LONDON: The average time spent participating in and consuming sport has grown by 22% over the last 10 years – almost double the rate of overall leisure time growth (12%), according to new data analysis by Two Circles.
The sports marketing agency found that the number of hours spent by the average person1 playing2, watching3 and following4 sport globally will reach one hour 46 minutes per week in 2019.
This is compared to one hour 26 minutes a week 10 years ago, representing an average growth rate of 1.8% year-on-year, or 22% across the decade. In the same period, global leisure time5 increased at an average growth rate of 1.1% year-on-year or 12% across the decade.
For the first time therefore this data shows that as technology and growing disposable income increases the amount of free time the average person has to pursue recreational activities, the global population is turning to sport over other pastimes. This is due to a greater emphasis being placed on health and fitness, a greater supply of sports media, and sport’s growing cultural relevance.
The successes of the major US leagues’ international expansion strategies; the Premier League’s continued global viewership growth; and the exponential growth of women’s sport – seen with the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup – are just three prominent examples of sport’s continued penetration into everyday global life.
Last night England’s Women’s World Cup semi-final match against the United States delivered a record broadcast audience for a women’s football game in the UK, while last week the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 recorded over one billion video views for digital content on the ICC’s platforms and social media channels.
Gareth Balch, Two Circles CEO, said:
Many areas of the global economy have benefited from population growth, rising wealth and technological innovation. However, sport’s cultural significance, contribution to physical and mental well-being, and unique positioning as the last bastion in appointment-to-watch viewing, mean the role sport plays in peoples’ lives has grown consistently across the last decade.”
Using its deep data insight from helping over 100 of the world’s biggest rights-holders grow grassroots participation, attendances and digital media consumption, Two Circles also projects that sport will become an even greater part of the global leisure economy. The agency predicts the growth in time spent participating in and consuming sport will increase by 34% in the next decade (2019 to 2029) – continuing to outstrip the growth in leisure time, and by over double (16%) across the same period.
Balch added:
In a world of shorter attention spans and greater leisure time, sport – largely through its ability to deliver unrivalled levels of live content – is winning the fight for relevance. And with almost every area of life and human interaction becoming digital-first, our data analysis shows that sport is primed to be the fastest growing sector of the leisure industry in the next decade.
This growth will be driven primarily by the fast-growing digital consumption of sport, and we project a rise in the amount of live long-form event coverage available online – and a greater emphasis on ‘outside the ropes’ content away from matchday action – will accelerate the amount of time spent engaging with sport relative to other leisure pursuits.”
One hundred will become a milestone number for sport in 2023 as the time spent by the average person participating in and consuming sport globally exceeds 100 hours a year.
The data – which was revealed first at the data-driven agency’s annual Client Conference in London on June 26th – can be found at the end of this press release. Additional data – including regional breakdowns – is available on request.
A 35-minute talk from the Conference entitled ‘Our Sporting Planet’ – where Two Circles Content Lead Harry Hawkins explains how increasing engagement with sport will accelerate commercial growth for the global sports industry – can be viewed now on the Two Circles website.
1 Adults aged 16+
2 All sporting and fitness activities, both as an individual or within a team
3 Attending any sporting event, both professional and amateur, in person
4 Consuming sports content in either traditional or online news media, social media, magazines, radio, TV, online video platforms or podcasts 5 The amount of time available to pursue recreational activities – as opposed to working (paid and/or studying), undertaking domestic chores, and fundamental personal care activities such as eating, sleeping and washing
Figure 1: Average amount of hours spent playing, watching and following sport globally
Year | Weekly | Monthly | Annually |
2009 | 1.44 | 6.3 | 75.1 |
2019 | 1.76 | 7.6 | 91.6 |
2029 | 2.30 | 10.0 | 119.5 |
Figure 2: Average amount of hours of leisure time globally
Year | Weekly | Monthly | Annually |
2009 | 32.7 | 142 | 1,698 |
2019 | 36.5 | 158 | 1,898 |
2029 | 42.4 | 184 | 2,204 |
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For further information, please contact
Matt Cutler – Head of Communications, Two Circles
matt.cutler@twocircles.com