Sports Fans in the Miami Metropolitan Area
Within the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach (Miami) metro area, 62.7% of respondents noted that they are sports fans. Sports fans are individuals who watch professional and/or college sports at least several times a month and/or follow athletes or coaches on social media. Within the Miami metro area 15.4% of respondents connect with and/or follow athletes or coaches on social media.
The top five athletes or coaches’ respondents living in the Miami metro area follow on social media include:
- LeBron James
- Lionel Messi
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Steph Curry
- Dwyane Wade
College Sports
With regard to college sports, nearly two-thirds (64.0%) of respondents in the Miami metro area watched college sports on television or attended a college sports event in the last year. While more than half (56.3%) of women watched or attended a college sports event in the last year, this percentage is significantly higher among men (79.0%). The most frequently watched college team is the University of Miami (36.1%).
Professional Sports
Similar to other metro areas, there are higher shares of respondents in the Miami metro area who watch professional sports (78.4%) compared to college sports. Among women, the three most frequently watched professional teams include the Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins, and international soccer. Nearly one-quarter (23.1%) of women watched the Miami Heat compared to 20.8% of men. Women were also 1.5 times more likely to watch international soccer compared to male respondents.
For men, the top three teams watched include the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, and Miami Marlins. Men were two times more likely to watch the Dolphins and Marlins compared to women.
When examining sports viewership and race, respondents who were white were more likely to watch the Miami Marlins compared to all other respondents. Black and Asian respondents were two times more likely to watch the Miami Heat compared to white respondents and respondents who identify as another race were more likely to watch international soccer compared to all other respondents.
Lastly, respondents who were between the ages of 18 and 34 years old were two times more likely to watch the Los Angeles Lakers and follow international soccer compared to all other respondents. Respondents between the ages of 35 and 54 years old were more likely to follow NBA teams, the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors to all other age groups. Additionally, respondents who were 55+ years old, were more likely to watch the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and MLB teams, particularly, the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees, at significantly higher rates compared to respondents who were between the ages of 18 to 54 years old.
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