of Attending: The Impact of Coronavirus on Americans

Recent Insights

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Blog

Olympics Remains Best Property for Reaching Light & Non-Sports Fans

Insights from the SSRS Sports Poll

Blog

Can Unrivaled Drive Women’s Basketball Growth Higher?

Following on Gains in 2024 & 2025

Blog

Can College Football Playoff Sustain 2025 Gains without the Biggest Programs?

The Connection Between Team Popularity and Engagement

Blog

Access, Time, & Money Drive Fan Engagement

Using Sports Poll Fan Dynamics to Drive Lifetime Engagement - Part 4

Blog

Facilitators Bring People Together – and they Enjoy It!

Using Sports Poll Fan Dynamics to Drive Lifetime Engagement - Part 3

Blog

The Sports Equinox: The One Day Americans Choose from the Big Four Leagues

Insights from the SSRS Sports Poll

Blog

Community Among Fans is Critical, and it’s Being Threatened

Using Sports Poll Fan Dynamics to Drive Lifetime Engagement - Part 2

Blog

Using Sports Poll Fan Dynamics to Drive Lifetime Engagement

Priority and the Power of the NFL

Meet the Sports, Entertainment, & Lifestyle Team

We provide actionable insights that help you understand your audience and make informed decisions, leveraging our expertise from decades of working with the top leagues, media companies, and sponsors in sports.

Meet the Team

We see the big picture.

The Sports Poll is the foundation for understanding the trends that impact strategy. Let's start a conversation about how we can help you reach your research goals.

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