Fall into Sports: Skypa! Ranks Japan's Sports Enthusiasm by Prefecture for 2025

As we embrace the joys of autumn, October 13th marks Japan's Sports Day. In anticipation of this special occasion, Skypa! has revealed its much-anticipated "Skypa! Sports Enthusiasm Rankings 2025." This report utilizes data from live sports broadcasts and subscriber surveys to gauge sports engagement across Japan, culminating in an insightful overview of each prefecture's enthusiasm. This year, Hiroshima Prefecture has been ranked number one for professional baseball enthusiasm, closely followed by other sports and their respective regions.

Overview of the Survey

The research entailed an extensive survey titled "Skypa! Sports Enthusiasm Prefecture Rankings 2025," which was conducted nationwide across all 47 prefectures. The survey ran from September 19 to September 25, 2025, and utilized online questionnaire methods, yielding a total of 2,350 valid responses—50 from each prefecture. The study was executed by Net Asia, with Skypa! JSAT as the initiating entity. It's important to note that the percentages reported within the study underwent rounding calculations, which may cause discrepancies in totals and subtotals.

Key Findings

1. Professional Baseball Enthusiasm: Topping the list for professional baseball is Hiroshima Prefecture, known for its passionate support of the local team, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Notably, about 74% of respondents in Hiroshima reported high spending on baseball attendance, supporting the team fervently across all measures of frequency, expense, and outreach.

2. Regional Factors: The high ranking for Hiroshima can be attributed to the strong presence of the Carp within the community and the substantial media exposure, including local broadcasts and coverage in newspapers. Other sports also show distinct regional characteristics, with local teams and events drawing significant local fan engagement.

3. Future Sports Interests: Looking ahead, respondents expressed a keen interest in attending ice shows, followed closely by high school baseball and motorsports. The influence of renowned athletes and social media discussions play a crucial role in driving interest in these sports, even those less frequently aired on mainstream television.

Detailed Rankings by Sport

Baseball

- Professional Baseball: 1st - Hiroshima, 2nd - Kyoto, 3rd - Fukuoka

Hiroshima leads due to robust local engagement with the Carp, while media coverage solidifies fan loyalty. This engagement highlights not only expenditure but the joy of having a local team.

High School Baseball

- 1st - Shimane, 1st - Okinawa, 2nd - Iwate, 3rd - Tochigi

Shimane and Okinawa's recent success in national tournaments correlates with their high enthusiasm levels among local fans, driven by both emotional connections and media presence.

Motorsports

- 1st - Ibaraki, 2nd - Wakayama, 2nd - Kumamoto, 3rd - Toyama

Ibaraki's proximity to the Tsukuba Circuit has created a vibrant motorsports culture. Increased popularity has led to its top ranking in this category.

Volleyball

- Males: 1st - Yamagata, 2nd - Kumamoto, 3rd - Fukushima
- Females: 1st - Gifu, 1st - Kagawa, 2nd - Aomori, 2nd - Ehime, 3rd - Miyazaki

Yamagata and Gifu promote their respective teams effectively, encouraging high enthusiasm in these regions.

Looking Forward

The interest in watching sports in the future was particularly notable for ice shows, which topped the polls at approximately 9.3%, notably driven by stars such as Yuzuru Hanyu and Mao Asada, who have captivated audiences. Following this, high school baseball received 8.7% interest, reflecting its national status during tournament time.

Engagement Through Social Media

Another interesting trend emerged regarding reasons for future viewing preferences, with 16.5% of respondents indicating their interest was due to sports gaining traction on social media or the news, suggesting a growing influence of digital platforms in shaping young people's interests in various sports.

Special Promotions by Skypa!

Concurrent with the report's release, Skypa! is launching a promotional campaign offering new subscribers discounts on the Basic Plan for their extensive sports coverage, providing access to more than 50 channels across various genres. This ongoing effort emphasizes their commitment to broadening access to sports programming, which is essential for fostering further excitement across different regions.

In essence, as Japan enters the sports-filled autumn, Skypa! continues to illuminate the enthusiasm of fans and enhance accessibility to a vibrant sporting culture across the nation.