The ESPN Sports Poll, a service of TNS Sport, asked respondents age 12+ during the month of November about their interest in particular sports. November was a strong month for the NFL, with overall interest and avid interest increasing for the fifth straight month. The fan base reached a 12-month high in November, approaching the all-time high level of 77.7% set in October '94. College football also saw interest jump in the later months of '07, with more than two-thirds of respondents saying they were interested in November. The NBA, which started its season at the end of October, saw its fan base increase during the months leading up, and reached a 12-month high in November (52.9%). Respondents who were "very," "somewhat" or "a little bit interested" in a specific sport make up overall fan interest, while avid fans are those describing themselves as "very interested." The interview base for the month was 2,300-2,700 respondents ( ESPN Sports Poll ).
|
--- OVERALL FAN INTEREST ---
|
----- AVID FAN INTEREST -----
|
|||||
|
LEAGUE
|
NOV. '07
|
12-MONTH AVG.
|
ALL-TIME HIGH
|
NOV. '07
|
12-MONTH AVG.
|
ALL-TIME HIGH
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NFL
|
75.1% (a)
|
70.9%
|
77.7%
|
35.4% (b)
|
35.0%
|
40.1%
|
|
College Football
|
68.2%
|
63.1%
|
69.3%
|
27.4%
|
25.7%
|
28.7%
|
| MLB |
63.5%
|
61.7%
|
67.0%
|
21.3%
|
22.2%
|
25.8%
|
| College Basketball |
53.7%
|
51.3%
|
59.3%
|
16.5%
|
17.8%
|
23.8%
|
| NBA |
52.9%
|
51.0%
|
64.7%
|
15.5%
|
15.8%
|
24.5%
|
| Figure Skating |
50.0%
|
49.6%
|
64.4%
|
12.2%
|
12.7%
|
20.1%
|
| NASCAR |
43.4%
|
40.8%
|
53.4%
|
16.2%
|
15.2%
|
18.5%
|
| Boxing |
39.4%
|
39.4%
|
45.1%
|
10.7%
|
11.9%
|
15.1%
|
| WNBA |
36.9%
|
34.9%
|
48.0%
|
7.1%
|
6.5%
|
10.2%
|
| PGA |
35.4%
|
33.4%
|
39.9%
|
9.8%
|
9.9%
|
11.8%
|
| WTA |
32.1%
|
33.0%
|
41.5%
|
5.9%
|
6.5%
|
8.9%
|
| NHL |
34.2%
|
33.0%
|
47.1%
|
6.6%
|
7.0%
|
11.6%
|
| AFL |
32.1%
|
32.7%
|
35.2%
|
5.5%
|
5.9%
|
7.5%
|
| ATP |
30.8%
|
30.5%
|
34.5%
|
5.4%
|
5.6%
|
7.0%
|
| Int'l Soccer |
29.9%
|
30.1%
|
40.0%
|
7.2%
|
7.3%
|
11.4%
|
| F1 |
31.7%
|
29.9%
|
36.1%
|
6.4%
|
6.2%
|
8.2%
|
| MLS |
30.5%
|
29.3%
|
35.0%
|
5.7%
|
6.5%
|
8.6%
|
| NHRA |
31.6%
|
29.2%
|
34.0%
|
8.3%
|
7.9%
|
9.8%
|
| IRL |
30.5%
|
29.0%
|
35.2%
|
4.8%
|
5.4%
|
7.0%
|
| Champions' Tour |
26.8%
|
27.3%
|
32.4%
|
5.4%
|
5.1%
|
7.6%
|
| Pro Wrestling |
27.0%
|
25.6%
|
31.1%
|
7.7%
|
7.9%
|
13.7%
|
| Champ Car |
26.8%
|
24.9%
|
33.7%
|
4.7%
|
4.6%
|
7.5%
|
| LPGA |
24.0%
|
23.6%
|
27.8%
|
3.9%
|
3.4%
|
4.2%
|
| AVP |
23.2%
|
22.7%
|
25.0%
|
3.8%
|
3.8%
|
7.5%
|
NOTES
|
--- OVERALL FAN INTEREST ---
|
----- AVID FAN INTEREST -----
|
|||||
|
LEAGUE
|
NOV. '07
|
12-MONTH AVG.
|
ALL-TIME HIGH
|
NOV. '07
|
12-MONTH AVG.
|
ALL-TIME HIGH
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NFL
|
75.1% (a)
|
70.9%
|
77.7%
|
35.4% (b)
|
35.0%
|
40.1%
|
|
College Football
|
68.2%
|
63.1%
|
69.3%
|
27.4%
|
25.7%
|
28.7%
|
| MLB |
63.5%
|
61.7%
|
67.0%
|
21.3%
|
22.2%
|
25.8%
|
| College Basketball |
53.7%
|
51.3%
|
59.3%
|
16.5%
|
17.8%
|
23.8%
|
| NBA |
52.9%
|
51.0%
|
64.7%
|
15.5%
|
15.8%
|
24.5%
|
| Figure Skating |
50.0%
|
49.6%
|
64.4%
|
12.2%
|
12.7%
|
20.1%
|
| NASCAR |
43.4%
|
40.8%
|
53.4%
|
16.2%
|
15.2%
|
18.5%
|
| Boxing |
39.4%
|
39.4%
|
45.1%
|
10.7%
|
11.9%
|
15.1%
|
| WNBA |
36.9%
|
34.9%
|
48.0%
|
7.1%
|
6.5%
|
10.2%
|
| PGA |
35.4%
|
33.4%
|
39.9%
|
9.8%
|
9.9%
|
11.8%
|
| WTA |
32.1%
|
33.0%
|
41.5%
|
5.9%
|
6.5%
|
8.9%
|
| NHL |
34.2%
|
33.0%
|
47.1%
|
6.6%
|
7.0%
|
11.6%
|
| AFL |
32.1%
|
32.7%
|
35.2%
|
5.5%
|
5.9%
|
7.5%
|
| ATP |
30.8%
|
30.5%
|
34.5%
|
5.4%
|
5.6%
|
7.0%
|
| Int'l Soccer |
29.9%
|
30.1%
|
40.0%
|
7.2%
|
7.3%
|
11.4%
|
| F1 |
31.7%
|
29.9%
|
36.1%
|
6.4%
|
6.2%
|
8.2%
|
| MLS |
30.5%
|
29.3%
|
35.0%
|
5.7%
|
6.5%
|
8.6%
|
| NHRA |
31.6%
|
29.2%
|
34.0%
|
8.3%
|
7.9%
|
9.8%
|
| IRL |
30.5%
|
29.0%
|
35.2%
|
4.8%
|
5.4%
|
7.0%
|
| Champions' Tour |
26.8%
|
27.3%
|
32.4%
|
5.4%
|
5.1%
|
7.6%
|
| Pro Wrestling |
27.0%
|
25.6%
|
31.1%
|
7.7%
|
7.9%
|
13.7%
|
| Champ Car |
26.8%
|
24.9%
|
33.7%
|
4.7%
|
4.6%
|
7.5%
|
| LPGA |
24.0%
|
23.6%
|
27.8%
|
3.9%
|
3.4%
|
4.2%
|
| AVP |
23.2%
|
22.7%
|
25.0%
|
3.8%
|
3.8%
|
7.5%
|
