Want Stronger Sports Fandom? Tap Into Mythology.

This article was previously published by The Drum.

Marketers have spent generations chasing stories that stick. Myths have done it for thousands of years.

Sports fandom is how we step into epic narratives. By watching games and matches, wearing carefully curated merchandise, engaging in banter and playing fantasy teams, we are thrown into a new story with epic heroes and villains every season. It’s part of what draws us into the rituals and lifelong passions of being fans.

This fandom is built on emotional moments, with highs and lows that gain significance over time. They become ingrained in the story of how the athlete or team has grown or fallen, failed or succeeded, over the years.

Some sports brands play off these emotional stakes but don’t connect them to the bigger narratives. They risk their fans feeling like their fandom is momentary, superficial or no deeper than a social media like.

What makes a sports brand timeless is the mythos. By tapping into mythological themes shaped by generations of storytelling, brands turn fans into believers and fandom into a core element of their identity.

Mythology is Embedded in Our Psychology

It feels like we don’t have much in common anymore, but mythology is something we all share.

Mythic tales of good triumphing over evil, of underdogs facing incredible odds and becoming heroes, have become embedded in and transcend cultures. They have shaped stories from the dawn of human culture to today.

Mythology speaks to what we share as a social species: the need to belong, the hunger for meaning, our desire for play and an inherent drive to win (with a fear of losing). At Material, we think of these within our BASE needs framework: Belonging, Appeal, Security and Exploration.

When mythological themes show up in our lives, they connect to our deep, psychological needs. They also tap into a shared understanding of the world, across age, background and culture.

Sports are Modern Mythology

Today, these mythological themes show up most powerfully through sports.

Joseph Campbell, who shaped how we think about mythology, emphasized the essential roles myth takes in our lives.

Belonging to Something Bigger

This is what sports fandom does. It connects us to a collective and feeds our inherent need to belong. Through shared experiences, we feel part of a community. We learn the rituals, symbols, shared history and even the superstitions that make us feel part of a tribe.

Just like the myths told throughout human history, sports fandom comes with an us-versus-them dynamic, complete with rivalries, heroes and villains. This gives fans a clear path to pick, with someone to cheer for and someone to root against.

The Memories That Shape Us

Campbell also outlines the psychological role of myth, guiding each of us through the stages of life within the context of our culture.

I was eight years old when my favorite team won the championship. I can still remember the feeling like it was yesterday.

I remember being in high school when my favorite player hit the go-ahead home run that sent my team to the playoffs for the first time in years.

I remember my parents introducing me to being a fan of our favorite team. Now I get to do the same with my own kids.

These moments matter beyond fandom. They are meaningful in the lives of individuals, of families, even of entire regions and cultures. They help shape fans’ understandings of the progression of our own lives. Our brains are prediction machines looking to make sense of a complex world, and sports are where fans can, from childhood to old age, seek meaning and control over the outcomes of our lives.

Sports are a unique, controlled space where we can tap into the full range of human emotions, experience catharsis and learn invaluable lessons for how to live. In the arena, we can feel emotions like conflict, drama, loss and victory in a regulated and controlled way that isn’t available in the “real world” of our everyday lives.

And these lessons and rituals are passed down from generation to generation, just like mythology has throughout human history. That tradition helps us place ourselves in continuity, giving us meaning, belonging and a feeling of stability in our lives.

Tap Into Mythology’s Power to Solidify Fandom

Mythology drives the same psychological forces as High Fidelity brand relationships in our M+ Brand Fidelity framework. Mythology creates meaning. Rituals build salience. The Hero’s Journey makes it personal. Together, these create powerful brand relationships and deep emotional bonds with consumers.

Brands don’t necessarily need to frame themselves in explicit mythological terms like “we are David and our rival is Goliath.” They just need to weave those themes into the fan experience and let fandom tap into the shared narratives we already carry.

Here are three actionable ways to bring mythological depth to your brand’s storytelling:

1. Leverage Rituals and Symbols to Help Make Meaning of Fandom

Sports brands can emphasize the rituals, symbols and collective history of fandom in their storytelling to help fans engage at a deeper level beyond casual interest.

For example, Liverpool FC’s iconic anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” is more than just a ritual performed before each match. The team has elevated it to be a ubiquitous symbol that fans rally around. It connects to the history of the team, and fans have adopted it as a personal motto. Fans around the world feel like they’re at Anfield every time it’s sung, and it’s a reminder that they’re part of something bigger than themselves. LFC has successfully tapped into the human need for belonging and the mythological power of symbols to build one of the most passionate fan bases in sports.

2. Elevate the Emotional Experience

Fans turn to sports for the drama, to see the gladiators in the arena. Brands that frame the highs and lows as part of a bigger mythological story help keep fans engaged and solidify fandom as a lifelong passion.

For example, the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, after years of falling short, finally made the playoffs in 2026. The announcers during the game, and the team in its content after clinching, framed the moment in the broader context of the long, difficult period of mediocrity. They amplified the feeling of victory among the fans as an end to their misery and a reward for continuing to believe. The Flyers faced its heated cross-state rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the team leaned heavily into the us-versus-them, underdogs-versus-villains mythological narratives, turning up the temperature and the drama for fans heading into the series. These are the moments where fandom grows its deep roots, and the Flyers have capitalized on it well by tapping into mythology.

3. Make Fans the Hero

Campbell also outlined the “Hero’s Journey,” a common template for stories found across cultures and throughout time. Its narrative is so familiar to us that it’s nearly ubiquitous, from Homer’s Odyssey to the Star Wars universe.

In sports, it’s easy to see athletes as the hero within a game, a season and a career, on a quest for victory and glory.

But fans are more than just the audience witnessing these stories. Sports offer us a rare opportunity to be the hero in our own stories by sharing in the adventure, experiencing the highs and lows, living the conflict and the glory. Even though the wins and losses don’t materially change fans’ lives, the stakes feel real, and the journey is worth taking.

Brands that invite fans to join the journey build lifelong connections that will withstand the test of time, just like mythology.

Want to learn how to wield mythology’s power to build sustainable sports fandom?

Material’s Brand Fidelity framework measures the emotional depth fans feel toward brands. Ask us what your fans are really responding to.