{"id":24229,"date":"2026-06-22T18:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T16:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?guid=c1dd49b16e42feb3cfae2b04bef40746"},"modified":"2026-06-22T18:04:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T16:04:00","slug":"una-sports-group-releases-landmark-consumer-study-on-u-s-action-sports-audience-finds-73-of-respondents-interested-in-new-team-based-league-concept","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?p=24229","title":{"rendered":"UNA Sports Group Releases Landmark Consumer Study on U.S. Action Sports Audience, Finds 73% of Respondents Interested in New Team-Based League Concept"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nIndependent YouGov research commissioned by UNA Sports Group finds deep commercial demand for a structured, city-based action sports league \u2014 with interest peaking above 80% among adults 18\u201334<\/i><\/p><\/a><\/a>

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UNA Sports Group, a sports investment firm focused on acquiring and developing franchises in emerging and high-growth leagues, today published \u201cThe Action Sports Audience, Decoded,\u201d<\/b><\/a> <\/b>a consumer research report examining market demand, audience profile, and concept validation for team-based action sports. The findings indicate that there is strong audience interest among the highly-coveted 18\u201334 age demographic, as well as with younger, more digitally native consumers.<\/p>

\nThe study, which was commissioned prior to UNA\u2019s recent franchise acquisition and conducted by global research data and analytics group YouGov, surveyed 411 U.S. adults and teens aged 13\u201354 between December 2025 and February 2026. It offers the most detailed independent look to date at the action sports consumer \u2014 who they are, what they watch, how they spend, and how they respond to the prospect of a new team-based league built on the X Games platform. Its release arrives just days before the XGL\u2019s inaugural summer season kicks off June 26\u201328 in Sacramento, California.<\/p>

\nAn Audience Ready to Show Up<\/b><\/i><\/p>

\nThe research findings make a compelling case that the action sports market is ready for consolidation around a structured, team-based format. Nearly three in four respondents (73%) expressed interest in the new league concept, with that figure climbing to 84% among adults 18\u201324 and 83% among teens 13\u201317. Even the 25\u201334 cohort registers at 73%. Critically, the interest is not passive: 51% of respondents said a new league would make them more engaged in action sports overall, and only 7% said nothing would make the concept more appealing. This is an audience that is eager, not skeptical.<\/p>

\nThe X Games Brand as a Distribution Engine<\/b><\/i><\/p>

\nThe X Games brand anchors that opportunity. 73% of respondents are aware of the X Games, outpacing every other action sports property measured and nearly double the next-closest competitor. Among those familiar with the brand, 78% expressed interest in the league concept.<\/p>

\nThe audience behind those numbers is precisely what sponsors and broadcasters are struggling to reach through traditional sports. The action sports consumer skews under 35, is digitally native, and consumes content almost entirely outside linear television \u2014 YouTube leads at 78%, followed by streaming services at 60%, Instagram at 56%, and TikTok at 50%. Linear TV reaches just 21%, behind both Twitch and in-person events. 70% of respondents have personally participated in action sports at some level, and nearly 30% participate in organized team sports \u2014 meaning this audience understands the product from the inside.<\/p>

\n\u201cThe window for first-mover advantage in action sports is open right now \u2014 and this research makes clear why. The audience is young, digitally native, and commercially valuable. The X Games brand is the most recognized property in the category by a wide margin. What\u2019s been missing is structure. That\u2019s what the XGL provides, and that\u2019s why we moved quickly to secure two franchises in New York.\u201d<\/i><\/p>

\n\u2014 David Rader, President & COO, UNA Sports Group<\/b><\/p>

\nWhat Will Drive the Brand \u2014 and the Franchises<\/b><\/i><\/p>

\nThe research also offers clear guidance on what will drive franchise and league brand-building. When asked what draws them to a brand, action sports consumers rank product quality (64%), entertainment value (54%), and visual appeal (54%) at the top \u2014 with personalities and spokespeople ranking last at just 28%. The implication for any league building a commercial strategy is direct: the product and the culture must carry the weight, with athlete endorsement serving as amplification rather than foundation.<\/p>

\nOn the question of what would make the league concept more appealing, seven factors cluster tightly between 41% and 51%: an easy-to-follow format, integration of music and culture, strong team and city identity, high-quality social content, unique event locations, high-stakes competition, and having favorite athletes involved. The evenness of that distribution is itself a finding \u2014 there is no single ingredient the league must get right, but rather a broad set of levers that can be activated together. The franchise model has a strong foundation in city identity, with hometown affiliation tied as the top driver of team allegiance at 47%, but shared values and excitement rank within striking distance, giving teams multiple entry points for building fan loyalty.<\/p>

\nThe full white paper<\/a> is available for download at unasportsgroup.com<\/a>.<\/p>

\nAbout UNA Sports Group<\/b><\/p>

\nUNA Sports Group is a sports investment firm focused on acquiring and developing franchises in emerging and high-growth leagues. UNA takes a thesis-driven approach to team ownership, targeting properties where audience demand, brand infrastructure, and media opportunity are converging ahead of institutional capital. The firm\u2019s portfolio includes both the Summer and Winter New York XGL teams<\/a>, making UNA the first group in the league to hold two clubs. For more information, visit unasportsgroup.com<\/a>.<\/p>

\nAbout YouGov<\/b><\/p>

\nYouGov is a global research data and analytics group with operations in the Americas, Mainland Europe, the UK, and Asia Pacific. The firm operates one of the world\u2019s largest research networks, with a panel of millions of registered members across 64 markets. YouGov data is regularly referenced by the global press and is consistently among the most cited market research sources in the world. For more information, visit yougov.com<\/a>.<\/p> Contacts<\/b>

\nMedia: <\/b>UNA@uplandworkshop.com<\/a>Investor Relations: <\/b>info@unasportsgroup.com<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Independent YouGov research commissioned by UNA Sports Group finds deep commercial demand for a structured, city-based action sports league \u2014 with interest peaking above 80% among adults 18\u201334NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–UNA Sports Group, a sports inves…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infos-businesswire"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24229"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24230,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24229\/revisions\/24230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}