A new survey from Hisense UK has shed light on the significant impact of gaming on sports fandom, revealing that over a third of gamers are now more engaged with sports due to their gaming experiences.
The “Pixels to Pitches” survey, conducted among 2,000 UK-based gamers, found that 37% of respondents have increased their interest in watching sports as a result of playing video games, with 12% stating a significant increase.
Findings demonstrated that gaming fosters a stronger connection to teams and players, with nearly half (45%) of gamers reporting feeling more connected to their favourite teams and players due to gaming experiences.
This trend is particularly evident among younger generations, with over half (55%) of 18-34-year-olds reporting an increased interest.
Millennials and Gen Zers also have much more of an interest in American sports, with 30% and 22% saying they watch basketball and American Football, respectively, because of gaming.
Compare that to those over 45, and there is a stark drop-off, with just 11% selecting they watch basketball and 14% choosing American Football.
Commenting on the survey results, a spokesperson from Hisense UK said: “These findings highlight the powerful role of gaming in shaping sports fandom.
“By providing immersive and engaging sporting experiences, video games are cultivating a new generation of sports enthusiasts.
“It is particularly interesting to see the generational divides in this data, with gaming clearly having a bigger impact on younger demographics in terms of increasing their interest in sports, their understanding of the rules, and affiliations with their favourite teams and players.
“American sports were shown to be significantly more popular with Millennials and Gen Zers, a trend which many would have suspected is true but is confirmed by our data.”
