The NBA a ‘Slam Dunk’ in San Antonio.

Scarborough Sports Marketing released an analysis which finds that San Antonio is not only top local U.S. market for Avid NBA Fans* but consumers in this market are nearly four times as likely as all adults nationally to be Avid NBA Fans. Thirty-three percent of San Antonio adults indicated in the Scarborough Sports Marketing analysis that they are Avid NBA Fans – meaning they are “very interested” in the NBA. Sacramento, CA (19 percent of consumers are Avid NBA Fans), Indianapolis, IN (18 percent), Memphis, TN (17 percent) and Detroit (17 percent) round out the top local markets for Avid NBA fans. Nationally, nine percent of adults are Avid NBA Fans.

Last year, the San Antonio Spurs captured their second championship in three years and their third championship in seven years. With this winning trend, it is no surprise that Scarborough finds fan avidity on the rise in San Antonio. There is a 38 percent increase in Avid NBA Fans in San Antonio from Scarborough’s 2001 study. San Antonio has added about 200,000 Avid NBA Fans to its ranks since then.

Additionally, San Antonio is also the number one market for likelihood of consumers to have attended an NBA game. San Antonio adults are more than four times as likely as all consumers nationally to have attended one or more NBA games during the past year. Nearly one-third (32 percent) of all consumers in San Antonio have attended one or more NBA games in the past year, well above the national average of eight percent.

“With San Antonio’s successful regular season, winning the Western Conference, fan avidity is thriving in this city,” said Howard Goldberg, Senior Vice President, Scarborough Sports Marketing. “San Antonio consistently sells over 98 percent capacity of their stadium** which is not a surprise as it is the leading city for likelihood of consumers who have attended one or more games.”

Women are well represented among avid basketball fans. Thirty-eight percent of Avid NBA Fans are female and 54 percent of Avid WNBA Fans are female.

Avid NBA Fans wear their league pride. Twenty-one percent of Avid NBA Fans bought sports apparel or clothing with an NBA team logo in the past year. Avid NBA Fans are among the nations’ top spenders on athletic apparel. They are 55 percent more likely than adults nationally to have spent more than $100 on athletic shoes and 76 percent more likely than all adults to have spent more than $100 on athletic clothing during the past year.

Two especially relevant advertising categories for sports leagues are quick service restaurants and telecommunications. Avid NBA Fans are 43 percent more likely than all consumers to have eaten at a fast food restaurant 10 or more times in the past month. A very high percent (94 percent) of Avid NBA Fans have been to a fast food restaurant during the past month.

In the cellular category, 67 percent of Avid NBA Fans are wireless subscribers. Avid NBA Fans are 50 percent more likely than all consumers nationally to spend $150 or more on their monthly wireless bill. They are 21 percent more likely to plan to switch wireless carriers in the next year.

To view charts CLICK above on ‘More Images’.

*Avid NBA Fan = Consumers 18 + that are “very interested in the NBA”
**Sports Business Journal, March 6-12, Turnstile Tracker

Source: Study Scarborough USA+ 2005 Release 2