Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Cricket’s big hit pushes ticket sales past £1.5 billion boundary
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- Figure 1: Forecast of consumer expenditure on sports event tickets, 2014-24
- Football and rugby union lead volume growth
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- Figure 2: UK spectator sport attendances, by leading segments, 2018
- Media opportunities grow beyond live TV
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- Figure 3: Four-screen* live broadcast audiences for selected major sports events, 2019
- The consumer
- Audiences fall in absence of mega events
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- Figure 4: Experience of live sport, July 2019
- Football dominates viewing picture
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- Figure 5: Sports watched live, July 2019
- Sport overwhelmingly a TV experience
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- Figure 6: Methods of watching live sport, July 2019
- Women’s sport seen by four in five fans
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- Figure 7: Women’s sports watched, July 2019
- Gender gap closes in public opinion
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- Figure 8: Attitudes towards women’s sport, July 2019
- No need for gimmicks in selling women’s sport
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- Figure 9: Incentives to attending women’s sports events, July 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Where next for the women’s sport boom?
- The facts
- The implications
- Sports turn brands to keep the excluded onside
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Cricket’s big hitter keeps scoreboard moving
- Football and rugby union enjoy fastest growth
- Changing habits create media opportunities beyond live
- Season tickets set out more options
- Sports nostalgia values the real over the virtual
Market Size and Forecast
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- Cricket World Cup gives market bounce
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- Figure 10: Consumer expenditure on sports event tickets, 2014-24
- Forecast
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- Figure 11: Forecast of consumer expenditure on sports event tickets, 2014-24
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Football and rugby union lead on growth
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- Figure 12: UK spectator sport attendances, by leading segments, 2014-18
- Football
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- Figure 13: English football league attendances, 2014/15-2018/19
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- Figure 14: English football league attendances, by division, 2014/15-2018/19
- Horseracing
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- Figure 15: UK horseracing attendances, 2015-19
- Cricket
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- Figure 16: International and domestic cricket attendances, 2015-19
- Rugby union
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- Figure 17: Premiership rugby union attendances, 2014/15-2018/19
- Rugby league
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- Figure 18: Super League attendances, 2015-19
Market Drivers
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- Changing media habits creating opportunities beyond live TV
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- Figure 19: Four-screen* live broadcast audiences for selected major sports events, 2019
- Sport a key focus for 5G development
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- Figure 20: 5G knowledge, February 2019
- Women’s sport goes mainstream
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- Figure 21: Experience of watching live women’s sport, July 2019
- Stadium investments improving fan experiences
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- Figure 22: Investment in stadium development by English football clubs, by division, 2016/17 and 2017/18
- More major events keep calendar filled
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Season ticket sellers focus on food and flexibility
- Old balls please
- The Sport of Kings (Road)
- A taste of sporting culture
- Mini rugby kicks off
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Absence of mega events sees viewing fall
- Football dominates viewing picture
- Sport overwhelmingly a TV experience
- Women’s sport reaching four out of five fans
- Gender gap closes in public opinion
- No need for gimmicks in selling women’s sport
Sports Fans
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- Viewership slips between mega-event years
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- Figure 23: Experience of live sport, July 2019
- Older adults getting back in the game
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- Figure 24: Experience of live sport, by age, July 2019
Sports Watched
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- On-field success draws the crowds
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- Figure 25: Sports watched live, July 2019
- Tennis and horseracing lead on gender equality
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- Figure 26: Sports watched live, by gender, July 2019
Methods of Watching
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- Minority events punching above their weight
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- Figure 27: Live event attendance, by sport, July 2019
- No clear leader in viewing outside the home
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- Figure 28: Watching live televised sport outside the home, by sport, July 2019
Women’s Sport
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- Four out of five sports fans watch women play
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- Figure 29: Women’s sports watched, July 2019
- A two-horse race in terms of reach
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- Figure 30: Repertoires of women’s sports watched, July 2019
- Big occasions needed to keep fans coming back
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- Figure 31: Future interest in women’s sport, July 2019
Attitudes towards Women’s Sport
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- No more handicap in public opinion
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- Figure 32: Attitudes towards women’s sport, July 2019
- Supporting sportswomen in fight for female rights
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- Figure 33: Agreement that “It is important that female sports stars stand up for women's rights”, by age and gender, July 2019
Incentives to Watching Women’s Sport
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- Family focus centres on price and atmosphere
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- Figure 34: Incentives to attending women’s sports events, July 2019
- Women’s sports still need to close the knowledge gap
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- Figure 35: Knowing more about women’s sport teams, players or athletes as an incentive to event attendance, by women’s sports interested in watching live in the future, July 2019
Supporting Athlete Activism
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- Speak up and dribble
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- Figure 36: Spectator Sports – CHAID – Tree output, July 2019
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviation and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- CHAID methodology
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- Figure 37: Spectator Sports – CHAID – Table output, July 2019
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 38: Forecast of consumer expenditure on sports event tickets, 2019-24
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