[Webinar] Star power in sports: What drives fans to follow, buy, and believe

From Lionel Messi to Caitlin Clark, athletes have become more than just team players—they’re global icons who shape how fans connect with sports, leagues, teams, and brands. Their influence extends beyond the field, affecting not just what people watch and who they support, but also what they buy, follow, and engage with across platforms.

Join YouGov’s Nicole Pike and special guests for a live webinar exploring “Star Power”, our latest global study on the influence of athletes in sport fandom and consumer behavior.

We’ll explore:

• The role of athletes vs. teams in driving sports fandom
• How fan motivations differ by age, gender, and market
• Today’s most popular male and female athletes—and why they matter
• How social media, endorsements, and off-field activity influence fan behavior

Register now to attend the live session and be among the first to access the full report—available exclusively to webinar participants before its public release.

Meet the speakers

Nicole Pike, Global Head, YouGov Sport

Nicole Pike is one of the sports & gaming sectors’ most-respected experts, boasting 20+ years of experience in consulting, custom research, brand tracking, and sponsorship measurement in the space. She has built her career collaborating with major industry players to build meaningful data streams and insights, in turn shaping industry standards for measurement.

In her role at YouGov, Nicole leads the company’s dynamic sports practice area globally, working with her team and clients to expand the value of some of the industry’s deepest and most sophisticated research tools.

Sean Miller, Head of Consumer Sport, YouGov Sport

Sean Miller leads YouGov Sport’s consumer research team based in the UK, working with many of the biggest rights holders, teams, broadcasters and brands operating in the sports space.

He has 10 years experience in the sports market research sector across both agency and client-side, with a focus on devising innovative and bespoke research solutions to address client challenges.

Tristan Mitchell, VP of Brand Strategy, Excel Sports Management

Tristan Mitchell is Vice President of Strategy at Excel Sports Management, based in New York City. He brings extensive experience in strategic planning, marketing, and business development across the sports and entertainment industry.

Before joining Excel, Tristan held roles GMR Marketing and Major League Soccer, where he built a strong track record of driving growth, shaping brand strategy, and delivering impactful partnerships.

Throughout his career, Tristan has also developed deep expertise in management consulting, marketing strategy, financial modeling, and data analysis. He earned his MBA in Strategy and Marketing from NYU Stern School of Business and graduated summa cum laude from Howard University.   

YouGov

YouGov is a global market research and analytics company, providing insights into what the world really thinks, does, wants and buys.

To do so, we connect daily with our engaged members around the world to gather their thoughts, behaviors, and opinions. This commitment to real-time interactions with real people enables us to ensure that our research data is powered by reality.

As a YouGov member, your opinions and behaviors are valued and rewarded. Whether you’re answering questions or scanning your shopping, the data you share helps companies, brands, and governments to better understand your reality and make decisions that support your needs.

YouGov /Research Reality