As part of its ongoing coverage of the UEFA Grow Market Research report presented at the House of Football, the Albanian Football Association continues to share key findings on how football is consumed and how sports organisations communicate with fans in Albania.
The report, conducted by UEFA in collaboration with Nielsen Sport, highlights a clear transformation in fan behaviour, both in the way football is followed and in expectations of sports institutions.
According to the findings, television remains the primary platform for consuming football content, with 67% of fans watching matches on TV. However, this marks a significant decline from 83% in 2016, reflecting the ongoing shift towards digital platforms. Today, 36% of fans follow football online, 29% read football-related content on the internet, and 28% engage through social media, which has experienced the fastest growth over the past decade.
Social media is playing an increasingly important role in sports communication. YouTube and Instagram are the most widely used platforms, each reaching 46% of football fans, followed by Facebook at 42%. Among the 18–24 age group, Instagram usage rises to 65%, while TikTok reaches 46%, highlighting a clear shift towards faster, more visual content among younger audiences.
The report also reveals that around three in ten fans use FSHF’s official Instagram and Facebook channels as a source of information, while 65% hold a positive opinion of the Association’s communication, appreciating both its online presence and the content it provides.
At the same time, the research identifies opportunities for improvement. The main reasons fans do not follow FSHF’s official channels are that 41% rely on other sources for information, 29% are not interested in the Association’s content, and 17% are unaware that the official channels exist.
When it comes to preferred content, fans would like to see greater focus on investments and infrastructure projects (49%), academies and young talent (41%), and official information (40%), reflecting a growing demand for transparency and more in-depth storytelling.
According to the report, strengthening communication with the public will depend primarily on greater transparency in decision-making, more direct engagement with supporters, and a stronger presence across both social media and traditional media, helping to reinforce the connection between the Association and Albania’s football community.
The findings of the UEFA Grow Market Research provide an important roadmap for the continued development of FSHF’s communication strategy, at a time when interest in football in Albania remains exceptionally high and the way fans consume football content continues to evolve rapidly.
