Being a sports fan can be an expensive hobby, as more Americans are now taking on a pile of debt to cheer on their favorite teams.
About 47% of Americans spending cash on sports have <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/20/americans-debt-sports-fans.html” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>assumed debt to cover their fandom, according to a recent survey from the National Debt Relief, a group tracking consumer debt. In fact, one in four respondents are still carrying that debt, CNBC reports.
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However, that spending proportion grows when younger sports fans are taken into account. For fans between the ages of 25 to 34, the share going into sports-related debt increases to 62%. About 20% of Americans surveyed said they’d be willing to accumulate debt to support their favorite teams.
This summer, the 2026 World Cup provided American sports fans with an opportunity to indulge in the beautiful game. In many instances though, that required shelling out four or even five-figure sums to attend one of the 104 matches played over 39 days.
World Cup ticket prices devoured a big piece of fans’ recreational spending, not just travel or merchandise. In fact, the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey set a record as the most expensive sporting event ever, with average ticket prices at $12,751 on resale sites.
Cathleen Bell, vice president of research and insights at National Debt Relief, told CNBC that forking over extravagant sums for some sports fans “feels essential” and due to the emotions stirred among fans from a sporting event, spending on their favorite teams “doesn’t feel discretionary.”
The ‘funflation’ of following your favorite team
According to the National Debt Relief survey, sports fans spend an annual average of $1,970. For men, that amount grows to $2,224. Just over half, or 55%, of sports spenders, said the money will go into supporting NFL and college football teams.
Rising sports spending likely won’t come as a surprise, especially for the fans electing to pour a growing share of their budget into sports tickets, whether it’s a regular match or a championship.
