The Emotion Metric: Ben Valenta on Measuring Connection in Sports and Culture

Sports fandom is fundamentally about community building and social connections, serving as a powerful indicator of broader social engagement and consumer behavior. In this episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Matt speak with Ben Valenta, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Fox Sports and co-author of "Fans Have More Friends," to explore how sports fandom creates meaningful social bonds and what this means for businesses and brands.

In this fascinating episode of The Curiosity Current, hosts Stephanie and Matt explore the powerful social dynamics of sports fandom with Ben Valenta, SVP of Strategy at Fox Sports and co-author of "Fans Have More Friends." Discover why fandom is about more than just watching games, how sports create lasting social bonds, and why engaged sports fans are consistently the most active consumers across all media. Whether you're a marketer seeking to understand consumer behavior or curious about the science behind fan communities, this conversation reveals how sports fandom signals deeper social engagement and delivers surprising insights about human connection. Learn why the biggest sports fans aren't just passionate about games - they're more engaged in every aspect of society.

What You’ll Learn:

Why sports fandom is primarily driven by community connection rather than entertainment value
How the "Fan Flywheel" principle explains the development of sustained fandom through repeated social interactions
The surprising truth about sports rivalries and why they're less important than commonly believed
Why viewing sports as "escapism" misframes consumer motivation and leads to incorrect business strategies
How to leverage sports fandom as a powerful signal of broader consumer engagement and brand affinity
Why sports fans are consistently the most engaged consumers across all media categories and product types
The critical role of long-term thinking in cultivating fan communities and creating meaningful engagement
How brands can better facilitate social connections rather than just focusing on content delivery

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Episode Resources:

Ben Valenta on LinkedIn
FOX Sports on LinkedIn
FOX Sports Website
Stephanie Vance on LinkedIn
Matt Mahan on LinkedIn
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