Study: These Sports Fans Spend the Most on Their Team

We made a list and checked it twice, but did you know sports fans spend more money on their team than on Christmas gifts for their loved ones this year? That’s what the Fanflation study from Betting.net found after surveying 2,000 sports fans from across the country.

Key findings:

• U.S. sports fans spend an average of $720 a year on their favorite team.
• The biggest spenders are fans in South Carolina: they drop about $122 a month on their team, adding up to $1,464 a year.
• Soccer supporters shell out the most of all sports fans — MLS fans spend $972 a year on their favorite club.
• 25% of U.S. sports fans occasionally cut back on other expenses so they can afford to spend on their team, with dining out being the first thing they skip.
• Winning pays: 66% spend more when their team is on a hot streak.

Watching your favorite team win is priceless. But what does it actually cost to be a fan? From tickets to see your team in action, to streaming fees for sports channels, to game-day snacks and drinks, merch, or the occasional bet — it all adds up fast.

How much sports fans spend each year

On average, U.S. sports fans spend $60 a month on their favorite team, our study shows. That comes out to $720 a year. Call it naughty or nice, but that’s quite a bit more than the $628* we spend on Christmas gifts for our loved ones this year.

Sports fans in South Carolina shell out the most: their love for their team “costs” them $122 a month, or $1,464 a year. That makes South Carolina the state with the biggest sports spenders. Close behind is Colorado, where fans drop an average of $84 a month on their sports heroes ($1,008 a year), followed by Louisiana at $82 a month ($984 a year).

In Iowa and Oregon, fans spend the least, with a monthly average of $33 ($396 a year). The second-lowest spenders are in Wisconsin, where fans put about $35 a month toward their fandom, adding up to $420 a year. That’s just a bit less than fans in Indiana, who spend $40 a month, or $480 a year.

Breaking down spending by league

We also looked at which league has the biggest spenders. MLS fans top the list: soccer supporters in the U.S. spend an average of $81 a month on their team. Coming in next is the NBA at $69 a month, with NFL fans close behind at $64, MLB fans at $48, and NHL fans rounding things out at $45.

Fan spending spikes after a win

For many fans, it’s all about the win — but watch out… because winning usually means losing money. Two out of three fans (66%) say they spend more when their team is doing well, especially on drinks, food, and merch. In Arkansas, that number jumps to a whopping 86%, the highest in the country. West Virginia sits on the opposite end of the spectrum, with just 43%.

How fans budget for their passion

As much joy as being a sports fan brings, the money to fuel that passion has to come from somewhere. In fact, 25% of respondents say they sometimes cut back on other expenses so they can afford to support their team. The first thing they typically skip? Eating out.

Methodology

For the Fanflation study, sports betting site Betting.net commissioned a survey of 2,000 sports fans across the United States.  Respondents were asked which league they follow the most and how much they spend in total each month on their favorite team — including both direct and indirect expenses such as tickets, merchandise, streaming subscriptions, food and drinks for game nights, betting, and other fan-related purchases. Of all participants, 53% identified as male, 46% as female, and 1% as non-binary. The average age of respondents was 41.1 years. The following states were excluded due to insufficient data: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.

* Source Christmas spending 2025: National Retail Federation, 2025.