The effect music can have on sports fans on game day

Opening thoughts

Music plays a seminal role in sports, and throughout the world, music is often used on game days. Whether it’s in the NFL in the US or soccer in Europe, where thousands of fans band together and sing or chant to get behind their team, there’s an almost hypnotic aura that comes with thousands of people singing songs to get behind individual players, or listening to music that is closely associated with a club. 

The broader sporting package

Music is just one of many elements that sports fans inject into their game days to add a bit more spice. You only need to explore its impact on the Super Bowl, where the half-time show is often just as talked about on social media as the game itself. It’s also a great example of how the different elements of the broader sports package converge on each other. The Super Bowl embodies the very best of American sports, and its place as the most-watched US sporting event is a title it has held for decades. 

As the most-watched sports game in the US, it has become the number one sports betting market, almost by default. The rise of US sports betting has meant that it has gone from a small market, where a handful of states had legislated it, to a market that now includes 30 states and counting. Sports betting fans will often seek review sites like WSN that rank the top sports betting sites based on a range of variables. This ensures that they can find the platform that best matches their sports bet, or offers promotions on a game they’re looking to place a wager on.

Music and gambling are part of game day for millions of NFL fans in the US. However, they’re also a big part for soccer fans across the globe, rugby or cricket fans in Australia and New Zealand, or ice hockey fans in Canada; they’re part of the wider package that make it so enticing and draw in the enormous viewing figures we see in some of these leagues. 

Inspiring the team

Some musicians and songs have achieved an ethereal status in certain sports. England’s national soccer team and their timeless Three Lions anthem is a song that first came out in 1996, but it often finds itself back in the UK charts when the team is doing well or is reaching the latter stages of a major tournament. It was such a big hit that The Lightning Seeds and comedians Frank Skinner and David Baddiel often find themselves back in the studio to re-record updated versions when a World Cup or the Euros are on the horizon.

The fanatical support of soccer in England is littered with music on game day. Sweet Caroline is another anthem that is belted out during England games but is common in other sports too; it’s something the Carolina Panthers have used in the past, and the communal nature of bringing together sports fans and music helps to show what watching sport is all about. 

The creativity of sports fans knows no bounds, and it doesn’t matter whether a song is a classic pop song like Sweet Caroline, a disco classic or a popular song of the moment; if it’s catchy and fans can learn the words easily enough, then it can bring fans together in camaraderie and help them cheer their team on. 

Can music give sports teams an edge on game day?

Professional sports stars often discuss grounds or stadiums they don’t like playing at, and some are known for turning their home ground into a fortress and a musical cauldron. When a stadium of sports fans is in full flow and using music and chants to drive their team on, you can imagine how daunting it must be for opposition players to gather their thoughts and try and stay calm under pressure. 

Fans will feel like they’re helping drive their team over the line, and in many cases, they might often add that extra percentage that helps the team get the win. 

It’s not just the stadium, though; fans can get pumped listening to music before leaving their house to travel to the stadium on game day. Likewise, if people watch the game with a few friends or family, a soundtrack will often buzz away in the background, helping to raise the spirits before the big fixture.

Final thoughts

It’s hard to underplay just how crucial music is when it comes to driving the mood and the action during a big game. Whether it’s the half-time Super Bowl show, soccer fans chipping in together to create a vociferous atmosphere to try and get on the nerves of the opposition team, or listening to music and bands that remind us of better sporting days, music is the uniting factor. 

As with so many other elements of our lives, music plays an integral role, and considering just how important sports are to tens of millions of people worldwide, the fact that the soundtrack that runs alongside the game is so impactful reiterates that stance perfectly.