The sports genre has ceased to be a hobby for collectors and has become a routine in the Spanish publishing market. In 2025, 76 million printed books were sold, with revenue close to 1.25 billion euros, and forecasts for 2026 point to 4% growth. Marcel Beltrán, from Panenka, confirms that reader interest has grown. Publishers such as Anagrama or Seix Barral are already betting on authors like Jordi Puntí or Juan Villoro, which consolidates the genre.
Algorithms and data: how technology drives sports publishing 📊
The rise of the sports book is no coincidence. Publishers have integrated data analysis systems to identify reader niches and purchasing trends. Recommendation platforms and social networks allow audiences to be segmented by specific sports or teams. Additionally, print-on-demand reduces storage risks and allows small print runs for biographies of local figures or minority sports. This technical model, based on sales metrics and digital engagement, has made a genre that was once considered high-risk viable.
And now I also have to read about football on the subway? 🤔
Before, when you took out a football book on public transport, people looked at you as if you were carrying a framed Maradona poster. Now, with everyone reading Villoro or Puntí, you no longer know if the guy in the seat next to you is an intellectual or a camouflaged fan who just wants to know what happened in the Barça locker room in 1999. Sports have become cultured, and we, without knowing it, were snobs disguised as fans.