• by Jim Caruso , 8 hours ago

When most people think of fantasy sports fans, they picture someone glued to their phone on Sunday, tracking touchdowns and yardage. But the truth? These fans are more than scorekeepers. They’re cultural drivers, shopping powerhouses, and digital natives shaping how brands connect with audiences.

Data shows that they’re multidimensional consumers, combining varied lifestyle interests, heavy social media engagement, and strong purchasing behaviors. This makes them a powerful audience every brand, league, and marketer must understand to fuel the next wave of sports and entertainment growth.

Who Are Fantasy Sports Fans, Really?

Fantasy players are not just football diehards. They represent a multidimensional audience that blends sports passion with lifestyle choices. Compared to general football fans, fantasy sports fans show broader consumer engagement, stronger digital presence, and more expressive behaviors.

And this audience is evolving. Fast Company reported earlier this year that women now comprise approximately 35% of fantasy football players. But according to our data, women actually account for nearly 47% of the fantasy audience -- roughly 7.27 million women compared to 8.15 million men. That’s a near-even split, proving the community is far more balanced and diverse than many assume.

Behaviors Beyond the Game

The data shows a fan base with varied interests:

• 12.8 million connect with diverse hobbies and lifestyle passions
• 11.8 million are engaged with the trucks category, a distinctly American badge of identity

Shopping Habits That Matter

Marketers, listen up: fantasy sports fans are active spenders.

• Over 12 million made recent purchases, showing strong retail engagement
• Health and wellness is a standout category, with nearly 11 million recent buyers
• Apparel shopping is another big marker, with 6.9 million fans purchasing clothing

For brands, this means one thing: fantasy sports fans don’t just consume sports. They consume products.

Digital DNA: Always Online

Fantasy sports fans aren’t passive scrollers. And Deloitte’s recent survey backs this up: More than 77% of fans say they multitask during live sports, from scrolling social feeds to checking fantasy stats. In short, fantasy players aren’t just watching the game. They’re amplifying it across every platform.

Streaming, Social Media and TV: A Second Screen Lifestyle

Fantasy sports fans don’t just watch. They multiscreen.

• Comedy engages 14.9 million fans
• News draws in 13.2 million
• Reality TV captures another 14.1 million

This tells us fantasy fans consume sports, humor, news, and drama in one seamless digital stream. They’re checking stats, debating calls on Twitter/X, and streaming reality TV all at once.

That’s not distraction. That’s a new form of entertainment engagement.

Why Brands Should Care

The implications are huge. Fantasy sports fans are:

• Highly engaged across platforms daily
• Emotionally invested, reacting strongly to content
• Spend-ready, with proven purchase activity across health, apparel, and lifestyle categories

For brands, that means a perfect audience to target with sports crossovers, influencer collaborations, and lifestyle-driven campaigns. These fans aren’t just spectators. They’re the starting lineup for modern marketing.

For brands and leagues, the playbook is clear: treat fantasy fans as more than viewers. Recognize them as the cultural drivers they are and build experiences that meet them on every screen, in every conversation, and in every purchase decision.