Horizon Sports & Experiences Unveils '& NOW: The United States of Soccer'

The Second Research Study in HS&E’s ‘& NOW’ Series Explores The Growth of Soccer in the United States and Opportunity for Brands to Leverage The Sport’s Biggest Moment

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Horizon Sports & Experiences today unveiled & NOW: The United States of Soccer, the second edition of the agency's thought leadership series that bridges and explores the present and future of sports, media, and entertainment.

The new study explores growth of soccer in the U.S. market, highlighting a unique and timely window of opportunity for brands to be part of what is set to be a wave of explosive momentum and excitement ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. While fan rituals and sport experiences are well-established across other legacy leagues, soccer in the U.S. remains in a formative stage—presenting an unparalleled opportunity for brands to authentically embed themselves into the evolving culture and help shape the future of the American soccer fan experience.

“Since 1996, soccer has steadily transformed from a niche passion to a cultural force in the U.S.—and we’re now entering a tipping point,” said Kerry Bradley, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Horizon Sports & Experiences. “With the momentum building toward next summer’s World Cup and the wave of fandom it will unleash, the game is poised for unprecedented growth. For brands, this isn’t just a moment to watch—it’s a movement to join. This study offers brands insight into how they can not only shape fandom but the future of the sport here in this market."

Some key highlights from the study include:

• Soccer’s Time in the U.S. is NOW: Soccer is no longer an emerging sport in America – it’s endemic with cultural relevance, commercial value, and generational value. The U.S. soccer ecosystem is deeper, more diverse, and more energized than ever. And the game is just getting started.
  • Momentum & Growth: Currently, there are 60 million soccer fans over the age of 18 in the U.S. – with 25% saying they just became fans within the last three years. And fandom is growing across every metric.
  • Women’s Soccer On The Rise: Women’s sports are on the rise both domestically and internationally, driven in large part by women’s soccer—which is set to reach 800 million fans and become the fifth largest sport in the world by 2030.
    • The NWSL is breaking through long-standing ceilings with record attendance, growing media visibility and investor confidence. In 2024, the league surpassed 2 million in regular-season attendance for the first time, with average match attendance climbing to over 11,000 fans per game.
    • Fan enthusiasm led to a game-changing new deal; the NWSL signed a $240 million, 4-year media rights deal marking a 40x increase over its previous agreement.
  • A Surge in Youth Soccer Engagement: Soccer is one of the fastest-growing sports among young players.
    • In 2023, over 14 million people (ages 6 and up) played outdoor soccer – an 8% jump from the previous year and 23% growth since 2018.
    • Soccer ranks among the top three sports played by children ages 6-17, trailing only basketball and baseball, pointing to a vibrant pipeline of future talent and fans.
• The World Cup Opportunity: The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico is a once-in-a-generation event.
  • During the 2026 tournament, the U.S. is expected to welcome 6 million visitors.
  • The 2026 tournament is projected to generate $40.9 billion in economic output across the three host nations – with the U.S. accounting for a staggering $30.5 billion.
• The Power of The U.S. Soccer Fan: Soccer fans in the U.S. represent a strong base of nearly 60 million consumers with distinct spending power and influence.
  • Prime Earning Power: More than half (56%) of soccer fans are aged 35–64 — right in their peak earning years and actively making high-impact personal and professional purchases.
  • Educated & Influential: 42% of U.S. soccer fans hold a bachelor’s or graduate degree—signaling upward mobility, cultural influence, and serious purchasing power.
  • Family-Focused & Community Oriented: With nearly half (43%) raising children at home and almost one in five (19%) as grandparents, soccer fans offer brands access to deeply rooted, multi-generational households.
  • Multi-Platform Engagement: U.S. soccer fans immerse themselves in soccer culture, content, and communities across multiple platforms: 88% watch on TV or streaming, 55% follow on social media, 41% watch in social settings like bars, and 38% attend live matches – offering brands the opportunity to integrate campaigns that stretch across digital, physical, and experiential channels.
• The Future Outlook: There are more than 59 million consumers in the U.S. who may not consider themselves soccer fans, but plan to tune in 2026 – this audience is The World Cup Wave and they present a core opportunity for the growth of soccer fandom in the U.S. If just 1 in 5 World Cup Wave fans become more regular fans post-tournament, it would translate to 12 million new U.S.-based soccer fans.
• Get In The Game: In a sport and market where fandom is still being formed, now is the time for brands to help shape the future of soccer fan experience in the U.S. The World Cup isn’t just a media moment; it’s a brand-building platform. To drive lasting impact, marketers need to engage across the full tournament lifecycle to become part of the cultural fabric of the sport —beyond just an ad break.
• How To Reach Fans:
  • Linear + In-Game: 65% of fans said they would have a more favorable view of a brand that advertises during soccer matches.
  • Storytelling + Content:
    • Women are the Key to Winning: Female players outperform their male counterparts in U.S. familiarity rankings—a major opportunity in women’s sports marketing.
    • The Next Big Thing: 66% of fans say they’d view a brand more favorably for spotlighting rising players in video content.
  • Community + Cause Marketing: 79% of fans say they’d favor a brand that supports youth soccer or local causes through partnerships.

For more information about & NOW and to access the full report, visit https://www.horizonse.com/press.

Methodology

In April of 2025, HS&E set out to understand the current moment and opportunities presented by soccer. The following approaches were used:

• HS&E + Certeza Global proprietary survey, n=1,500 naturally representative sample of U.S. adults 18+
• Blu - demographic and behavioral analysis leveraging Horizon Media’s 260-million person data spine
• While the majority of the data for this report was provided by HS&E proprietary survey and Blu data infrastructure, reference has been made to other external data points that were cited within the study.

About HS&E

Horizon Sports & Experiences (HS&E) provides a unique and complementary combination of sports, experiential marketing, and media capabilities. HS&E has a core focus on IP creation and monetization, strategic advisory and consulting, media rights, sponsorship sales, experiential and activation. HS&E is led by co-CEOs David Levy and Chris Weil.