Americans Spend Nearly $2,000 a Year on Sports. Almost Half of Fans Have Taken on Debt

Americans are spending nearly $2,000 a year to support their favorite sports teams, and for a significant share of fans, the cost of tickets, streaming subscriptions and merchandise is ending up on their credit cards.

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults, or 62%, have spent or expect to spend money on sports fandom in 2026, according to a National Debt Relief survey of more than 2,000 adults cited by CNBC. Among those fans, average annual spending reaches $1,970, while men spend even more, at $2,224 a year.

But the price of fandom is increasingly colliding with household finances. Among Americans who spend money on sports, 47% said they have gone into debt to pay for those expenses. The numbers are even more striking among younger adults. Some 62% of sports fans between ages 25 and 34 have taken on debt connected to their fandom, according to the survey. That age group also spends considerably more than the overall average, shelling out about $2,627 annually.

Cathleen Bell, vice president of customer research and insights at National Debt Relief, told CNBC that sports expenses can feel different from other discretionary purchases because of the emotional connection fans have with their teams.

That attachment can make spending "feel essential," Bell said, even when it is putting someone's finances under pressure. Sports can provide a sense of identity, belonging and community, particularly for younger fans who may build friendships and social activities around their teams.

Some Americans are even willing to knowingly borrow to keep participating. The survey found that 20% of U.S. adults would be willing to go into debt for their sports fandom. Part of the problem is that simply following a team has become more expensive.

Fans once needed little more than a television and an antenna to watch many games. Today, following an entire season can require subscriptions to multiple streaming platforms and sports packages. Streaming services were the most common sports-related spending category identified in the National Debt Relief survey.

Tickets can push costs much higher, particularly for major events or historic games. CNBC previously spoke with soccer fans who spent thousands of dollars attending World Cup matches, while coveted tickets to events such as the Olympics or championship games can also cost thousands.

When adding jerseys, food and drinks at stadiums, fantasy sports fees and other purchases, the annual bill can quickly climb. Financial experts, however, say spending on sports is not inherently a problem. The danger comes when fandom begins competing with more fundamental financial priorities.

"Once you've got your financial priorities and they're being met, and you've got that discretionary spending, then that's a healthy part of financial life," Andrew Lendnal, head of financial wellness at Wealthspire, told CNBC. "The issue is when entertainment starts competing with your financial foundations."

Lendnal recommends establishing a sports budget before spending and creating barriers that make it harder to exceed it. Fans attending games, for example, could bring a predetermined amount of cash or use a card with a specific spending limit.

The stakes become greater once debt starts accumulating. Cassandra Rupp, a senior wealth advisor and certified financial planner at Vanguard, warned that debt can snowball as interest grows and consumers continue spending after already exceeding their budgets.

An unexpected job loss, medical bill, or other emergency can then turn manageable debt into a much larger financial problem. Rupp recommends maintaining emergency savings even while paying down debt. Consumers who have already fallen behind may need to reduce or temporarily stop discretionary spending while rebuilding savings and developing a repayment plan