GSIQ is publishing an international study on the next generation of sports fans. We’ve polled 15-25-year-olds in 11 markets, asking about their experience playing, watching and being a fan of sport.

Our MENA sample (a combination of young people in Saudi Arabia and UAE) reveals something very interesting. Nowhere do fans consider themselves more passionate than here. More than one in ten (13%) think of themselves as ‘Superfans’, while 15% say that they are ‘Passionate fans’.

That level of fan intensity is only found in one other market we polled – the UK – and even then, MENA outstrips the competition when it comes to the next tier – ‘Committed fans’ (32% vs. 29% for all markets).

So what has driven this fandom? In many respects we see the origins of fandom mirroring other markets. Family influence is the biggest factor (18%), with friends second (14%). Where MENA really stands out is when it comes to the influence of live and major events (8% and 11%) – high compared to other markets.

Perhaps that’s where MENA fans find the community belonging that also makes them exceptional. A third (32%) say that this motivates them to continue to be a fan – much higher than the all-market average (21%). MENA fans also over-index strongly on the sense of identity and pride that sport gives them (37% vs. 23% all markets).

One more nugget about this unique market. MENA fans are the most likely of all we polled to follow sports the old-fashioned way – on TV (40% do so) – but also on Twitch, X and Snapchat.

The next generation of fans in MENA are complex as this handful of insights shows. For much more, download the white paper – for free. It covers:

• The sports which young people have ever played, played now and are fans of
• The sports which are best at converting young people from playing to being a fan
• The reasons people quit playing a sport
• The fan intensity of young people across our markets
• The factors that make young people fans and the reasons they stay fans
• The types of sport content they prefer, the platforms they use to consume them and how often they do so
• The sponsorship categories they consider authentic in sport
• Their appetite for more sport – and the factors that will encourage them