Author: Mintel Group Ltd.
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Marketing to Sports Fans - US - March 2013

SCOPE AND THEMES
What you need to know
Definition
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Advertising creative
Abbreviations and Terms
Abbreviations
Terms
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Sports merchandise and ticket sales
Apparel accounts for largest share of sports licensed merchandise retail sales
Figure 1: Share of retail sales of sports licensed merchandise, U.S. and Canada, 2011
Professional baseball selling the most in merchandise
Figure 2: Share of retail sales of licensed sports merchandise by league, U.S. and Canada, 2011
Baseball also selling the most game tickets
Figure 3: Total annual ticket sales at selected regular-season professional sporting events, by league, 2012
Market factors
Declining household income leaves less money for sports-related spending
Figure 4: Median household income in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2001-11
Yet, confidence in the economy may lead them to spend regardless
Figure 5: U.S. consumer sentiment, February 1978-2013
Rising ticket cost and merchandise prices make items available to fewer fans
Figure 6: Average game ticket prices, by professional sports league, 2006-11
The consumer
Consumers are ready for some football
Figure 7: Sports viewership and listening, August 2011-12
For sports fans, the TV is key…
Figure 8: What a sports fan has to do and what is personally done, December 2012
…and, there’s no place like home
Figure 9: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports at home vs. in person, December 2012
Sports merchandise spending, game attendance relatively steady
Figure 10: Spending on sports merchandise and attendance at professional sporting events compared to 12 months ago, December 2012
More women drawn to sports stadium, service enhancements
Figure 11: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by gender, December 2012
Parents comprise an ideal target for professional sports merchandise
Figure 12: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, by presence of children in household, December 2012
In sports viewership, the more the merrier
Figure 13: Opinions about professional sports, by preference to view alone vs. with others, December 2012
Fans need an incentive to watch game time advertising
Figure 14: Opinions about game time advertising, December 2012
What we think
ISSUES IN THE MARKET
Is game attendance taking less priority in defining a sports fan?
Are there better ways to show game time ads?
What is the best way to draw more women to view professional sports?
INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
More all-encompassing live event packages
Split-screen technology for sports games and advertising
Figure 15: Sky Sports split-screen racing coverage for iPad, July 2012
TREND APPLICATION
Trend: Access All Areas
Trend: The Unfairer Sex
Mintel Futures: Brand Intervention
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS MERCHANDISE AND TICKET SALES
Key points
Apparel tops North American licensed sports merchandise sales
Figure 16: Retail sales of sports licensed merchandise, U.S. and Canada, 2011
Baseball merchandise has the most draw
Figure 17: Retail sales of licensed sports merchandise by league, U.S. and Canada, 2011
MLB also leads in professional league ticket sales
Figure 18: Total annual ticket sales at selected regular-season professional sporting events, by league, 2007-12
Insight: Ticket sales may not reflect actual game attendance
MARKET DRIVERS
Key points
Household incomes decline, leaving less money for spending on sports
Figure 19: Median household income in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2001-11
Consumer confidence contributes to sports expenditures
Figure 20: U.S. consumer sentiment, February 1978-2013
Sports merchandise, ticket prices have increased, may be out of reach
Figure 21: Average game ticket prices, by professional sports league, 2006-11
Figure 22: Average NFL stadium concession and merchandise prices, September 2011-12
INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS
Overview
Professional basketball attempts to open doors to more fans
“Hoop Troop” adds characters to make the NBA more appealing to kids
Figure 23: NBA “Hoop Troop” characters, November 2012
Washington Wizards have new ticket deals to make games more affordable
Zeebox can make watching sports an interactive on-screen experience
Figure 24: Zeebox NHL coverage, Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins, March 3, 2013
Sports social media hubs inspiring event center innovation
Figure 25: New Jersey Devils’ “Mission Control” social media hub, February 2013
MARKETING STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES
Overview
Sports leagues, brands doing more to reach women
NFL women’s apparel campaign
Figure 26: NFL “It’s My Team” women’s apparel campaign ad featuring Condoleezza Rice, August 2012
Under Armour women’s marketing campaign
Figure 27: Under Armour “No Matter What, Sweat Every Day” ad, October 2012
Promotions for special sporting events may increase sports following
Olympics
Figure 28: Olympics “Let The Games Begin,” TV ad, June 2012
Super Bowl
Figure 29: CBS Sports Network “It’s Super Time,” TV ad, January 2013
FIFA World Cup
Figure 30: FIFA World Cup “Changing Lives,” TV ad, August 2012
PGA Championship Tour
Figure 31: PGA “Next Year’s History,” TV ad, September 2012
Stars still a key to increasing enthusiasm for professional sports
NFL
Figure 32: NFL football parents TV ad, August 2012
PGA
Figure 33: PGA “Bright Star,” TV ad, July 2012
MINTEL CATEGORIZES FOUR TYPES OF SPORTS FANS
Segmentation definitions and overview
Figure 34: Sports fan segments, December 2012
Key points
The most engaged sports fans tend to be younger, but older fans active
Figure 35: Sports fan segments, by Millennials and non-Millennials, December 2012
Gender may better predict consumers’ interest in professional sports
Figure 36: Sports fan segments, by gender, December 2012
Marketers targeting sports fans should look to parents
Figure 37: Sports fan segments, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Income is a factor in following professional sports
Figure 38: Sports fan segments, by household income, December 2012
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS VIEWERSHIP AND LISTENING
Key points
Football the most popular professional sport
Figure 39: Sports viewership and listening, July 2007-June 2012
Men more likely to tune in to all professional sports
Figure 40: Sports viewership and listening, by gender, April 2011-June 2012
Most watching sports on basic TV, more women use premium channels
Figure 41: Watching professional sports on premium channels vs. basic packages, by gender, December 2012
More men watching each sports network
Figure 42: Cable sports television networks viewed in the last 7 days, by gender, April 2011-June 2012
In network selection, versatility matters
Figure 43: WatchESPN “Clutch at the Office” TV ad, February 2013
Figure 44: Spanish-language sports cable networks (Net of Gol TV or Fox Deportes or ESPN Deportes), by gender, April 2011-June 2012
DEFINING FANS OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS
Key points
TV viewership the key to being a fan of professional sports
Figure 45: What a sports fan has to do and what is personally done, December 2012
Young adults taking a more social approach to sports viewership
Figure 46: What sports-related activities are personally done, by Millennials and non-Millennials, December 2012
Super Fans most likely to focus on live game attendance, merchandise
Figure 47: What sports-related activities are personally done, by sports fan segments, December 2012
More men engaged in all sports fan activities
Figure 48: What sports-related activities are personally done, by gender, December 2012
PREFERENCES FOR TUNING IN TO PROFESSIONAL SPORTS
Key points
Marketers may have an opportunity with in-home sports viewing events
Figure 49: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports, December 2012
Young sports fans may be more likely to attend games in person
Figure 50: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports, by age, December 2012
Super Fans are also more social sports viewers
Figure 51: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports, by sports fan segments, December 2012
CHANGES IN MERCHANDISE SPENDING AND ATTENDANCE
Key points
Sports fans consistent in merchandise spending and event attendance
Figure 52: Spending on sports merchandise and professional sporting event attendance compared to 12 months ago, December 2012
Figure 53: Approaches to purchasing seats for live professional sporting events, December 2012
Merchandise spending and attendance increases likely among parents
Figure 54: Spending on sports merchandise and attendance at professional sporting events compared to 12 months ago, by presence of children in household, December 2012
More than half of Super Fans also spending, attending the same or more
Figure 55: Spending on sports merchandise and attendance at professional sporting events compared to 12 months ago, by Sports fan segments, December 2012
SPORTS STADIUM AND SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS
Key points
Cheaper ticket prices key, but other factors may boost attendance
Figure 56: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, December 2012
Enhancements may encourage more women to attend games
Figure 57: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by gender, December 2012
Super Fans the most inclined to favor enhancements
Figure 58: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by types of sports fans, December 2012
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS MERCHANDISE PURCHASED
Key points
Team-branded clothing the most popular merchandise purchase
Figure 59: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, December 2012
Figure 60: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, by gender and age, December 2012
Parents more likely to buy all types of sports merchandise
Figure 61: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, by presence of children in household, December 2012
OPINIONS ABOUT PROFESSIONAL SPORTS
Key points
Sports ticket costs may be too high, but they don’t dissuade interest
Figure 62: Opinions about professional sports, December 2012
Social viewers may be more engaged with professional sports
Figure 63: Opinions about professional sports, by preference to view alone vs. with others, December 2012
Sports following more about the team than the star
Figure 64: Reasons for following a professional sports team, December 2012
OPINIONS ABOUT GAME TIME ADVERTISING
Key points
Alternative pricing encourages sports fans to tolerate ads
Figure 65: Opinions about game time advertising, December 2012
Youngest sports fans the most receptive to online ad innovations
Figure 66: Opinions about game time advertising, by age, December 2012
Women more entertained by game time advertising
Figure 67: Opinions about game time advertising, by gender, December 2012
IMPACT OF RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN
Key points
Hispanics may be ideal target for online, in-stadium sports viewing
Figure 68: Defining the fan of professional sports – What is personally done, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Hispanics likely to spend more on merchandise, attend more events
Figure 69: Spending on sports merchandise and attendance at professional sporting events compared to 12 months ago, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 70: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Race and Hispanic origin impact how fans follow sports
APPENDIX: OTHER USEFUL CONSUMER TABLES
Mintel categorizes four types of sports fans
Figure 71: Sports fan segments, by age, December 2012
Figure 72: Sports fan segments, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 73: Sports fan segments, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Professional sports viewership and listening
Figure 74: Watching professional sports on premium channels vs. basic packages, by age, December 2012
Figure 75: Watching professional sports on premium channels vs. basic packages, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 76: Watching professional sports on premium channels vs. basic packages, by household income, December 2012
Figure 77: Preferences for following professional sports, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 78: Watching professional sports on premium channels vs. basic packages, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Figure 79: Watching professional sports on premium channels vs. basic packages, Millennials vs. non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 80: Watching professional sports on premium channels vs. basic packages, by types of sports fans, December 2012
Defining fans of professional sports
Figure 81: What a sports fan has to do, by gender, December 2012
Figure 82: What a sports fan has to do, by age, December 2012
Figure 83: What a sports fan has to do, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 84: What a sports fan has to do, by household income, December 2012
Figure 85: What a sports fan has to do, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 86: What a sports fan has to do, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Figure 87: What a sports fan has to do, Millennials vs. non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 88: What sports-related activities are personally done, by age, December 2012
Figure 89: What sports-related activities are personally done, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 90: What sports-related activities are personally done, by household income, December 2012
Figure 91: What sports-related activities are personally done, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Preferences for tuning in to professional sports
Figure 92: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports, by gender, December 2012
Figure 93: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 94: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports, by household income, December 2012
Figure 95: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 96: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Figure 97: Preferences for watching or listening to professional sports, by Millennials and non-Millennials, December 2012
Changes in merchandise spending and attendance
Figure 98: Spending on sports merchandise and professional sporting event attendance compared to 12 months ago, by age, December 2012
Figure 99: Spending on sports merchandise and professional sporting event attendance compared to 12 months ago, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 100: Spending on sports merchandise and professional sporting event attendance compared to 12 months ago, by household income, December 2012
Figure 101: Spending on sports merchandise and professional sporting event attendance compared to 12 months ago, Millennials vs. Non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 102: Approaches to purchasing seats for live professional sporting events, by gender, December 2012
Figure 103: Approaches to purchasing seats for live professional sporting events, by age, December 2012
Figure 104: Approaches to purchasing seats for live professional sporting events, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 105: Approaches to purchasing seats for live professional sporting events, by household income, December 2012
Figure 106: Approaches to purchasing seats for live professional sporting events, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 107: Approaches to purchasing seats for live professional sporting events, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Figure 108: Approaches to purchasing seats for live professional sporting events, by Millennials and non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 109: Approaches to purchasing seats for live professional sporting events, by sports fan segments, December 2012
Sports stadium and service enhancements
Figure 110: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by age, December 2012
Figure 111: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 112: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by household income, December 2012
Figure 113: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Figure 114: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by Millennials and non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 115: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by in-home vs. in person viewing preference, December 2012
Figure 116: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by preference to view alone vs. with others, December 2012
Figure 117: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by how spending on sports merchandise has changed compared to 12 months ago, December 2012
Figure 118: Professional sports stadium and service enhancements that would increase event attendance, by how professional sporting event attendance has changed compared to 12 months ago, December 2012
Professional sports merchandise purchased
Figure 119: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, by gender, December 2012
Figure 120: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, by age, December 2012
Figure 121: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 122: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, by Millennials and non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 123: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, by sports fan segments, December 2012
Figure 124: Purchase of professional-sports-related merchandise in the last 12 months, by how spending on sports merchandise has changed compared to 12 months ago, December 2012
Opinions about professional sports
Figure 125: Opinions about professional sports, by gender, December 2012
Figure 126: Opinions about professional sports, by age, December 2012
Figure 127: Opinions about professional sports, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 128: Opinions about professional sports, by household income, December 2012
Figure 129: Opinions about professional sports, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 130: Opinions about professional sports, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Figure 131: Opinions about professional sports, by Millennials and non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 132: Opinions about professional sports, by sports fan segments, December 2012
Figure 133: Opinions about professional sports, by in-home vs. in person viewing preference, December 2012
Figure 134: Opinions about professional sports, by how spending on sports merchandise has changed compared to 12 months ago, December 2012
Figure 135: Reasons for following a professional sports team, by gender, December 2012
Figure 136: Reasons for following a professional sports team, by age, December 2012
Figure 137: Reasons for following a professional sports team, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 138: Reasons for following a professional sports team, by household income, December 2012
Figure 139: Reasons for following a professional sports team, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 140: Reasons for following a professional sports team, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Figure 141: Reasons for following a professional sports team, Millennials vs. non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 142: Reasons for following a professional sports team, by types of sports fans, December 2012
Opinions about game time advertising
Figure 143: Opinions about game time advertising, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 144: Opinions about game time advertising, by household income, December 2012
Figure 145: Opinions about game time advertising, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 146: Opinions about game time advertising, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Figure 147: Opinions about game time advertising, by Millennials and non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 148: Opinions about game time advertising, by sports fan segments, December 2012
Figure 149: Opinions about game time advertising, by in-home vs. in person viewing preference, December 2012
Figure 150: Opinions about game time advertising, by preference to view alone vs. with others, December 2012
Figure 151: Opinions about game time advertising, by how spending on sports merchandise has changed compared to 12 months ago, December 2012
Figure 152: Opinions about game time advertising, by how professional sports event attendance has changed compared to 12 months ago, December 2012
Figure 153: Whether game time advertising is distracting or enjoyable, by gender, December 2012
Figure 154: Whether game time advertising is distracting or enjoyable, by age, December 2012
Figure 155: Whether game time advertising is distracting or enjoyable, by gender and age, December 2012
Figure 156: Whether game time advertising is distracting or enjoyable, by household income, December 2012
Figure 157: Whether game time advertising is distracting or enjoyable, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2012
Figure 158: Whether game time advertising is distracting or enjoyable, by presence of children in household, December 2012
Figure 159: Whether game time advertising is distracting or enjoyable, by Millennials and non-Millennials, December 2012
Figure 160: Whether game time advertising is distracting or enjoyable, by sports fan segments, December 2012
APPENDIX: TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

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