Sports Fans in the Seattle Metropolitan Area
Within the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (Seattle) metro area, two-thirds (66.7%) 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. Among all seven metro areas, Seattle had the largest share of respondents who are sports fans. Additionally, within the Seattle metro area, one out of six (16.6%) of respondents connect with and/or follow athletes or coaches on social media.
The top five athletes or coaches’ respondents living in the Seattle metro area follow on social media include:
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Lionel Messi
- Steph Curry
- LeBron James
- Michael Jordan
College Sports
With regard to college sports, two-thirds (66.1%) of respondents in the Seattle metro area watched college sports on television or attended a college sports event in the last year. While more than half (57.9%) of women watched or attended a college sports event in the last year, this percentage is significantly higher among men (77.7%). The most frequently watched college team is the University of Washington (46.8%).
Professional Sports
Similar to other metro areas, there are higher shares of respondents in the Seattle metro area who watch professional sports (80.4%) compared to college sports. Overall, and among women and men, the top three most frequently watched professional teams include the Settle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, and Seattle Kraken. Compared to men, women were more likely to watch the Seattle Seahawks (33.4% vs. 29.9%) and Settle Mariners (17.3% vs. 15.1%) while men were more likely to watch the Seattle Kraken (7.1% vs. 5.9%) and Seattle Storm (3.0% vs. 1.5%).
When examining sports viewership and race, the Seattle Seahawks is the most watched sports team across all respondents. Respondents who identify as white and Asian were more likely to watch the Seattle Mariners compared to all other respondents. Respondents who identify as Black had higher shares of watching the Los Angeles Lakers and were less likely to watch the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Sounders, and international soccer. Additionally, respondents who identify as another race were more likely to watch the Seattle Sounders and Seattle Seahawks.
Lastly, as a proportion of their age group, respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 years old were more likely to watch the Seattle Kraken, Los Angeles Lakers, and international soccer compared to all other age groups. Although not listed in the top five, respondents between the ages of 35 and 54 years old were more likely to watch the OL Reign (NWSL) and the Everett AquaSox (MILB) compared to all other respondents. Additionally, respondents who were 55+ years old, watched the Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Sounders, and Seattle Storm at significantly higher rates compared to all other age groups.
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