This study, by sports and entertainment marketers Octagon, was conducted over the past year with more than 10,000 fans of 25 sports in the US, UK and China.
It assessed everything from what drives fans' passion for the NFL in the US, to what motivates fans to follow table tennis in China and what drives the relationship between soccer and its fans in the UK.
"In essence, Octagon has applied the same research process to sport as brand marketers have with product categories over the years to redefine sponsorship activation. Our start-point will now be the emotional connector that fans have with the sport of their choice," said Matt Hales, planning director, Octagon Marketing.
"After reviewing this research, we believe all sports marketers will be able to consider their consumers, i.e. the fans, in a completely new light and develop programmes that are much more relevant, compelling and engaging than in the past."
Data from the study claims to reveal a number of insights to add to the data that already exists.
The 'Passion Drivers' identified represent the variety of motivators that define the relationship between sport and fan, and include:
Escapism - defines how the love of the sport is about the way it provides the time to get away from one's responsibilities
Hero Worship - defines how the love of the sport is about the relationship that the fans build with the players because of what they can do on the field of play
TV Experience - defines how the love of the sport is about the TV experience itself
Nostalgia - defines how the love of the sport is about childhood memories, the players of the past and the history of the game.
The study claims broad programmes can now be replaced by more tailored initiatives that speak directly to a fan through the emotional connection they happen to have with their sport.
