Latinos are hardly a “niche” — they’re a core sports audience that everyone should be trying to understand, not to mention a growing economic force and a multiplatform fan base.
McKinsey’s Institute for Economic Mobility published a report on “Unlocking the growing power of Latino fans: Building a stronger sports economy.” The report’s co-author, Lucy Perez, a McKinsey senior partner, digs into why sports fandom among Latinos is as much about family, culture and identity as it is about the game, and why the World Cup should be treated less like a debut and more like an audition for brands trying to reach this key demographic. Edited excerpts of our conversation:
S. Mitra Kalita: As you know, Epicenter is based in Queens, which is home to one of the most diverse Latino communities in the country. So much of this report resonated. We have a soccer stadium coming up, we have a growing sports economy between Citi Field and the U.S. Tennis Association. With the World Cup and big fútbol matches, the soccer energy fills our bars, our neighborhoods and our parks with fans rooting for their teams. It is impossible to go anywhere without spotting a Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo jersey on kids and adults alike. There’s a culture here around what you’re describing. Let’s talk about Latinos as this multifaceted demographic and what makes them especially exciting.
Lucy Perez: Whether we’re looking at the sports economy, Hollywood or small businesses, Latinos are an economic force. We’re talking about a population that is growing. Today, one in five Americans are Latino. In just a couple of years, we’ll be talking about one in four. And this is a demographic that skews younger and is much more digitally savvy.
When you look at the sports economy in particular, sports is one of those big unifying forces. It’s really exciting to see that the sports economy is poised to double over the next 10 years, growing to close to $300 billion. From today’s baseline of around $160 billion, that’s massive. And Latinos are going to account for a third of that growth.
This is a community that is omnichannel. They tend to go more to the games, to the stadium, but they’re also engaging through broadcast, streaming and social media. This is multigenerational engagement; they’re much more likely to be watching sports not by themselves, but with family and friends.
That sports identity becomes part of cultural identity and a sense of pride. Queens is a great example of that, with a very vibrant sports culture that shows up from the very young to older fans as well. People are proud to show that identity.
SMK: You mentioned the term omnichannel. How does that play out among Latinos? Are there any trends that might be noteworthy among this population compared to other populations?
LP: If you look at TV content, which has traditionally been the main form of sports viewership, Latinos are now consuming 56% of their TV content through streaming. That’s much higher than non-Latinos, where the number is 46%.
When you look at digital-native media like social media interactions, sports website visits and fantasy league participation, Latinos are 14% more engaged than non-Latinos. And on platforms like WhatsApp, Latinos are 54% more likely than non-Latinos to consume sports content there. That’s one of the channels growing very quickly. They’re 37% more likely to consume it on TikTok and 33% more likely to do so on Instagram.
This points to a preference for fast-paced, interactive social formats over more traditional broadcast television viewing. It’s not just how they’re viewing. They’re shaping consumption patterns, the kinds of content creators want to focus on, and very excitingly, creating community across the entire sports ecosystem.
SMK: What’s driving that type of behavior among Latinos? Can you unpack that a little bit?
LP: This is a population that tends to skew younger and is much more digitally native. They’re very comfortable going across channels and actually want to do that to compare and look for content that really resonates. They value authenticity.
What you’re seeing is a preview of where sports media is going more broadly. If you win with this fan, that’s where the growth is coming from. It’s smart business to think about whether you understand this fan, their preferences and how you’re meeting them where they are with the content they value.
SMK: You mentioned the multigenerational aspects of this, and youth sports. According to your report, youth sports represent 15% of the ecosystem. Can you tell me a little bit about this economic catalyst?
LP: Later-stage fandom begins in youth. Youth sports are so much more than playing the sport or developing a love for it. It’s also about the skills you learn on the field, particularly leadership, teamwork and resilience.
We were interested in the impact of youth sports on longer-term career outcomes. What we see is that participation in youth sports is typically associated with higher college enrollment, greater holistic health and lower delinquency rates. So it’s important to think holistically about those outcomes. It also means a stronger community. Think about all the parents, friends and neighbors who show up to watch the kids play.
That’s why it matters so much to close participation gaps. Because of barriers like cost, time and even a sense of belonging, Latino youth often participate at lower rates than other demographics. The good news is that those gaps are closing quickly. Over the last five years, we’ve seen significant improvements in Latina youth sports participation, which is exciting.
One of the analyses we did was a survey in partnership with the Latino Corporate Directors Association, where we asked whether respondents had played sports in youth or were collegiate athletes. We found over 80% had that as a common thread, which again speaks to the leadership skills developed through team sports.
SMK: There’s another stat that really called out to me: Latinos make up 30% of MLB players and about a third of MLS rosters, but only 6% of MLB management and 10% of MLS management. That’s a gap we’re seeing in other sports and other sectors too. How do you explain the gap, and are there efforts to narrow it?
LP: What we see is that it’s really important to understand the pathways from the field, from the athletes to leadership, and how those pathways signal belonging, whether we’re talking about fans in the stands or the next generation of Latino professionals considering careers in sports business.
Organizations that don’t have Latino representation in leadership are not as well equipped to understand growing Latino fan engagement and what the community will value. You have plenty of examples where engagement doesn’t feel genuine and authentic. Just having one event during National Hispanic Heritage Month doesn’t mean truly knowing and engaging well with the community.
When there’s that disconnect, it affects business outcomes. If the leadership teams don’t reflect the audience, you miss opportunities to create authentic engagement and trust. Increasingly, you need to think holistically about talent strategy and about having talent that reflects the community you’re trying to serve and grow. The gaps, as you mentioned, show up across pretty much every league we studied, with a disconnect between what’s in the field and what’s in management.
SMK: We use a phrase often in our work, whether we’re covering health or sport or other aspects of the Latino community, which is that Latinos are not a monolith. When you approach this through the lens of sport, what does that mean?
LP: I use that phrase a lot too. There is so much that Latinos have in common, but also so many differences.
In sports, that shows up in preferences around different sports. I’m originally from Puerto Rico, and if I think about my fellow Puerto Ricans, the Cubans and Dominicans, they tend to index much higher for baseball. Some South American communities, like Argentina, lean much more toward soccer.
You also see differences in consumption patterns. For example, Mexican heritage fans tend to spend 29% more than the non-Latino average on sports, whether that’s tickets or merchandise. Brazilian heritage fans, by contrast, spend 57% less. So there are big differences.
It’s so important for sports teams, leagues and brands to really understand the diversity within the Latino community and to reflect that in how they meet fans across digital and omnichannel experiences. Very importantly, that has to be led with authenticity. That’s a word I keep coming back to because it matters for creating real connection and driving growth.
SMK: On the World Cup, what should we be looking at? What should brands be asking and doing?
LP: This is a great opportunity to invest early, consistently and authentically, recognizing how much growth is ahead. It needs to start early. That means thinking about youth sports, building bilingual and culturally relevant content, creating pathways to sports careers and investing in communities.
At the end of the day, when you’re investing in Latino fans, you’re not just investing in fandom. You’re investing in the future growth of American sports, and with that comes economic mobility for so many of these communities. The message is to lean into this and invest for stronger communities and stronger economies that benefit all of us.
SMK: We’re already seeing some of that show up in culture — Adidas launched a spot with several stars including Messi and Bad Bunny speaking in Spanish, set in a neighborhood, centered on youth. Gap released its first Spanish-language video campaign with Puerto Rican artist Young Miko. Is that the kind of authenticity you’re describing?
LP: Those are examples of this recognition that this is not a niche audience. If you want to be following the growth patterns, these are examples of doing just that. And the timing is right — they reflect the trend we’re seeing.
This article was sponsored and produced in partnership with the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility.
