All 12 SFC competitions in 2023 were aired on CBS Sports Network, and a special with NFL players was on CBS.Courtesy of Sport Fishing Championship
Fans of
offshore fishing are younger and wealthier than those of most major sports, according to the “Fishing’s Emerging Fan Base” study conducted over a two-week period in August by Wasserman and Sport Fishing Championship.
The finding, based on responses from 16,000 sports fans, including 1,890 fishing fans and participants, shows that 44% of the sport’s fans live in a household with an annual income of at least $150,000. That rate is more than triple that of the PGA Tour’s fan base, the second-wealthiest property.
“Our clients are increasingly seeking affluent consumers,” said Shelley Pisarra, Wasserman’s executive vice president of global insights and strategy. “The data shows that there are compelling B2B opportunities in the offshore segment.”
Fifty-eight percent of offshore fishing fans feel more positively about sponsor brands compared to an overall average of 45% among fans of Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA, NHL and MLS. Accordingly, the property’s demographic has already attracted several non-fishing brands, including Fritos, Publix, Michelob Ultra, Visit South Padre Island (Texas), Biolyte, Dr. Squatch and Hop Wtr.
The Dallas-based fishing league, which launched in 2022 and just wrapped up its second season, was founded by Mark Neifeld, whose career includes executive roles with the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Lightning, Texas Rangers, Georgia Dome and co-founding the Monster Hydro Stadium Blitz with former NFL player Rob Gronkowski.
The events feature 70 to 400 boats as the anchor for a festival-like fan experience, with music and upscale food offerings, and a Saturday night celebration after the competition.
The 2023 season consisted of 12 competitions, which all aired on CBS Sports Network and streamed live on YouTube and Facebook via reporters onboard the anglers’ boats.
That content is the lure, said Neifeld, the property’s president, CEO and commissioner.
“The data told us that 45% of the people that are watching SFC don’t even fish,” he said. “But our events take place at beautiful destinations that are also incredible fishing towns. We put our audience on the back of $5 million sport fishing boats, fishing for blue marlin in beautiful waters off of the coast of Nantucket or the Gulf of Mexico in July with a fish that fights for 45 minutes — that’s a content game changer.”
Sport Fishing Championship plans at least 13 tournaments for the coming year.Courtesy of Sport Fishing Championship
An additional tournament off the coast of Miami Beach — “The Catch, presented by Fritos” — paired SFC star anglers with NFL players A.J. Brown (Eagles), Dalvin Cook (then with the Vikings), Justin Herbert (Chargers), DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals), Chris Jones (Chiefs), Matt Judon (Patriots), Patrick Surtain II (Broncos) and Quinnen Williams (Jets) in a two-hour live CBS Network telecast that averaged 490,000 viewers. The NFL tie-in makes sense, said Neifeld, as the study shows that 65% of SFC fans follow the NFL (MLB had the next-highest audience overlap, as half of SFC fans follow the league).
The affluent demographics recently led to a longtime sponsor commitment. Salt Life, an expanding beach lifestyle apparel and merchandise brand and one of the organization’s founding partners, committed to a 10-year SFC partnership earlier this year and is constructing a new SFC content studio in Pompano Beach, Fla. The building is on schedule to open in the first quarter of 2024.
Neifeld said 13 tournaments are locked in for 2024, including an event in Fort Lauderdale that will feature NFL players, but that number could rise over the next few months. Next year will also see the debut of SFC+, the league’s new direct-to-consumer media offering.
SFC said it has secured new financial commitments and is actively raising money for Series A funding for expansion but declined to provide any details.
