The psychology of sports fandom: And what it means for marketers

September 2, 2026 at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT

We used to believe sports fandom was an identity. But it’s so much more. According to Daniel Wann, leading sports fandom researcher, we now know sports fandom meets basic emotional needs. Fandom creates community, it’s passed down from generation to generation, and it often defines the relationship between a city, state, or country to its citizens.

The goal of marketers used to be fostering these traditions in an ecosystem built for loyalty. That system is breaking down as streaming and social media change the way fans embrace teams and players alike. Building the kind of fan equity required to engage die-hards and bandwagoners alike now requires a fundamental understanding of the psychology of fandom.

Join us as Daniel Wann explains how fans identify with teams and the basic psychological wellbeing of fans. We’ll chat marketing in the Q&A and get a better understanding of how brands can build lifelong loyalty no matter how the relationships between teams and fans evolve.

What you'll learn:

• Understand the psychological needs that fandom fulfills
• Trace how fans move from casual awareness to deep attachment using the Psychological Continuum Model
• Recognize what high-identification fans actually do differently in their behavior, and what that tells you about building durable brand loyalty

Bring your questions! We'll have time for live Q&A at the end.