Nielsen reveals exclusive new data and insights in annual “Tops of Sports” report

● Multi-platform success: Linear and streaming attract different but complimentary audiences.

Nielsen’s exclusive data trends from this year shows the biggest opportunity is in airing games across both linear and streaming. This was evidenced by FOX’s highly successful decision to carry the Super Bowl on its free streaming service Tubi this past February. Tubi attracted a younger, complimentary audience relative to the FOX broadcast, creating a whole new set of opportunities for brands. Nielsen similarly observed these complimentary viewer acquisition patterns in audience distribution for NBC’s Sunday Night Football on the broadcast network and on streaming on Peacock. These two examples underscore the effectiveness of how multi-platform strategies are maximizing the impact and reach.

● Soccer builds momentum into 2026:

Soccer by far is the most popular sport globally, with 51% of people on average saying they’re fans while comparatively just 27% of Americans identify as fans. However, viewing of international soccer tournaments in the U.S. has been on the rise. Last year, the average audience for Copa América more than doubled compared to 2021, and this year, both the UEFA Women’s Euro and the CONCACAF Gold Cup saw significant increases. 

● The MLB Postseason is boosting diverse baseball viewership

An unforgettable postseason notched 58.2 billion viewing minutes, up 24% from the prior year. Dodgers iconic star and 2024 National League MVP Shohei Ohtani helped attract broader audiences for MLB. From a cultural perspective, excitement around Ohtani’s star status has helped to boost Asian viewership by 23% across the MLB Postseason. Ohtani and the Dodgers’ influence was also evident during the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series where Asian American viewership increased 113% compared to the 2024 Seoul Series. Black, Hispanic and total audiences also grew their viewing for this international event, year-over-year, increasing 111%, more than 200% and 107%, respectively.

● Women’s sports continue to grow fanbases

In the U.S., leagues like the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), WNBA and NCAA Women’s Softball all saw viewership increase year-over-year. For example, The NWSL, in particular, saw a 5% increase in viewership. And their fanbase is also growing. The league has 39.3 million fans this year, up from 30.8 million in 2023. Further insights reveal that currently 64% of NWSL’s fans are men, but overall for female sports, women are increasingly trending toward making up a growing share of these fanbases.

● NBA delivers on brand sponsorship media value

The top 10 most valuable sports team sponsorship assets delivered almost $515 million in media value for brands in 2025. Many of these opportunities in terms of sports sponsorship value came from the NBA. The data shows that NBA court signage are some of the most valuable team partnerships within sports. Importantly, the NBA postseason has the highest concentration of Black (31.7% of NBA total) and Asian (6.9% of NBA total) viewers among the major sports. These are critical growth audiences for brands. 

● Golf is in the green with growing audiences

The PGA Tour saw its viewership increase 10% this year compared to 2024. Even excluding broadcast, live coverage on the Golf Channel was up 8% among total viewers. Two of the four “Majors” saw year-over-year increases, and all three of the events that make up the FedEx Cup Playoffs also got a bump. With the growing attention on golf, brands have the opportunity to connect with fans who are eager to support those sponsoring the game. 

● Streaming sports documentaries create a new avenue for engagement

Total viewing for streaming sports documentaries reached 16,937 million minutes in 2024, up from 4,709 million in 2021. And viewing in 2025 is on pace to finish with a similar total.