WHAT THE DATA SAY: 23% of audiobook fans hooked on ‘romantasy’

RISE OF ROMANCE

Romance fantasy and related niche genres are attracting new and growing audiences - especially among men - through audiobooks, according to our Harris Poll research with Audible.

• 23% of male listeners now listen to romance.
• 23% of audiobook fans are hooked on sports romance.
• 33% say reading romance made them rethink what they want in their current or future relationships.

SHORTER, SHARED SPORTS GAMES, PLEASE

Sports fans today want sports that are shorter and shared, based on Harris Poll's The Joy Rematch research.

• A gap exists between the experience fans have today and what they want: 93% say they receive joy from sports - yet the remaining 7% represents a massive opportunity.
• Willingness to watch two-plus-hour sports events drops from 43% on weekends to 26% on weeknights.
• High appeal exists for instant rules (78%), tactics overlays (74%), ref/coach mic-ups (72%) and body cameras (67%).
• 57% prefer to watch "big sports moments" together with friends or family.
• The biggest barriers to attending live events are ticket prices (71%), parking and transit costs (44%), and accessibility to the venue (37%).

AI FEARS HIGHEST FOR THOSE MAKING LESS THAN $50,000

Workers making less than $50,000 annually are the most worried that AI will undermine their job security, according to our HarrisX research with Merit America.

• While many making $50,000 and less believe AI could be helpful, 53% think it will make economic mobility harder.
• 56% think they will need to change careers because of AI.
• 70% would stop the development of AI technology that could eliminate a lot of jobs.
• 86% would participate in free training and 76% would feel more confident and prepared for AI if they received more training.
• 56% believe the government is not prepared to handle AI.
• Two thirds say higher education does not offer a good return on investment, with majorities pointing to tuition (50%) and personal debt (52%) as barriers.
• 63% say higher education leaves people less prepared to achieve the American Dream.

CONFIDENCE IN COMPANIES

Companies are not meeting the general publics' standards for economic impact, according to the 2026 Page-Harris Poll Confidence in Business Index.

• 61% globally say it's very important for leading companies to make a positive impact on economic stability and growth.
• Only 29% of the public say they see companies acting on key issues and clearly explaining what they are doing and why.
• Economic stability tops citizens' global concerns, yet only 29% say they see companies acting.
• Gen Z adults places more weight on issues such as mental health, gender equality and racial/minority equality, and look for companies to signal values clearly.
• Older generations, especially Boomers, focus more on economic stability, corruption and jobs.

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