Always On: The NFL audience

With the Super Bowl upcoming this weekend, we thought it would be a good time to dive into some brand metrics around the NFL. As my colleague Ellyn Briggs noted recently, support for the NFL had been slowly recovering since dropping to all-time lows in mid-2017 after then-President Donald Trump called for the firing of any players who kneeled during the national anthem at games.

While that trend is largely driven by a rebound among Republicans, the league has also made additional gains, especially among young women. Much of this growth coincided when Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce went public with their relationship.

Newly published and related to this topic: NFL Fans' Favorite Brands, a look at the brand preferences and defining audience traits of NFL fans.

💡Want to see your brand’s metrics in certain cities? Clients can build their own dashboards in the Intelligence platform. Reach out here if you’re interested in a free demo.

Fast Facts About NFL Fans

NFL fans feel good about their financial futures.
45% of this audience says they expect their personal finances will be better off in 12 months, which is 9 points higher than the general population.

They’re more active
67% of this audience says they exercise or play a sport at least once a week and 34% are exercising several times a week.

Gaming means more than physical activity.
60% are playing games on their phones once a day or more — 9 points more than the general population.

They’re drinking more than the general population, especially beer
Heineken is the beer of choice amongst NFL fans, according to Morning Consult Intelligence Brand tracking data. Explore more brand rankings and audience demographic data in our new NFL Fans’ Favorite Brands report.

Let's Go Deeper

Where does the NFL rank in popularity among the major sports leagues? According to a recently fielded survey from Morning Consult’s “2025 Sports Marketing Guide,” the NFL takes the top spot by two-digit margin, with the WNBA nipping at the heels of other more established ones

After consistently ranking well below all men’s professional sports leagues, the WNBA can now claim 1 in 4 (26%) U.S. adults as fans, putting it firmly ahead of both the MLS (23%) and the PGA (21%).

That said, men’s leagues still largely dominate American sports fandom. The MLB, NBA and NHL follow the NFL at the top of these rankings. Our 2025 Sports Marketing Guide has everything else brands need to know to activate around sports fans, including:

• A detailed look at how fans are consuming sports content (be it via highlights or analysis breakdowns)
• Where fans are watching sports content (be it on TV or social media)
• Americans favorite athletes

Extra Credit

Let’s keep the chains moving — here’s a few more reads for you:

Athletes Are a Winning Brand Investment (Morning Consult Pro): While athletes have always held unique cultural power, Morning Consult data suggests their relevance is climbing to new heights — especially as everyday Americans themselves get sportier. Now more than ever, brands are likely to find serious value in athlete partnerships, whether standing up new programs or bolstering existing ones.

Ten things we learned about sports sponsorship and marketing in 2024 (SportsPro): How budgets are changing, what industries are emerging as key partners and more.

Fastest Growing Brands Report 2024 (Morning Consult Pro): 2024 was women's basketball's breakout year: The WNBA is our No. 1 fastest growing brand.