Key Takeaways:
- Each segment of sports fans has unique behaviors, values, and media habits.
- Predictive consumer insights from Resonate reveal what motivates fans of major sports events like Monday Night and Thursday Night Football.
- Brands can boost ROI on sports marketing campaigns by leveraging rich, continuously updated consumer data to hyper-personalize targeting strategies.
Why Sports Marketing Is Surging, and What That Means for Advertisers
To make a game-day ad spend or sports marketing campaign successful, you need to make sure you’re targeting the right audiences. After all, not all fans are the same.
Sports are bigger and more popular than ever, and with the new attention focused on women’s sports thanks to players like Caitlin Clark and others, this industry is only expanding. In-game ad revenue from Super Bowl LIX was estimated to be around $800 million, and a 30-second spot in 2025’s game was a record-setting $8 million. Sports are one of the few major industries that has something big going on somewhere almost all year and a variety of audiences to target at any given time. Case in point: Football season has started for NFL and college football fans, and at the same time, hockey fans are glued to their streaming devices, thrilled that their sport is back on.
The takeaway: From pickleball to pro football, there’s something for just about everyone in the world of sports, and sports marketing is only expected to get bigger. Not only are women’s sports starting to be taken more seriously by networks like ESPN, but recent articles have noted that CMOs are working to turn teams into lifestyle brands. Sports are, in a word, huge.
Below, we’ll go into some of the highly nuanced and detailed insights rAI, the Resonate AI-powered data engine, can provide about football fans alone.
Predictive Consumer Insights Reveal the Truth Behind Football Fandom
Monday Night Football Fans: Obsessed with Fantasy Football & Brand Names
The 62.4M fans of Monday Night Football have a couple of sports-related hobbies as well: According to rAI, when they’re not watching football, they’re playing fantasy football or trying to parlay a small amount into big winnings with a few well-placed bets. Here are a few other things you need to know:
- These consumers love to buy brand-name items; for a significant 46%, brand is the primary influence on their purchases.
- They’re also online a lot: 52% spend 20 or more hours a week on the internet. And while their top paid streaming subscription is, rather unsurprisingly, ESPN+, they also subscribe to Showtime and Apple TV+.
- If you’re targeting these fans outside of their usual sports networks, an ad on Showtime or a fantasy football site will be highly likely to get their attention.
Marketing Tip:
This group is highly engaged and digitally active. Consider targeting them through fantasy football platforms, Showtime ad placements, or personalized offers tied to sports betting partnerships.
Female Football Fans: Also Love Spas and Resorts
Another quick tip: If you’re looking to specifically target the 20.8M female Monday Night Football fans, it’ll help you to know that prayer is a part of their daily routine, they value maintaining traditions, and their top hobbies include going to spas and resorts and watching women’s sports.
Thursday Night Football Fans: Favor Sherwin Williams & Texas Roadhouse
Here’s what you need to know about the 61.8M Thursday Night Football watchers:
- They overwhelmingly love to shop at Sherwin Williams.
- When it comes to eating out, their top choice is Texas Roadhouse.
- When these consumers travel—whether it’s to a game or for another reason—Delta and American Airlines are their top airlines and Hilton Hotels & Resorts and the Comfort Inn are their preferred choices for lodging.
Marketing Tip:
Want to reach this audience? Activate contextual partnerships and promotions with brands this group already loves. Co-branding with Texas Roadhouse, hotel chains, or airlines could deliver measurable performance lift.
NFL Fans: Use LinkedIn, Value Dependability, & Watch Peacock Premium
According to rAI, the 81.2M consumers who consider themselves fans of the NFL are pretty sports-oriented. For instance, their top TV networks are:
- Fox Sports 1
- ESPNews
- CBS Sports Network
- ESPN 2
- NFL Network
But there are a number of other insights rAI provides that just may surprise you:
- LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter) are the most-used social media sites among NFL fans,
- They enjoy reading their local paper, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal.
Marketing Tip:
NFL Fans’ top psychological drivers are an optimistic outlook, trust from others, and respect. Campaigns that incorporate elements with these psychological drivers in mind and that are placed in, say, USA Today or on LinkedIn will do well in getting the attention of this audience.
Why Consumer Data Is Essential for Game-Day Marketing
Without rich, dynamic consumer data, you’re just guessing. With Resonate’s predictive consumer insights, you gain access to:
Continuously updated audience behavior across 30B+ daily online actions
Psychographic, intent, and brand affinity insights
Activation-ready audience segments for precise campaign deployment
Frequently Asked Questions
What are predictive consumer insights?
Predictive consumer insights combine real-time behavioral data and AI modeling to anticipate what individuals will do next—helping marketers target with more precision and relevance.
How is consumer data used in sports marketing?
It’s used to tailor campaigns based on fan behavior, interests, preferred media platforms, and psychological drivers—boosting engagement and conversion rates.
How do Monday Night and Thursday Night Football audiences differ?
Monday fans skew toward fantasy sports and brand loyalty, while Thursday fans lean into value shopping and specific brand preferences like Texas Roadhouse and Sherwin Williams.
Can Resonate data help me target female sports fans?
Yes. Resonate’s insights include gender-specific psychographics, lifestyle values, and media behaviors to drive inclusive and high-performing outreach.
This article is brought to you by Resonate
Resonate is the leader in predictive consumer intelligence.
Brands leverage Resonate’s AI-powered consumer intelligence and unparalleled data services to:
- Fuel audience-first campaign strategy
- Optimize spend and increase ROAS
- Drive long-term customer value through precision targeting
Ready to optimize your next football fan campaign? Schedule a consultation with a Resonate Data Expert today!
