Comprehensive study by SMG Insight and CSM Sport & Entertainment shows the staging of international tournaments, a strengthening domestic game, and high profile Arabic players are among the factors helping to contribute to a widening of fan demographics and greater value on offer for commercial partners
- Annual survey of 1006 football fans across the UAE.
- Jointly undertaken by independent sports, sponsorship & entertainment research agency SMG Insight, and international sports & entertainment marketing agency CSM Sports & Entertainment.
- Two thirds of football fans have a positive outlook towards the future of football in the region.
- 7 in 10 fans feel positive about brands that sponsor major football competitions.
- Domestic leagues and competitions fall behind international and European competitions in popularity.
- The FIFA Club World Cup, which is being hosted in the UAE this December, is the second most popular international competition.
- The Arabian Gulf League is the most popular MENA region competition amongst UAE football fans.
The results of a comprehensive new survey of football fans in the UAE, undertaken by independent research firm, SMG Insight and international sports and entertainment marketing agency, CSM Sport and Entertainment, have been released today, and show a game in rude health and growing in popularity amongst both fans and potential sponsors. However, the survey also suggests that domestic football in the UAE still trails behind international competitions and club sides when it comes to the size of local fan base and perceived value to local and regional brands.
The results point to a positive future for football development and sponsorship in the region. Two thirds of football fans said they feel positive about the future of football in the MENA region. Fans see football in the region as exciting, entertaining, accessible, professional and compelling. According to the results of the survey, hosting international tournaments was the top factor in developing regional football, followed by improving the quality of local leagues, and providing better stadium facilities.
A significant opportunity for brands was found to lie in the fact that 7 in 10 fans felt positively about brands that sponsor the FIFA World Cup. Sponsorship of major tournaments was seen to have a positive boost on the attitudes of fans towards particular brands, illustrated by the fact that 60% of fans who were aware of Emirates’ sponsorship of the English FA Cup felt that the airline’s sponsorship portfolio has made them feel increasingly positive about the brand.
Despite the optimism towards the future, however, international and European competitions continue to outrank regional competitions in popularity. 85% of all UAE football fans said they watched international competitions, 74% watched domestic European football, 73% tuned in to international matches in the MENA region, and 71% watched international friendlies, in contrast to only 68% who said they watch domestic MENA football.
The FIFA World Cup is the most popular competition amongst fans in the UAE, engaging 47% of all football fans. The FIFA Club World Cup, which is being hosted in the UAE this December, came second, with 38% of all fans tuning in for the competition. The UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, and Spanish La Liga, followed, engaging 35%, 32% and 25% of football fans respectively. Despite trailing behind European competitions, the Arabian Gulf League was found to be the most popular competition in the MENA region at 19%, followed by the AFC Asian Cup at 18%, the AFC Champions League at 18%, and the GCC Champions League at 17%.
At a club level, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United were unsurprisingly the most popular European clubs, whilst Al Ain, Egypt’s Al Ahly, Shabab-Al Ahli Dubai, Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad, and Al Wahda were the most popular from the MENA region. Notably, however, Real Madrid’s fans accounted for 35% of all football fans in the UAE, while Al Ain accounted for only 13%, demonstrating the significant way that domestic club football still has to go in the UAE in attracting a large and loyal fan base.
Although Arab clubs fall behind European clubs in popularity, the support for clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City can still be traced back to regional influence. The rise of Egyptian star Mohamed Salah has been a major contribution to Liverpool’s popularity in the UAE and the Middle East in general. On the other hand, Manchester City’s popularity in the UAE can be attributed to the club being Abu Dhabi-owned and the establishment of club outposts in the capital such as City Football Schools.
The study also highlighted important findings about the media of choice for football fans, giving brands a better idea as to where and how to best reach football audiences in the region. The majority of fans (55%) said that social media was their preferred medium when tuning in to football. 50% of fans watched football on TV, 40% used online streaming, 38% followed football through websites, 37% read newspapers, 32% used mobile streaming, and 25% followed football through various apps. Only 16% of fans said that they physically attended football games, an ongoing challenge for the long-term growth of the game.
Speaking on how the results of the survey reflect the UAE’s football fan base, Frank Saez, Managing Director and Founder of SMG Insight, said:
“UAE is a melting pot of cultures and its interest in football shows its multicultural identity with both international and domestic football finding space to co-exist.”
“With a vibrant mix of both men and women excited about the game and with major events such as the FIFA Club World Cup, The AFC Asian Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup coming to the region, MENA domestic football will only continue to progress.
This is a great time for brands to seriously consider further involvement in domestic leagues and with domestic clubs” he added.
Ben Faber, Regional Director of CSM Sport & Entertainment who jointly commissioned the study, believes that the findings in this year’s survey can help the growth of the sport in the UAE, in particular in the way in which regional clubs and football associations look to grow their offering for fans and potential commercial partners:
“The insights from this study show that football in the Middle East, and particularly in the UAE, has been bolstered in recent years from the internationalisation of the game. Investment in the hosting of major tournaments, sponsorships by regional brands of international club sides, and a new generation of Arabic player, have all had a significant impact on the growth of an engaged fan base, and therefore greater commercial value on offer to sponsors.
“As the UAE heads into its second consecutive year of hosting the FIFA Club World Cup, quickly followed by the AFC Asian Cup in January 2019, the future for the sport certainly looks healthy. But there nevertheless remains a lot of work to do to ensure that the domestic game can compete more evenly for local share of voice with international football, and this is the key challenge for the sport over the coming decade.”
The study was conducted earlier this year, with 1006 individuals from across the UAE taking part. The results detail the demographics, interests and insights of football fans and give insight into the common themes that lie within the UAE football market. The full report can be downloaded for free from https://www.csm.com/news-views/uae-football-2018. The full data set may be provided to interested parties on a case by case basis – requests should be made directly to SMG Insight and CSM Sport & Entertainment.
–ENDS–
To download the full report please visit www.csm.com/
About SMG Insight
We are an independent research consultancy, specialising in the business of sports, sponsorship and entertainment.
Founded in July 2010, SMG Insight was a JV with YouGov – one of the world’s largest and most respected research firms. In May 2018, YouGov fully acquired SMG Insight.
Since our inception we have looked to build strong and lasting customer relationships that put an emphasis on:
- Client service
- Insight that goes beyond the numbers
- Rigorous, readable and robust data
- The commercial requirements of our clients
We have built a client roster that includes rights holders, brands and agencies and we pride ourselves on delivering smart solutions that meet the differing needs of these organisations. We work with sports key stakeholder to unlock meaningful, actionable insights that goes beyond the data.
Our clients include Emirates, The NFL, Rolex, The FA, ATP, WTA and the ICC. With 30 offices in 20 countries and panel members in 38 countries, YouGov has one of the world’s top ten international market research networks.
About CSM Sport & Entertainment
CSM, part of Chime Communications, brings together leading industry experts to offer the full range of services across sport and entertainment marketing. Building brands, working with rights holders and creating live experiences with a fresh perspective.
Openly collaborative and constantly curious, we create impact by challenging convention, unified in the belief that great minds don’t always think alike.
With over 1,000 people across 25 locations around the world, we work with many of the leading brands, rights holders and talent in sports and entertainment. Our clients include HSBC, Unilever, Mubadala, FIFA, Hisense, Diageo, Coca-Cola, Jaguar Land Rover, The European Tour, AIA, Asian Football Confederation, Longines, Verizon, Formula E and many more.
Operating in the Middle East for over ten years, CSM has over 120 employees in three offices across the region.