Demand for live sports is up, fans love the people working the building and most think their ticket was worth it. The numbers underneath tell venues where repeat visits are won and lost.
Every figure below comes from Alchemer’s 2026 Fan Experience Report Card, based on a survey of 1,064 U.S. fans who attended a professional or college sporting event in the past 12 months. Here are seven numbers every venue operations and guest services leader should know.
TL;DR — key takeaways
- 57% of fans say the 2026 FIFA World Cup raised their interest in live sports overall, per Alchemer’s 2026 Fan Experience Report Card.
- 48.4% name ticket prices as the top barrier to attending more often.
- 74.3% feel nickel-and-dimed by fees, even though 80.8% say the ticket was worth it.
- 82% want predictive wait times, the most wanted AI feature in the study.
- Only 28.5% of fans who gave feedback saw a visible change.
1. 57% say the World Cup boosted their interest in live sports
The 2026 FIFA World Cup made 57% of fans more interested in attending live sporting events in general, not only soccer. That’s a bigger audience for every venue. Fans grade the overall experience an A-, and 43.2% are considering a ticket upgrade.
Deep dive: The 2026 fan experience report card: what 1,064 fans gave venues and teams →
2. 48.4% say ticket prices keep them home
Ticket prices are the #1 barrier to attending more games, more than double the next answer. Add parking, concessions and other on-site costs (17.4%) and 66% of fans point to cost. Only 0.7% say the in-venue experience isn’t worth it compared with TV.
Deep dive: What stops fans from going to more games? 2026’s attendance barriers, ranked →
3. 74.3% feel nickel-and-dimed, while 80.8% say the ticket was worth it
Fans believe the event delivers. They resent how the bill gets assembled through fees, surge pricing and upsells. Only 3.9% say prices feel fair. All-in pricing shown before checkout is the report card’s top fix for ticket value, which earns a B-.
Deep dive: Fair ticket, frustrating fees: why 74% of fans feel nickel-and-dimed →
4. 16.4% couldn’t find staff, and their advocacy dropped 20 points
Venue staff rank among the best-scoring parts of game day: 70.3% of fans call them friendly and helpful. But fans who couldn’t find help were far less likely to recommend the venue, with “definitely would recommend” falling from 56% to 36%.
Deep dive: Fans love venue staff. Here’s how to make sure they can find them. →
5. 82% want predictive wait times
Fans judge technology by the friction it removes. Predictive wait times for parking, security and entry earn interest from 82% of fans, while AI chat assistants helped only 8.1% and 24.1% would eliminate them.
Deep dive: Fans don’t want more stadium technology. They want shorter waits. →
6. 73.2% get acknowledged, but 28.5% see change
Venues do well at saying “we heard you.” Showing fans that something changed is where follow-through drops, by 45 points. Meanwhile, 35.8% of fans have never been asked for feedback at all, which earns the study’s lowest grade: a C. The full report card lays out how to raise it.
Deep dive: The fan feedback gap: what silent fans are costing sports venues →
7. 68% of superfans forgive a loss faster than a bad night at the venue
Frequent, self-described big fans forgive poor team performance more readily than a poor venue experience, 68% to roughly 11%. Season ticket holders also feel constantly nickel-and-dimed at double the rate of single-game buyers (50% vs. 25%).
Deep dive: Season ticket holders and superfans: the segment carrying the most risk →
What do these numbers add up to?
Three patterns run through the 2026 data. Fans want to come back. Predictable pricing and shorter waits make that choice easier. And closing the loop on feedback is the cheapest improvement available, starting with the fans who’ve never been asked.
Put the numbers to work
The venues winning on fan experience ask often, act visibly and tell fans what changed. Alchemer is purpose-built for that work:
- Alchemer Survey collects fan feedback through post-event email, in-app prompts, in-venue QR codes and guest services, timed to when fans want to be asked.
- Alchemer Connect routes feedback to ticketing, operations and guest services, triggers service-recovery workflows and closes the loop back to the fan.
- Alchemer Pulse analyzes open-text feedback for themes and sentiment by venue, section or game.
- Research Solutions designs, fields and analyzes custom studies like this one for your own fan base.
See how it works for your venue: explore Alchemer for Sports and Venues and request a demo.
Want the full report? Download the complete 2026 Fan Experience Report Card for Sports Venues and Teams for every benchmark table, the report card grades and the full plan to improve each one.
Methodology: Alchemer surveyed 1,064 U.S. fans who attended a professional or college sporting event in the past 12 months. The 2026 study covers ticket value, venue experience, technology and fan feedback.
FAQ
Q: What are the key fan experience statistics for 2026?
A: 57% of fans say the World Cup boosted their interest in live sports, 48.4% cite ticket prices as the top attendance barrier and 74.3% feel nickel-and-dimed by fees, per Alchemer’s 2026 Fan Experience Report Card.
Q: What is the biggest fan experience gap for sports venues?
A: Feedback follow-through. 73.2% of fans who gave feedback were acknowledged, but only 28.5% saw a visible change.
Q: What do sports fans want from stadium technology?
A: Less friction. 82% want predictive wait times, and digital ticketing and mobile ordering are the tools fans most credit with improving their visit.
Q: Where can I find the full 2026 fan experience data?
A: In Alchemer’s 2026 Fan Experience Report Card for Sports Venues and Teams, which covers ticket value, venue experience, technology and fan feedback.