Fans Without Borders - Mastercard

One quarter of Europe’s football faithful (41 million) are classed as Fans Without Borders, with FC Barcelona the most popular foreign team (29%), followed by Real Madrid CF (10%) and Manchester United FC (8%).

Fans Without Borders have been categorised into three groups:
1. Highlight Fans, representing 60% of all Fans Without Borders, are attracted to a club’s playing philosophy (85%) and success (79%).

2. Regional Affinity Fans account for 12% of the total number of Fans Without Borders. Many of these faraway followers feel a special connection with the team because of a link to the city, with 55% of these fans regularly visiting the club’s region.

3. Star Followers represent 11% of Fans Without Borders – their loyalties are firmly set at the feet of great players and coaches and these fans are prepared to switch allegiance in line with wherever their favourite stars go.

Fans Without Borders ring up €35bn worth of spending each season and here’s how:
– One fifth of the total spend, or €7.5bn, is on Pay TV.
Merchandising (club-branded goods) earns 13% of our far-away follower’s money.
– Actual match attendance consumes 10% of Fans Without Borders’ spending, with an additional €2.5bn allocated to food, drink and other goods purchased when there.
– 6% of spend is given over to visiting a pub or sports-bar to take in a game on the big screen, and subscription to a club’s own TV channel takes 5%.
– One in four fans attends home matches abroad. Accommodation and travel relating to match attendance, or visits to their favourite stadia, cost Fans Without Borders €8.75bn each year – one quarter of the total spend.
– The impact on tourism is positive; one third of all Fans Without Borders have booked a trip for the sole purpose of watching a match or visiting a stadium. One fifth intentionally combine match attendance with a short city break, or integrate the game into a regular holiday. In total, cities hosting Fans Without Borders at live matches, benefit by around €4.5bn per season.