Sports isn’t beating the economy — it’s transcending it |
In every period of economic headwinds, the playbook says the same thing: When consumers get squeezed, discretionary spending slows. Entertainment is always among the first casualties. Someone should tell sports fans.
Despite years of rising inflation, geopolitical unrest, and tariff fears, the NHL just broke its attendance record for the fourth consecutive year. The NBA did too. MLB posted its fourth straight year of growth. And none of this is happening because fans suddenly got richer. It’s happening because sports have quietly crossed the line from simply entertainment into something closer to a basic need.
The big question is, “Why?”
Of the biggest economic trends we’ve watched over the past five years, none has been more impactful than the deepening impact of emotional well-being on consumer behavior. As Americans emerged from the trauma of the pandemic, their spending habits anchored increasingly on goods and services that — quite simply — make them feel better. The massive acceleration and resiliency of the beauty and cosmetics industry is a prime example.
CivicScience has been tracking sentiment — including economic and emotional well-being — among........