Do high-profile vaccine rejectors like Kyrie Irving and Aaron Rodgers reflect the will of most sports fans?
Yes or NO
Media coverage of the pandemic has often focused on the noisy minority of people—particularly professional athletes—who adopt a contrarian stance on COVID-19 issues like vaccine mandates or mask-wearing in public spaces. But while these stories generate ample controversy and clicks, they tend not to reflect the will of sports fans, most of whom have been strongly pro-safety on issues related to the pandemic and are more likely to be vaccinated than non-sports fans (81% vs. 72%).
“Professional athletes should be required to get a COVID-19 vaccination to compete”
Has the Delta variant affected how sports fans are feeling about the safety of sporting events?
YES or No
The Delta variant’s impact on sports fans’ confidence in sporting events should not be underestimated. In May 2021, Kantar Sports MONITOR found that more than half of all sports fans (54%) and nearly two-thirds of avid fans (65%) reported that they were feeling either extremely or very confident in the safety of sporting events in their area; six months later, confidence is down 15 percentage points among all sports fans and it’s even fallen below 50% among avid fans (48%). This shifting safety sentiment is likely one major reason why Major League Baseball drew just 45.3 million fans in 2021 vs. 68.5 million in 2019, a 34% drop.
Extremely/very confident that attending a sporting event in my area is safe today (all sports fans, 18+)
Are sports fans feeling better about COVID-19 than they were last year?
YES or No
The positive news for the sports industry is that, despite the impact of the Delta variant on safety sentiment, sports fans see the light at the end of the tunnel: Nearly three-fourths (72%) believe that the worst of the coronavirus has passed; they are far more optimistic than at this time last year.
I believe the worst of the coronavirus in my community has passed
(among sports fans)
I believe the worst of the coronavirus in my community is yet to come
(among sports fans)
THE TAKEAWAY
As they have been from the start of the pandemic, most sports fans remain cautious about contracting the virus and support measures that maintain safety at public events as well as mandates for professional athletes. Pent-up demand among avid fans has driven ticket sales thus far but filling stadiums in the future will require drawing more casual fans—who tend to be less committed to sports and more concerned about safety. Attracting these fans to the stadium or arena will require not only continued improvements in the presence and severity of COVID-19, but also a controlled, comfortable and safe experience.
All data shown are among 1,000+ self-identified sports fans in an online survey fielded between October 25 and November 11, 2021.