Audio Is the #1 Play for Multicultural Sports Fans

The world of sports is buzzing. With the FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics 2026 on the horizon, sports fans are more engaged than ever. Sports are an obsession for 186M Americans, but the way consumers engage with their favorite teams and players is evolving. The conversations, analyses, and passion extend far beyond the final whistle. 

For advertisers, sports present a massive opportunity. But to truly score, brands need to look beyond the typical playbook and invest in a crucial demographic: multicultural sports fans. These fans aren't just watching; they're listening, and sports audio is where they spend their time.

Diverse audiences tune into sports audio—from streaming audio, to SiriusXM, to podcasts—more than other groups. If your brand wants to reach powerful and growing audiences, it's time to turn up the volume on your audio advertising strategy.

Listening to Sports Audio More than Other Groups

While general sports fans spend over six hours a week with sports audio, multicultural audiences are in a league of their own. Compared to other Americans or overall sports fans, they listen longer and follow a wider range of sports with unmatched passion. 

Let's look at the stats:

• 7:56 hours per week, that’s how much time Black sports fans spend listening to sports audio, which is over two hours more time than Americans 13+

• 55% of Latino sports fans have listened to audio content in the past week, compared to just 45% of overall sports fans

• 44% of Black and Latino sports fans tune into podcasts

Diverse audiences aren’t just spending more time with sports audio, they’re also leaning into sport differently. When surveyed on the sports they’re a “big fan of” and what they “follow closely,” here are the results. Black sports fans, for instance, lead the pack in following the NFL and NBA. Meanwhile, Latino sports fans are the top audience for MLB, soccer, boxing, and the UFC/MMA. And AAPI audiences outrank white audiences when it comes to interest in boxing, soccer, and the NBA.  

These are dedicated fans who lean on sports audio to stay connected to their teams during the off-season, get insider perspectives from athletes, and dive deep into the statistics and storylines that matter most to them.

Quick to Take Consumer Action

Here's where it gets exciting for brands: Multicultural listeners do more than just listen—they act. After listening to an ad on streaming audio, 79% of Black listeners ages 13-34, and 78% of Latino listeners of the same age group took an action. Meanwhile, 55% of Latino listeners and 52% of Black listeners purchased a product or service after hearing a podcast ad.

Multicultural fans have established trusted relationships with their preferred audio content. They're engaged, loyal, and ready to support brands that show up in the spaces where they're already spending their time. 

Diverse Audio Attracts Diverse Fans

So, what is it about audio that resonates so strongly with multicultural audiences? Well, it’s the celebration of culture and diversity embedded in the content itself. From the sports anthems that define global tournaments to the diverse podcast hosts who reflect their audience, audio provides a space for representation and connection.

Music, especially, is a powerful unifier. Shakira and Freshlyground’s “Waka Waka” holds the record for the most-streamed FIFA World Cup song of all time with over 1B streams. During tournaments of recent years, the official anthems see increased traffic—and Pandora keeps track of the action:  

• +425% surge in spins for the 2022 FIFA World Cup anthem “Tukoh Taka”

• +68% rise in listening for the 2023 Gold Cup anthem “No Es Sólo Un Juego”

• +141% increase in plays for the inaugural 2024 W Gold Cup anthem “Vamos”

It’s not just official anthems that get listeners in the mood to watch their favorite teams. On Pandora, we offer music stations like New Hip Hop, Rock Hits, and Girl Power that serve as the perfect pre- and post-game hype music—while celebrating the artists and genres that diverse audiences love. And did we mention? We reach more Black and Latino fans than iHeartRadio on streaming audio. By creating content that reflects the world's rich cultural tapestry, we attract an audience that is equally diverse and engaged.

Dominating the Track, Field, and Court for Sports Audio

When it comes to delivering unparalleled sports audio content, we’re the undisputed champion. We offer a comprehensive ecosystem that caters to every type of sports fan but especially the dedicated multicultural listener. When brands partner with us, they're getting access to engaged, diverse, and ad-addressable listeners.

SiriusXM

We don’t just offer sports content; we are the official home for it. SiriusXM is the official partner of six professional leagues, providing access to live, play-by-play broadcasts and more than 20 dedicated talk channels. With 11.7M weekly listeners across SiriusXM sports channels, we've built a sports audio empire that diverse fans trust and engage with regularly.

As AM/FM radio listening declines, SiriusXM consumption grows. Nine in 10  SiriusXM sports listeners agree that we offer more extensive sports content than AM/FM radio. And almost three out of four sports listeners consider SiriusXM the first place they turn to for live games and sports talk.

Podcasts

Our sports audio dominance extends to podcasts. The SiriusXM Sports Podcast Collection hosts over 300 sports podcasts and generates 17M average monthly downloads. From deep dives into team strategies to interviews with current and former players, our podcast collections ensure the sports conversation continues long after the season ends.

With diverse shows like Fútbol Manía and Brother from Another and multicultural podcast networks like reVolver and Pitaya on our roster, we offer multi-faceted perspectives that mirror their listeners

Sports Content for Every Interest, Every Fan

The 2026 FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics are approaching fast, and the time for kick-off is now. Multicultural sports audio fans are engaged, influential, and ready to take action. They're listening more, engaging more, and trusting the voices they hear on our platforms and networks. 

Sports audio offers year-round access to passionate fan bases that other media simply can't match. Ditch the expensive spots on other channels, and instead, build relationships with diverse sports fans routinely through audio.

Ready for your brand to get in the game? Let's talk.

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