Heineken study shows 75% of sports fans forge new friendships through fandom, as football legend Bastian Schweinsteiger turned up to serve beers at a New York Champions League viewing party
Around three quarters of football fans have claimed that their love of footie has helped them connect with new people. New data from beer giants Heineken shows that they also thing it is one of the quickest ways to build relationships at a time when many are craving real-life connections more than ever.
Three in five (59%) say it’s helped them form some of their tightest bonds, whilst 75% reckon watching sport alongside fellow enthusiasts – even rival supporters – enhances the whole experience. Football emerged as the ultimate social glue, with 72% of devotees insisting language barriers don’t matter when it comes to striking up friendships with fellow fans down the local.
To put these findings through their paces, Heineken teamed up with Zac Alsop for a social experiment designed to discover whether supporters would genuinely rally round each other when push came to shove.
The experiment tracked Joe, an Aussie based in New York, who found himself with nobody to watch Liverpool take on Qarabağ FK in their crucial final group clash of the UEFA Champions League. Like countless others, despite building a life and routine in the Big Apple, he was staring down the barrel of watching one of football’s biggest nights on his own.
To lend his mate a hand and demonstrate that fandom is a brilliant way to forge connections, Zac distributed leaflets across Manhattan featuring Joe’s face and a straightforward plea – Have A Beer With Me – encouraging fellow supporters to join him for the match on January 28. No strings attached – just an open invitation to the footballing fraternity.
Supporters from right across New York flocked to the scene in their hundreds, rallying behind a fellow enthusiast they’d never encountered before – and the gathering rapidly went viral on social media platforms.
What Joe didn’t realise was that Heineken had completely transformed Central Park Tavern – the chosen venue for the meet-up – into a ”Champions League-level” viewing spectacular, bringing in the actual UEFA Champions League trophy along with football legend Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was pulling pints behind the bar for the devoted fans who’d made the journey.
Reflecting on the evening, Joe remarked: “Tonight reminded me why I love the sport. I walked in expecting a couple of people to show up and not knowing anyone. Now I feel like I’ve met a whole group of new friends. Football doesn’t care where you’re from or how long you’ve been there – the shared passion connects people instantly. It’s amazing how quickly that common ground can bring so many strangers together. Heineken has tapped into the heart of what it means to be a fan.”
David Sikorjak, co-author of the book Fans Have More Friends said: “As someone with years of experience with the emotional ups and downs of the fan experience, I have always had a sense that being a fan is about being part of a community. But after years of studying fandom, I can say that the evidence behind fandom’s social benefits is conclusive.
The bigger the fan, the more friends; the more friends, the happier, more fulfilled, and more satisfied one is. With this new platform from Heineken, I’m excited to see a brand lean into this insight by inspiring fans to come together and make the most of these social benefits.”
The trial in New York launches a comprehensive multi-channel platform by Heineken, which sees the Fans Have More Friends television advert make its debut this week across the USA, with an additional 50 markets set to follow.
The initiative honours the impromptu friendships that ignite between supporters whenever a game, a match or a gig takes place.
The platform will continue its rollout throughout 2026 during pivotal moments in the football, F1® and music festival diary – encompassing the UEFA Champions League Final, UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, Coachella and Grand Prix weekends across the globe.
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