Sports fandom no longer needs to be attached to where you’re from - Thelinknewspaper

Sports fandom has quickly turned into a year-round lifestyle.  The World Cup was just one example of this: It ignited excitement in the U. S. for soccer that has spilled into Major League Soccer (MLS). The MLS, which paused its season for The World Cup, has historically run from February through December while top international teams follow a summer to spring calendar. But that is changing in 2027, when the MLS will align its schedule more closely with global leagues. This move will be “building on the attention that is already there,” MLS Vice President of Brand Marketing, Marcela Garcia, recently told The Current.  A new report by The Trade Desk Intelligence and PA Consulting released this week puts concrete numbers behind the breadth of sports fandom, finding that fans follow four sports on average throughout the year.  The report was in part based on a survey of 3,500 sports fans across the U. S., U. K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Saudi Arabia. Eighty percent of those surveyed say that they stay engaged with a sport across all five stages of its “life cycle”: buildup before the game, during the game, postgame analysis, between game updates and offseason buzz.

MONTREAL, CANADA - JULY 10: A general view of the court during the first half between the Toronto Tempo and the Dallas Wings in the WNBA game at the Bell Centre on July 10, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) Getty Images Fandom for women’s sports surges across Canada, and it has created “new marketing opportunities, tied into brand activism,” according to Lesa Hannah of the GLOBE & MAIL. Canadian Women and Sport CEO Allison Sandmeyer-Graves said that for spectators, there is an “underlying sense of purpose.” She said, “They see [women’s sport] as connected to women’s empowerment.