New research from Northwestern University’s Spiegel Research Center explores how social connection shapes sports fandom and what teams, leagues and marketers can learn from it.
October 1, 2026
Spiegel On Sports: How to Leverage Social Connection for Sports Fandom is a research report from Northwestern University’s Spiegel Research Center. The report brings together six studies by Spiegel Scholars Bradley Dow, Aksharaa Bhobe, Katie Chen, Jacob Hare, Pragnya Kumar, and Sofia Vallejo, examining sports fandom through game-day experiences, social media, community, former athletes, and student-athletes.
Drawing on interviews with 50 sports fans, the report shows how relationships with family, friends, and fan communities help fandom begin, grow, and last—and offers practical insights for teams, leagues, and marketers looking to build stronger, more inclusive fan communities.
See the panel discussion with Medill Dean Charles Whitaker exploring the report’s findings and what they mean for the future of sports fandom: Watch the panel discussion on YouTube.