Young People See Oshikatsu Fandom as Way to Enrich Personal Life

The practice of oshikatsu, vigorously expressing fandom for a musician or other entertainer, or even a fictional character or inanimate target of support, is nothing rare in Japan, with nearly 30% of working-age people—and around half of those in their twenties—taking part.

Oshikatsu refers to activities that people do to support their favorite idol or object, such as an entertainer, athlete, or other celebrity, an anime or game character, or even an inanimate target of affection like a particular railway line. These activities range widely, from attending events to purchasing goods.

Oshikatsu is a Japanese term for the activities fans engage in to support their favorite person, character, or thing. The word combines "oshi" (推し), meaning "one who is supported," and "katsu" (活), meaning "activity". Oshikatsu can involve buying merchandise, attending concerts or events, sharing content online, and creating fan art, and it extends beyond idols to include characters, athletes, and even hobbies like trains or food. 

Now it’s time to measure oshikatsu, but who will and who can ? That is where Fandometrics™️ comes in….

Read Here

The full research report: Read Here

Nippon.com / Mynavi Inc.

How Deloitte and AWS Use AI to Study Fandom for Insights on Consumer Behavior

The growth and productivity-unleashing potential of AI-powered tech systems and software was the talk of the Croisette during this month’s Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Much of the programming was dedicated to helping marketers, content creators and media mavens navigate what is possible now and what is coming around the corner.

Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast did its part with a live podcast taping in Cannes at The Room’s Yacht on June 18, with a conversation focused on the Converge by Deloitte service as the analytics giant expands that service to focus on sports consumers. Michelle McGuire, principal and chief commercial officer of Converge by Deloitte, and Ruba Borno, VP, global specialists and partners of Amazon’s AWS, joined us on a yacht docked just off the Palais des Festivals for a live recording of a conversation about how the two brands have worked, together and separately, on initiatives like Converge that harness AI.

When it comes to targeting sports-friendly consumers, what marketers covet most is “that Venn diagram of the team, the league and your own brand,” McGuire said. Converge synthesizes a staggering amount of data and input to offer highly custom profiles for sports fans at a granular level.

Read Here

Variety

Special Report: China’s Sports Fandom - The formation mechanism of the “sports fandom circle” in the digital media era

The rise of the “sports fandom circle” has become a significant phenomenon in the digital media era, reshaping the emotional and social dynamics of sports fan communities. This study employs grounded theory methodology to analyze web-scraped data from 40 selected accounts on major Chinese social media platforms [Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and Bilibili] over a two-year period. These accounts were identified based on their focus on celebrity athletes [e.g., Fan Zhendong, Sun Yingsha, Wang Chuqin] and their engagement in fan-specific activities such as support, fan clubs, and voting. The analysis involved open coding, axial coding, and selective coding to construct an emotional interaction model. Our findings reveal that international sports events serve as emotional catalysts, where competition, nationalism, and athlete narratives trigger fans’ emotional arousal. Digital media platforms, including spatiotemporal extension, virtualization, and selectivity, amplify these emotions, fostering proximal emotional attachment to athletes. Through symbolic interactions and digital consumption, fans transition from individual engagement to collective emotional aggregation, solidifying their sense of group identity. However, in the reproduction process, the anonymity of digital media platforms can lead to emotional polarization, intensifying conflicts among fan groups, or facilitate emotional resocialization, fostering more rational and inclusive fandom behaviors. This study provides a theoretical framework for understanding the emotional evolution of sports fandom in the digital media era and offers practical insights for managing online fan communities, mitigating conflicts, and promoting a healthier digital sports culture.

Read Here

Yuan Cheng, Yin Wu / Creative Commons Attribution License, / PLOS One

The Language of Fandom

Professor Venkata S. Govindarajan studies how language reflects the ups and downs of professional sports fandom. If you’re a fan of sports, you’ve almost certainly engaged in passionate discussions and debates with your favorite team’s fellow supporters during a game.

Read Here

Professor Venkata S. Govindarajan, Ithaca College

Whitepaper: SportFive - How Sponsors Can Better Understand U.S. Soccer Fandom.

Brands have been told to "get ready" for the world's biggest sporting event. But interested parties should do so right now. A great way for them to start is by exploring SPORTFIVE's latest whitepaper, which delves into how brands and sponsors can better understand the unique nature of U.S. soccer fans and ultimately emerge victorious during this once-in-a-generation spectacle.

130 million people in the United States identify as soccer fans, but they are unlike any other demographic in the sporting world.

To better understand this large group of people, seven unique personas have emerged out of SPORTFIVE’s research. These seven personas exist across a spectrum, with some people’s fandom leaning toward "Sport-First" while others tilt towards "Culture-First." SPORTFIVE has segmented these personas across this spectrum, showing why they're fans and how they interact with the sport.

Read Here

SPORTFIVE

The 2025 Sports Playbook: How Brands Win With Fandom

As football season approaches, so too does one of the greatest annual marketing opportunities in America: sports sponsorships. For brands aiming to engage loyal, high-energy audiences, there may be no better channel than sports. From packed college stadiums to prime-time NFL slots, sports offer unique moments of community, culture, and connection.

But how can brands do more than just slap their name on a scoreboard? To understand the strategic blueprint for modern sponsorships, I spoke with Mike Proulx, Research Director at Forrester and author of Maximize the Value of Your Sports Sponsorships, along with two companion reports on case studies and activation planning tools.

Proulx opened with a bold truth: “Sports fandoms are among the most loyal and active communities that exist.” Whether it’s Alabama or Ohio State, the Kansas City Chiefs or the Eagles, sports fans show up with unmatched intensity. And yet, the sports landscape is evolving. Traditional leagues like the NFL and NCAA football remain juggernauts, but emerging formats are attracting fresh and often younger demographics. Pickleball, cricket, women’s leagues, and even combat sports like UFC and WWE are expanding the fan base and offering brands new playing fields.

Read Here

FORBES

How ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Became One of Netflix’s Biggest — and Most Unexpected — Hits, ‘Fandom isn’t slowing down’

Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and Netflix film boss Dan Lin weigh in on how a unique concept and authenticity propelled the animated feature into long-term success.

The animated feature has officially shot to the No. 4 spot on Netflix’s most popular English-language films list with 158.8 million views, according to data released Tuesday. The project — which chronicles the adventures of Huntrix, a girl group comprised of three members who just happen to also fight monsters from the underworld — has been a surprise hit for the streamer, and its soundtrack has spent several weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart. Demon Hunters has done surprisingly well considering the fact it is original IP, something of a rarity in successful animation in recent years. Going into the film, Netflix execs say they knew they had an audience who would tune in, but the scope of Demon Hunter’s reach has grown far past that initial target demographic.

“We knew younger female audiences and K-pop [and] anime fans would love this film, but it’s been incredibly gratifying to see it embraced by an even broader audience and become a favorite film for both adults and kids,” Dan Lin, chairman of Netflix, film tells THR. “Adults are watching the movie with their friends or other family members, kids are watching with their friends and siblings.”

Read Here

The Hollywood Reporter

How movie fandom impacts buying behavior.

Movies provide fans with lifelong escapism and community that brands can leverage long after the box office closes.

Movies and entertainment foster this kind of fandom and community, which impacts consumer buying behavior. Even now, if you spot a piece of merchandise branded with your favorite movie out in the wild, you’re likely to interact with it or purchase it simply because it’s related to a special film or memory.

This relationship between consumers and brands can be leveraged across the entire lifecycle of a piece of entertainment. From pre-premiere buzz to post-credits debriefings, brands can engage with audiences using what Amazon Ads and Crowd DNA dubbed “the ripple effect.”

Read Here

Marketing Brew / Amazon Ads & Crowd DNA

How the Fandom Journey builds loyalty.

When it comes to fandom, the process matter more than the payoff. In an era dominated by AI and instant access, learn how to the fandom journey builds loyalty authentically and sustainably. “Superfans” remain the headline topic for the entertainment industries, in music and beyond. They are the biggest cheerleaders amongst their peers, the most engaged on social media and streaming, and the highest spenders across the board.

There is a certain irony, then, that the other headline topic is AI; a technology that promotes passive engagement and does everything for you with utmost ease. AI and its adoption are emblematic of the flip side of this coin, but it is not alone. Much of innovation in entertainment over the last two decades has optimised ease, efficiency, and economy across the board – from making entertainment to accessing it.

Read Here

Hypebot / MIDiA Research

There’s a formula to loyalty: super-fandoms have mastered it

Four ways to build fandom and rethink traditional customer-building approaches.

Building super-fandom isn’t an art, it’s a science with a proven formula that brands can learn and replicate. The most successful fandoms, like Taylor Swift’s Swifties, follow predictable patterns centered around building strong emotional architecture around a shared idea to generate a sense of belonging. Mastering this formula is integral for brands seeking lasting loyalty as it’s the only reliable path to transforming casual consumers into passionate advocates who drive real business impact.

Read Here

Fast Company / IMPACT Council / Andy Zimmerman