Offshore Fishing Appeal Tops Pro Sports

• First-of-its-kind fan research created with Wasserman shows a potential addressable audience of more than 100M for the sport of offshore fishing
• Offshore fans are a highly sought-after affluent target - ~3x greater concentration of affluent fans than comparable sport platforms, based on share of fans with a $150k+ household income 
• 85% of freshwater fishing fans express an interest in offshore fishing, reflecting the broad influence of professional saltwater tournaments and Sport Fishing Championship

DALLAS, October 11, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Sport Fishing Championship and Wasserman ­– a global leader in sports, music and culture – today revealed a study believed to be the fishing industry’s most inward look at fan composition. “Fishing’s Emerging Fan Base” findings suggest significant growth potential for offshore fishing, in many ways depicting a very attractive fan profile relative to other major professional sports.

The study spotlights behaviors and attitudes of fishing fans – those who engage with and consume media and content, and otherwise participate in fishing activities. 

Highlights:

• Aspiration – Freshwater fishing fans are offshore fans. The vast majority of freshwater fans (85%) express an interest in following offshore fishing
• Upwardly youthful– Offshore fans are wealthier and younger than fans of upscale Formula One racing and big five professional sports. 44% of offshore fans have a household income of $150k+, compared to 12% for F1 and 15% for golf. Offshore fans are youthful, with 77% aged 25-44, vs 53% for F1
• Early adopters – Innovation drives the offshore fishing experience. Consistent with that, 65% of offshore fans are eager to try new technology
• High partnership impact – Offshore fans are especially sponsor and advertiser-friendly. 58% of offshore fans feel more positively about sponsor brands vs. the 45% average delivered by the big five professional sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS)

“There’s always been a special allure about offshore fishing,” said Mark Neifeld, CEO and Commissioner of Sport Fishing Championship. “This data supports why we created SFC – our professional anglers and historic tournaments have big-time appeal with fans who are every bit as passionate and attractive as the other major pro sports. We’re here to tell their story.”

The findings were created in an effort to quantify the popularity and marketability of offshore fishing. Additional study insights are available from SFC, including proprietary data relevant to brands, sponsors, advertisers, investors and all endemic and non-endemic fishing partners. Respondents include a composite of syndicated fishing research from 16,000 participants and a custom survey of 1,890 fishing fans, fishing participants, and outdoor enthusiasts. The findings have a margin of error of +/- 6%.

“Our understanding of fishing fans is getting clearer, and the data provides a very compelling profile of a massively attractive offshore fishing fanbase,” said Shelley Pisarra, Wasserman EVP Global Insights and Innovation. “Respondents clearly expressed remarkably broad interest and aspiration in the offshore segment, with upscale appeal that ranks powerfully among established sports leagues.”

About Sport Fishing Championship

SFC is the governing body of saltwater tournament fishing with SFC being the largest owner and media rights holder of saltwater fishing tournaments in the industry, available to watch on every major cable and OTT platform on CBS Sports Network, Waypoint TV, SFC Digital Network, YouTube social media and more. In April 2023 SFC launched The Catch, an offshore fishing competition that pairs current NFL greats with SFC star anglers. The two-hour live event airs on CBS and Paramount+.

About Wasserman

Wasserman is a global leader in sports, music, entertainment and culture. Founded in 2002, Wasserman represents many of the world’s most iconic sports and entertainment figures, music artists, brands and properties, empowering them to shape culture and captivate audiences worldwide.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Wasserman operates globally across 23 countries and more than 45 cities, including New York, London, Amsterdam, Madrid, Mexico City, Toronto, and Sydney.

Source: Sport Fishing Championship