Professional football continues to be the most popular sport among U.S. adults who follow more than one sport, although its popularity has dropped slightly from 2005’s high. In 2006, twenty-nine percent of adults who follow more than one sport say pro football is their favorite, down four percentage points from 2005’s thirty-three percent. Baseball remains unchanged at 14 percent, with college football coming neck-in-neck again (13%, unchanged from 2005) and auto racing, which is down two points at nine percent. Professional basketball has increased by three percentage points, with seven percent of adults who follow more than one sport saying it is their favorite.

These are the results of a nationwide Harris Interactive^® survey conducted online between December 12 and 18, 2006 among 2,309 U.S. adults, of whom 1,219 follow more than one sport.

Since Harris Interactive began asking this question in 1985, professional football has always been on top and its popularity is now five points higher (from 24% to 29%). Compared to 1985, baseball has dropped nine percentage points (from 23% to 14%), horse racing and men’s tennis have both dropped three points and college football and auto racing have each increased by three points.

Demographic variations

The survey also finds some sizable differences between different segments of the population:

• Pro football is most popular among those who live in the East (39%), those with household incomes of $35,000 to under $45,000 (39%), among Generation X (those ages 30 to 41) (36%) and African Americans (35%). Those who earn less than $15,000 (20%) are least likely to call football their favorite sport.
• Baseball is most popular among Liberals (20%) and those who live in the East (19%). African Americans are least likely to say baseball is their favorite sport (7%).
• College football is particularly popular among those with post graduate degrees (23%). Just six percent of those who live in the East cite college football as their favorite sport.
• Auto racing (which includes NASCAR) is most popular among those with household incomes of $25,000 to just under $35,000 (19%) and those with a high school education or less (15%), while it fares worst among those with a post graduate degree (1%) and Liberals (4%).

---

TABLE 1 — FAVORITE SPORTS

"If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?"

Base: All adults who follow more than one sport

	1985	1989	1992	1993	1994	1997	1998	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	CHANGE 1985–2006
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Pro football	24	26	28	24	24	28	26	27	29	30	33	29	+5
Baseball	23	19	21	18	17	17	18	14	13	15	14	14	-9
College football	10	6	7	8	7	10	9	9	9	11	13	13	+3
Auto racing	5	4	5	6	5	5	7	10	9	7	11	9	+3
Men’s pro basketball	6	7	8	12	11	13	13	11	10	7	4	7	+1
Men’s college basketball	6	10	8	8	8	6	4	4	6	6	5	5	-1
Men’s golf	3	4	4	6	5	6	4	4	5	4	4	4	+1
Hockey	2	3	3	3	5	4	3	3	3	4	5	4	+2
Men’s soccer	3	2	2	1	3	3	4	3	3	3	2	2	-1
Men’s tennis	5	4	4	4	3	3	4	1	2	1	1	2	-3
Track & field	2	2	1	1	2	2	3	1	3	1	*	2	-
Horse racing	4	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	2	1	2	1	-3
Boxing	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	2	2	1	NA
Women’s tennis	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	3	2	2	1	1	NA
Bowling	3	5	2	2	1	1	2	2	1	1	1	1	-2
Women’s golf	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	1	*	*	1	NA
Women’s college basketball	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	1	1	*	1	*	1	NA
Women’s pro basketball	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	*	1	1	*	*	*	NA
Women’s soccer	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	1	*	*	NA
Not sure	*	1	4	1	2	2	1	3	1	2	2	3	-
Pro football’s lead over baseball	1	7	7	6	7	11	8	13	16	15	19	15	+14

Note 1: NA = Not asked in that year. Previously did not distinguish between men and women’s sports when asking these questions.

Note 2: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Note 3: "*" indicates less than 0.5%. "-" indicates no response.

---

TABLE 2 — DEMOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS IN FAVORITE SPORTS

"If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?"

Base: All adults who follow more than one sport

Sport	All Adults	Highest		Lowest
	%		%		%
Pro football	29	East	39	Less than $15,000	20
		$35,000-$49,999	39	West	21
		Gen Xers (30-41)	36	$25,000-$34,999	21
		African Americans	35	Matures	22
Baseball	14	Liberals	20	African American	7
		East	19	Conservatives	10
College Football	13	Post-graduate	23	East	6
		$25,000-$34,999	19	$35,000-$44,999	8
		South	19	African Americans	9
		$75,000+	18	Less than $15,000	9
Auto Racing	9	$25,000-$34,999	19	Post graduate	1
		High School or less	15	Liberals	4
		Gen Xers (30-41)	13	College Graduates	5

Methodology Employed in the Poll

This Harris Poll^® was conducted online within the United States between December 12 and 18, 2006, among 2,309 adults (aged 18 and over) of whom 1,219 follow more than one sport. Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All surveys are subject to several sources of error. These include: sampling error (because only a sample of a population is interviewed); measurement error due to question wording and/or question order, deliberately or unintentionally inaccurate responses, nonresponse (including refusals), interviewer effects (when live interviewers are used) and weighting.

With one exception (sampling error) the magnitude of the errors that result cannot be estimated. There is, therefore, no way to calculate a finite "margin of error" for any survey and the use of these words should be avoided.

With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 1,219 adults one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- three percentage points. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.