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Why Do we Support Sports Clubs?

Why do sports fans follow club teams around the world, even when they may live thousands of miles away? Is it about winning or a human need to belong?

Every week, hundreds of millions of people around the world surrender their emotions; leave them - for a while - in the hands of strangers. They might face dejection or, with luck, jubilation. The US National Basketball association say that less than 1% of fans globally will ever watch a game live. While the Premier League is played in England and Wales, almost half of the fans (470 million of them) live in Asia and Oceania. Mike Williams explains why sports fans do it.

(Photo: Sports fans pictured during a football match waving their flags. Credit: Getty Images)

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18 minutes

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  • Fri 16 Oct 201518:32GMT
  • Fri 16 Oct 201519:32GMT
  • Fri 16 Oct 201523:32GMT
  • Sun 18 Oct 201521:32GMT
  • Mon 19 Oct 201502:32GMT
  • Mon 19 Oct 201504:32GMT
  • Mon 19 Oct 201505:32GMT
  • Mon 19 Oct 201506:32GMT
  • Mon 19 Oct 201512:32GMT
  • Mon 19 Oct 201513:32GMT
  • Fri 13 Nov 201512:04GMT
  • Mon 5 Jul 202113:00GMT

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