Sports Enthusiasts - US - July 2007

Abstract

In this report, Mintel provides actionable insights for marketing to sports enthusiasts. A number of factors influence this market, including:

• Level of enthusiasm: Mintel isolates and explores three groups of sports enthusiasts based on level of enthusiasm-obsessed, serious and casual. Mintel' s proprietary research suggests there are 94.4 million casual sports fans, 36 million serious sports fans, and 13.4 million obsessed sports fans. Different types of sports enthusiasts show distinct purchasing patterns for sports apparel and sports vacations, along with an increased receptivity to branding initiatives that feature teams and athletes they support.
• Hispanic sports fans: Hispanics are some of the most ardent sports fans. The most pronounced differences are among soccer, basketball and wrestling fans. This report explores their values, priorities, and spending patterns in detail.
• The psychology of sports fans: There is a pronounced relationship between sports fans' self-esteem and the fortunes of their teams, which translates into purchasing behavior. The winning athletes and teams win fans-and dollars.
• The branded athlete: Athletes have become celebrities in American culture, and various sports embody brand values that speak to different audiences. Understanding how Americans view sports teams and star athletes will help companies choose better sponsorships in concert with their own brand values, offering the greatest return on investment.
• Purchases of consumer electronics: The more ardent the sports fans, the more likely they will purchase a variety of consumer electronic items, including televisions, video games, and video cameras. This relationship is explored in detail using Mintel' s exclusive consumer research.

Additionally, this report explores future trends, including the rise of individual sports and new team sports, the decline of baseball and hockey, a growing divide between some athletes and various demographics, and the relationship between broken families and sports fans.