New Study Details Impact of Latinos on US Sports Economy: EXCLUSIVE

With international star Bad Bunny slated to headline the current NFL season’s Super Bowl halftime show and the World Cup coming to American soil, the passion of Latino sports fans in the U.S. is set to be on full display in 2026.

A new report released on Oct. 13 by consulting company McKinsey in collaboration with Spanish-language network Telemundo during Hispanic Heritage Month has found that there is plenty of economic muscle behind that passion. (Telemundo is owned by TODAY.com’s parent company, NBCUniversal.)

Latinos currently represent 19% of the current $160 billion sports ecosystem in the U.S., which is roughly in line with the percentage of Latinos in the U.S. population. However, they are projected to contribute one-third of the growth in the U.S. sports economy by 2035, according to the 22-page report, which is titled “Unlocking the Growing Power of Latino Fans: A Winning Strategy in Sports.”

Part of it is the growth of the Latino population in the U.S. overall, as the U.S. Census Bureau projects Latinos will account for 77% of the total U.S. population growth by 2035. The population also skews young, as Latinos account for 26% of the U.S. population under 25 years old, and approximately 56% of the Latinos in the U.S. are under 34, according to U.S. Census data cited in the report.

“The Latino fan base is no longer a niche; it is the blueprint for the next generation of American sports fandom,” the report states. “Young, digitally fluent, and deeply connected to community, Latino fans embody where sports consumption is heading. For leagues, teams, media, and sponsors, this is not a side opportunity but a central growth engine.”

The report also breaks down the Latino community’s participation in youth sports relative to non-Latinos, its varying interest across different sports, its spending on sports-related content like streaming and game tickets, and its hunger for more Spanish-language broadcasts of games.

“This is an opportunity to invest in a segment that’s driving a lot of the growth in this ecosystem,” McKinsey senior partner Lucy Pérez, one of the authors of the study, tells TODAY.com. ‘We’re looking at a market that’s going to almost double in the next decade, so that’s a lot of opportunity there, and Latinos are driving a third of that growth is what we’re expecting.”

What Research Did the Report Use?

An online questionnaire called the McKinsey Sports Fan Survey was filled out between June 4 and June 24 by 2,555 self-identified sports fans in the U.S., 59.7% of whom were male and the other 40.3% female.

Out of the fans surveyed, 67.3% identified as having Latino heritage, including Mexican, Central American, Puerto Rican, South American, Cuban, Dominican, Brazilian and other groups.

Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 94, with 29% being between 25 and 44. Out of the respondents, 47% have children who play youth sports.

McKinsey also interviewed more than 40 executives across major professional sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and NWSL.

Other sources included U.S. Census data; Sports and Fitness Industry Association data on youth sports participation; Nielsen research on viewing hours of sporting events; a survey of dozens of people who currently serve or formerly served as executives or board members across major corporations and nonprofits in the U.S. and who self-identify as Latino; and MRI-Simmons, Ipsos, and Global Web Index (GWI) research on fandom populations and preferences by sport and league.

For the purposes of the report, “Latino” is defined as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American and other Spanish culture or origin.

The authors also defined the sports ecosystem as the combination of media rights, sponsorships, gate revenue, merchandise, youth sports, media and video, sports gambling, venues, video games and ticketing.

What Are Some of the Report’s Top Findings?

When it comes to spending more on sports, in-game attendance at professional sporting events, increased participation in youth sports and consumption of games on streaming services, the Latino community is outpacing the non-Latino category.

Overall, Latino fans spend 15% more than non-Latinos across categories that include live sporting events, streaming TV packages, print and digital media subscriptions, licensed merchandise and sports betting, according to the McKinsey survey.

The Latino respondents in the McKinsey online survey also indicated they are 27% more likely to attend at least one live sporting event annually than non-Latinos. A big reason is because sports are more of a family and community event.

“There’s that strong sense of community that you’re going to the game not just because it’s fun, but it’s this opportunity for community, for connection, for family, and so it becomes in a way a bigger deal,” Pérez says.

As far as youth sports are concerned, participation by Latino kids grew at a compound annual growth rate of 3.9% from 2019-2024, which was nearly double that of non-Latino youth, according to data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association cited in the report. Overall, 53.7% of Latino youth participated in sports by 2024, compared to 56.5% for non-Latino youth, but it was a 6.3% gap back in 2019.

The report recommends professional teams conduct more outreach into local youth sports and find ways to help reduce the rising costs of participation for Latino kids in their area in order to grow their business.

“One of the easiest ways to develop a lifelong, avid sports fan is to start early,” Pérez says. “When you think of the role that youth sports plays, it’s absolutely critical.”

When it comes to watching sports, Nielsen data found that the Latino market is more likely to watch on streaming services compared to linear broadcasts and consume sports content on social media.

“What we have been seeing in the research is it’s a very digital-first kind of consumer,” Pérez says. “This is one that is engaging a lot more, particularly on streaming services.”

The survey found Latinos subscribe to the ESPN+ streaming service at a rate 18% higher than non-Latinos, and Amazon’s Prime Video at a rate 11% higher. The Latino community also is 54% more likely to consume sports content on WhatsApp, 37% more likely on TikTok and 33% more likely on Instagram, according to Nielsen data cited in the report.

Unsurprisingly, soccer is one of the sports that drives the most attention from the Latino community. The NFL has the biggest Latino fan base out of the major U.S. professional sports leagues, according to data from GWI and the U.S. Census Bureau cited in the report.

The Latino Community Is Not a Monolith

A top takeaway for sports leagues looking to appeal to the Latino market of about 68 million people in the U.S. is to realize it is not a uniform group. The segment is made up of people with origins in 20-plus countries with their own traditions and passions.

For instance, the survey found that Cuban Americans spend more on live events than Mexican Americans, but Mexican Americans spend more on merchandise and fantasy leagues and betting. Meanwhile, those of Brazilian descent spend more on sports streaming TV services than the Puerto Rican community.

“Media outlets, teams, and leagues that invest in culturally informed, bilingual content and more inclusive representation stand to unlock greater loyalty and long-term growth,” the report states.

How Teams Can Tap Into the Growing Latino Sports Fan Market

The report also recommends ways teams can appeal to the growing Latino market to expand their business beyond the aforementioned increased focus on local youth sports.

The first is to have a consistent presence in the local Latino communities that shows a sustained commitment to the fans rather than something like a one-night Hispanic Heritage promotion or a social media post that can inadvertently result in backlash.

For instance, the NFL was roasted by the Latino community on social media in 2022 for its design for Hispanic Heritage Month. On the flip side, the NFL also has shown commitment to Latino fans with its Por La Cultura and Latino Youth Honors programs as well as bringing games to Brazil and Mexico City.

“Building that awareness and the community around it has to be about more than a single event,” Pérez says. “It is also about making sure the content that you’re developing that resonates is authentic.”

The report mentions the NFL’s decision to have Bad Bunny headline the upcoming Super Bowl.

“The NFL’s announcement that Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny will headline the next Super Bowl halftime show is generating tremendous excitement from sports and music fans alike. Beyond events, greater Latino representation on the field, as well as in front offices, can signal belonging and help organizations think like their audiences,” it states.

The authors also recommend teams engage more with Latino fans with increased Spanish posts on social media and Spanish broadcasts of sports events on streaming services.

“Spanish-language sports content remains undersupplied relative to demand, creating a notable growth opportunity,” the report states. “As Latinos continue to lead in streaming adoption, sports content delivered in Spanish across digital platforms represent a powerful lever for deepening engagement.”

Mónica Gil, chief administrative and marketing officer for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, echoes the overall opportunity for growth in a statement to TODAY.com, saying “Latinos are essential to the future of sports fandom in America — on the field, in the stands, and across every screen.”

“Telemundo gets the deep, long-standing connection our audience has with sports and the energy that rallies behind every game,” Gil adds. “We’ve built stories, coverage, and experiences that reflect the intersection of fans and culture today. With the World Cup on the horizon, this is a defining moment.”