TGI Global Barometer

July 2004

www.bmrb.co.uk

TGI Global Consumer Barometer - Issue Six: Sports Fans' Favourites

With over 200 countries expected to participate in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, this is one of the few sporting events that can claim to
be truly global. But to what extent do people around the world vary when it comes to their interest in sports? Latest figures from TGI reveal
the events people love to watch on TV and identify the sportiest nations.

Football is a winner worldwide

It is no great surprise that football is the most popular televised sport across the globe it is number one in 9 out of the 15 countries
analysed. China has the largest proportion of football fans, with almost two thirds (60%) of the urban population saying they choose to
watch it on TV. It is also hugely popular in Brazil, Mexico and Greece, where around half of all people watch it, and interest among Greeks
is expected to rise after the nations recent success in the Euro 2004 tournament.

Popular alternatives to football

Although football clearly dominates, there are several other sport events which have a strong global presence. Motor racing appears in six
and basketball appears in five of the top 3 lists. There are just two countries in which traditional football is absent altogether from the top
televised sports. However, Australia and the US both have their own versions of the game which are top in the popularity stakes.

Combat sports also fare quite well globally and are particularly popular in South Africa, where boxing and wrestling are among the top four
televised sports (each attracting more than 25% of the urban population).

There are certain sporting events which are unique to individual countries in terms of their popularity: volleyball in Brazil, ski jumping in
Germany (especially in the last 5 years) and cricket in India with 60% of the urban population choosing to watch it on TV.

Trends in sports viewing amongst Brits

England winning the Rugby World Cup has had a noticeable effect, with a 22% increase in TV viewership of this sport since last year over a
quarter (28%) of British people now watch rugby union.

Football continues to grow in popularity, with TV viewership increasing by 31% over the past four years. Interestingly, women are the main
reason for this increase, with an 80% rise over the same time period (compared to 14% for men). Other winners across that four year
period include cycling (up by 39%), cricket (up by 26%) and golf (up by 20%).

Other sports which have not fared so well include: wrestling (down by 30%), basketball (down by 14%) and bowls (down by 10%). Perhaps
surprisingly, bowls is attracting an increasingly young audience; there has been a rise of 42% amongst 18-24 year olds. However, a drop
of 22% among those aged 55+ has certainly contributed to the overall decline in TV viewership levels for this sport.

Americans love to get involved

When it comes to actual sports participation, levels of involvement can vary quite dramatically. The sportiest nation of those analysed is
the United States, where 70% of people claim to play two or more sports, and next is China, where the figure is 59%. In China almost over
a third of people (36%) say that they make sure they take regular exercise, and almost a quarter (23%) claim to spend a lot of money on
leisure activities. At the other end of the scale is Greece, where just 1% of the population play two or more sports according to TGI. (See
figure 1.)
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