In the year since the Olympic circus left town, London 2012 has remained a central focus of efforts to expand the UK’s sport participation market and make good the organisers’ promise to inspire a generation into playing habits that will last a lifetime.
While early results in expanding the overall playing pool have been mixed, the impact of the event appears to have been positive on participation among key target groups, such as young people and women. However, the challenge of accelerating that progress over the medium term remains a difficult one, particularly in a climate of ongoing public spending cuts and income pressure on the least well-off.
This report assesses the factors underlying these current and recent trends in sports participation in the UK, examines consumers’ attitudes towards sport, and identifies ways in which governing bodies, facility providers and sports brands and sponsors can help grow playing numbers in the short and medium term.
Definition
Mintel’s definition of ‘participation sports’ is based on that set out by Sport England, which states that “the purpose of the activity must be sporting and not a means to another purpose” and that it “must have an established structure, defined by rules, and where appropriate, organised national or international competition”.
Mintel’s interpretation of the second element of this extends to the inclusion of athletic activities undertaken for fitness rather than competitive purposes, such as aerobics and/or weight training in a gym, and which are therefore less formally structured in terms of their rules and organisation, but which still have an accepted means of or basis for participation.
For the purposes of this report, Mintel’s definition of ‘sport’ includes all activities listed below, which have been grouped under four key typologies for the purposes of discussion throughout the report:
Individual/keep-fit sports
Swimming
Cycling
Jogging
Weight training/gym
Aerobics/fitness classes
Yoga/Pilates
Athletics/running.
Team/competitive sports
Football
Golf
Cricket
Basketball
Rugby
Volleyball
Hockey.
Racquet sports
Tennis
Badminton
Table tennis
Squash.
Outdoor/alternative sports
Hiking/rambling
Fishing
Climbing
Skiing/snowboarding
Watersports
Martial arts
Extreme sports
Fencing.
This report assesses the UK market, with a particular focus on England in some parts, given the nature of the data available.
Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices unless otherwise stated.
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