Chiliz Drops US Edition of Global Fan Report Ahead of Stateside Fan Tokens™

Chiliz has released the US edition of its Global Fan Report, based on a survey of 15,000 fans of American sports.

The 62-page document, which may be the most comprehensive study of US sports fandom to date, revealed many fascinating things about the market: not least the fact that 13% of US-based respondents already own Fan Tokens™ or digital collectibles.

The report has dropped at a time of growing anticipation for the first US team Fan Tokens™, with recent regulatory clarity from the SEC and CFTC setting the stage for NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS tokens.

So, what did the report find, and is the US ready to embrace SportFi with open arms?

What We Learned From the Global Fan Token Report

Chiliz’ second Global Fan Report represents a treasure trove of data related to US sports fandom. Key findings include:

1 in 10 fans of US sport (13% based in the US and 9% internationally) already own Fan Tokens™ or digital collectibles.
53% of international fans expressed interest in digital collectibles and Fan Tokens™ as part of their fan experience.
30% of US-based fans are aware of Fan Tokens™ and digital collectibles but have yet to own one.
26% of US-based fans believe Fan Tokens™ associated with their favourite team would be the digital fan engagement product they are most likely to use in the next 12 months.
79% of all fans surveyed agree that technology and digital platforms play a pivotal role in enhancing fan experiences.

As to the factors which US fans say would make digital products compelling, 26% cited perks as well as official licensing by the team or league. Visual appearance was named the primary driver by 24%.

Given the size of the US sports market, these findings are incredibly encouraging for the SportFi ecosystem, which Chiliz pioneered with the launch of the first Fan Token™ over six years ago. To date, Chiliz has helped generate over $700M in new revenue for clubs, even through volatile crypto market cycles.

The 15,000 survey respondents hailed from the USA, UK, Japan, Australia, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Brazil, and Turkey, providing a panoramic view of how fans consume, perceive, and engage with the world’s biggest sports market.

As noted in the report, this market is one in which “digital behavior already sits at the heart of fandom, creating fertile ground for the next frontier of participation to emerge.”

A Growing Appetite for Fan Engagement

As well as probing participants about their receptiveness to Fan Tokens™, the survey quizzed them on which American sports they followed mostly closely. Among Americans, the NFL ranked as the most popular (54%), followed by MLB (19%) and NBA (14%), with results varying among respondents from the other nations.

Interestingly, despite retiring for the last time over 23 years ago, Michael Jordan was named by almost a fifth of global fans as the most iconic US athlete of all time. Two other basketball icons, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, occupied 2nd and 4th spots, underlining the global brand value of the NBA and its superstars.

If the US edition of the Global Fan Report shows anything, it’s the growing appetite of passionate supporters to engage more deeply with these stars and the sports/teams they represent. Interest in digital experiences is strong, knowledge of Fan Tokens™ is growing, and those who love US sport – both inside the States and around the globe – are ready to welcome US Fan Tokens™ at scale.

Read the full report here.

Ronnie McCluskey: Fan Tokens™ Market Reporter