Good news, sports fans- talking about your favorite hobby in your dating profile can get you more attention online. In fact, profiles that mention certain sports see as much as 111% more messages than the average! That’s according to the latest Sports and Dating data study conducted by our friends over at online dating site and app Zoosk.
So which sports fans get the most attention? And does it matter which team you support? We talked to the data crunchers over at Zoosk to get the inside scoop on how sports can help you build new online dating connections.
These are unprecedented times for sports and for socializing. But it’s important to keep your faith in sports and dating. In fact, this could be just the data you need to start reaching out while staying in.
Sports and Dating: A Perfect Match
When it comes to sports and dating, it’s not just the pro-athletes who have an attractiveness advantage. Simply being a sports fan can boost your chances of getting attention – especially when online dating.
Indeed, Zoosk’s latest data study of American singles showed that dating profiles that contain the word ‘sports’ get an average incoming messaging boost of 53% when compared to the site average.
For those sports fans experiencing social distancing, this may be welcome news. You’re isolated, all the major leagues are on pause, but your passion for sports still matters. In fact, it can help you build connections without leaving your home!
The Sports Most Popular with Online Daters
Talking sports is good but referring to specific spectator sports can be even more beneficial…especially when that sport is basketball. Fans of pro-basketball get the biggest attention boost of all sports lovers, with profiles including the word ‘basketball’ and/or ‘NBA’ seeing a 111% boost in average messaging rates.
Baseball fans also hit it out of the park, with the sport taking the #2 spot. In fact, the benefit of loving baseball is almost even with that of basketball; online dating profiles with the words ‘baseball’ and/or ‘MLB’ have a 108% uptick in average message volume.
Third place is something of a wild card: rugby. Although the sport has had its ups and down in America, it’s gaining professional hold, including the launch of an official league. Now, American rugby fans have another thing to celebrate; profiles that mention ‘rugby’ get 86% more messages than the average user. That’s a higher number than for more well-known sports like football and hockey (which come in 5th and 6th place respectively).
The 10 Sports That Bring the Biggest Online Messaging Boost
| Sport | Incoming Messaging Increase* |
| NBA/Basketball | 111% |
| MLB/Baseball | 108% |
| Rugby | 86% |
| Boxing | 78% |
| NFL/Football | 69% |
| NHL/Hockey | 64% |
| NASCAR | 62% |
| MMA/Mixed Martial Arts | 59% |
| Wrestling | 57% |
| MLS/Soccer | 55% |
*when compared to an average messaging rate
Overall, it seems that mentioning your favorite sports – any sports – can catapult your dating profile into the online messaging big leagues. But does the same effect happen with sports teams as well as general sports?
To find the answer, Zoosk investigated the teams from of America’s four most popular sports leagues: the NBA, MLB, the NFL, and the NHL. Here’s how showing your support for one of the teams in the Big Four can affect your online dating popularity.
Love and Basketball: The Most Popular NBA Fanbases
As well as getting a messaging boost from mentioning basketball, NBA fans definitely benefit from repping their favorite team in their profile. In fact, the Sports and Dating study showed that profiles with mentions of any NBA team have a higher than average messaging rate.
That said, some teams’ fans will be happier with the results than others. If you’re a Golden State Warriors fan, for instance, get that fact into your profile, pronto: accounts that mention the Warriors get around 80% more incoming messages than the average user.
The team that gives its fans the second highest boost is the Portland Trail Blazers, with a 75% increase above the average, followed by the Indiana Pacers in third place at 71%.
The NBA Teams That Bring the Biggest Online Messaging Boost
| Basketball Team | Incoming Messaging Increase* |
| Golden State Warriors | 80% |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 75% |
| Indiana Pacers | 71% |
| Orlando Magic | 69% |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 67% |
| Denver Nuggets | 65% |
| Phoenix Suns | 62% |
| New York Knicks | 55% |
| Chicago Bulls | 54% |
| Miami Heat | 52% |
| San Antonio Spurs | 51% |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 49% |
| Atlanta Hawks | 47% |
| Houston Rockets | 41% |
| Sacramento Kings | 39% |
| Brooklyn Nets | 35% |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 32% |
| Utah Jazz | 30% |
| Charlotte Hornets | 29% |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 28% |
| Toronto Raptors | 25% |
| Boston Celtics | 24% |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 21% |
| Washington Wizards | 19% |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 15% |
| Detroit Pistons | 12% |
| Dallas Mavericks | 11% |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 8% |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 5% |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 2% |
*when compared to an average messaging rate
Field of Dreams: The Most Popular MLB Fanbases
MLB fans should be celebrating the start of the season right about now, but even with that on pause, there is a reason to keep smiling – mentioning your baseball team in your dating profile could result in a huge messaging boost.
This sports and dating boost hits hardest for Boston Red Sox fans. Dating profiles with references to the Red Sox see an 87% messaging boost: the biggest increase for any MLB team and, in fact, the biggest increase of any pro-sports team in the Big Four.
The Los Angeles Angels come in at second, with mentions of the team earning a 79% increase. Third place is a subway series; with the Mets’ 70% increase just edging out the Yankees’ 69%. That puts the Mets third overall (or, first in the National league, if Mets fans would rather focus on the pennant race!).
The MLB Teams That Bring the Biggest Online Messaging Boost
| Baseball Team | Incoming Messaging Increase* |
| Boston Red Sox | 87% |
| Los Angeles Angels | 79% |
| New York Mets | 70% |
| New York Yankees | 69% |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 64% |
| Cleveland Indians | 59% |
| Cincinnati Reds | 57% |
| Minnesota Twins | 54% |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 53% |
| Atlanta Braves | 52% |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 50% |
| Seattle Mariners | 46% |
| San Francisco Giants | 44% |
| Oakland A’s | 38% |
| Colorado Rockies | 36% |
| Washington Nationals | 34% |
| Baltimore Orioles | 32% |
| Miami Marlins | 31% |
| Chicago Cubs | 27% |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 27% |
| Kansas City Royals | 22% |
| Houston Astros | 19% |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 18% |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 13% |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 12% |
| Chicago White Sox | 9% |
| Detroit Tigers | 7% |
| San Diego Padres | 6% |
| Texas Rangers | 5% |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 3% |
*when compared to an average messaging rate
All the Right Moves: The Most Popular NFL Fanbases
Online drafts aside, at the time of writing (April), the NFL is one of the sports least affected by the coronavirus. In fact, there’s still hope for the NFL season to start on time in September. But that doesn’t make the wait go any faster!
The good news for NFL fans? They can now wait warm in the knowledge that their favorite sport might help them get a date. Indeed, dating profiles that mention any football team(s) in the NFL see an increase in online dating activity.
Dating in Pittsburgh looks good here! The biggest uptick goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Profiles that mention the Steelers get an average of 86% more incoming messages than the typical Zoosk profile. The Green Bay Packers are hot on their heels, with an 85% messaging boost, followed by the Dallas Cowboys on 84%.
The football pack is huddled tighter than some of the other teams in the Sports and Dating study. With the NBA , MLB, and NHL, the lowest ranked teams all see a messaging boost, but one of below 5%. With the NFL, even the lowest ranked team (the Los Angeles Chargers) still sees a double-figure messaging boost of 19% .
The NFL Teams That Bring the Biggest Online Messaging Boost
| Football Team | Incoming Messaging Increase* |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 86% |
| Green Bay Packers | 85% |
| Dallas Cowboys | 84% |
| New York Giants | 82% |
| Detroit Lions | 81% |
| Cleveland Browns | 80% |
| Seattle Seahawks | 79% |
| Buffalo Bills | 74% |
| Denver Broncos | 73% |
| New Orleans Saints | 70% |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 69% |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 68% |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 66% |
| Chicago Bears | 65% |
| Carolina Panthers | 64% |
| Indianapolis Colts | 60% |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 59% |
| San Francisco 49ers | 58% |
| Minnesota Vikings | 56% |
| Baltimore Ravens | 52% |
| Washington Redskins | 50% |
| Atlanta Falcons | 48% |
| Miami Dolphins | 46% |
| Las Vegas Raiders** | 42% |
| New York Jets | 40% |
| Houston Texans | 39% |
| Tennessee Titans | 38% |
| New England Patriots | 37% |
| Arizona Cardinals | 26% |
| Los Angeles Rams | 24% |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 22% |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 19% |
*when compared to an average messaging rate
** Although in Las Vegas for 2020, at the time of the study, the Raiders were still an Oakland team
Miracle on Ice: The Most Popular NHL Fanbases
The sports and dating effect also extends to the NHL, with hockey fans getting their share of messaging uplifts. As with the other leagues, mentioning any particular team name in your profile can give you a messaging boost – albiet one slightly lower than that of the other sports in the study.
The most beneficial team to mention in your dating profile is the San Jose Sharks. Dating profiles that contain mentions of the Sharks see, on average, a messaging uplift of 66%.
The Chicago Blackhawks skate into second place, with mentions of the team resulting in a 62% messaging boost. That puts them just above the Colorado Avalanche, who sit in third place on 61%.
The NHL Teams That Bring the Biggest Online Messaging Boost
| Hockey Team | Incoming Messaging Increase* |
| San Jose Sharks | 66% |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 62% |
| Colorado Avalanche | 61% |
| St. Louis Blues | 59% |
| New York Rangers | 58% |
| Calgary Flames | 56% |
| Nashville Predators | 54% |
| Boston Bruins | 53% |
| Detroit Red Wings | 52% |
| Florida Panthers | 51% |
| Minnesota Wild | 50% |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 49% |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 48% |
| New Jersey Devils | 46% |
| Phoenix Coyotes | 44% |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 42% |
| New York Islanders | 41% |
| Los Angeles Kings | 38% |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 37% |
| Montreal Canadiens | 36% |
| Las Vegas Golden Knights | 32% |
| Buffalo Sabres | 23% |
| Edmonton Oilers | 22% |
| Dallas Stars | 21% |
| Anaheim Ducks | 20% |
| Washington Capitals | 18% |
| Ottawa Senators | 17% |
| Winnipeg Jets | 12% |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 9% |
| Vancouver Canucks | 7% |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 5% |
*when compared to an average messaging rate
Isolation, Sports, and Dating
The start of 2020 has been strange indeed. Dating is no exception. The way we date in-person is on the bench for now, whether it’s a drink, a movie, or even taking someone to a sports game.
But, it is important to remember one thing. The Coronavirus pandemic may mean that your date venues change – but the romance at the heart of them doesn’t have to!
Indeed, now perhaps more than ever, human connections matter. And an online dating site is still a great place to make them. Finding common ground in someone’s profile gives you a great excuse to reach out and get to know them. Really get to know them. And then, when restrictions lift, you can have a first date for the ages.
So, what better way than to create opportunities for common ground than embracing this study on sports and dating? Make the most of the fact that liking sports could make you more popular online. Put your favorite sports and sports teams in your dating profile. And make it a banner year for connecting with your fellow fans.
Sources:
All data based on a Zoosk study sample of 500,000 randomly selected Zoosk members who were active in 2019. All data used is anonymous and cannot be traced back to the original user.
Full disclaimer:
The National Basketball Association (“NBA”) name and the names of the NBA teams are the property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective member teams of the NBA. Zoosk is not associated with or sponsored by NBA Properties, Inc. or any of the member teams of the NBA. The Major League Baseball (“MLB”) name and the names of the MLB teams are the property of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. and the respective member teams of the MLB. Zoosk is not associated with or sponsored by Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or any of the member teams of the MLB. The National Hockey League (“NHL”) name and the names of the NHL teams are the property of NHL Enterprises, L.P. and the respective member teams of the NHL. Zoosk is not associated with or sponsored by NHL Enterprises, L.P. or any of the member teams of the NHL. The National Football League (“NFL”) name and the names of the NFL teams are the property of NFL Properties LLC and the member teams of the NFL. Zoosk is not associated with or sponsored by NFL Properties LLC or any of the member teams of the NFL. The Major League Soccer (or MLS) name is the property of Major League Soccer, L.L.C. Zoosk is not associated with or sponsored by Major League Soccer, L.L.C. The NASCAR name is the property of National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC. Zoosk is not associated with or sponsored by National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC. All other sports-related trademarks appearing herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
