slrg omnibus study - winter 2011

1

Sports Fan Mindset --2011

Presented February 8, 2011

2

Two Minute Take-Aways

•  An uptick in sports fan optimism about the year ahead, relative to recent years. Concurrently, fans still perceive lingering effects of the economic downturn. They just see themselves as breaking out of the malaise and inertia.

•  The NFL, MLB, and NCAA Sports continue to grow their following.

But nearly 75% feel that there are too many college bowl games.

•  Fans are still struggling to manage their time/priorities, and technology isn’t making it any easier.

•  70% of fans do not believe that there will be work stoppages in the NFL or NBA in 2011-12.

3

Background, Objectives and Methodology

•  Winter 2011 SLRG Sports Omnibus –  Assess the attitudes and perceptions of sports fans

•  Sports and Leisure Research Group launched the survey in 2009, with multiple and regular tracking waves to assess dynamic change.

•  The January 2011 online survey included a national sample of 1,250 Sports Fans

4

Sports People are Watching

21%

15%

23%

25%

47%

39%

67%

17%

18%

25%

44%

55%

60%

79%

10%

22%

24%

57%

64%

73%

88%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

NASCAR

NHL

NBA

Men's NCAA Basketball

MLB

NCAA Football

NFL Football

Winter 2011 Winter 2010 Summer 2009

1%

3%

7%

3%

3%

5%

9%

4%

6%

7%

8%

6%

5%

7%

2%

3%

4%

4%

4%

5%

6%

0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10%

WNBA

Boxing

Women's Tennis

Indy Car Racing

Horse Racing

Soccer

Men's Tennis

NFL , NCAA Football and Basketball, MLB Continue to grow their following. NASCAR has slipped

Top 3 Box

5

Recreational Sports Participation

12%

16%

24%

19%

12%

14%

11%

17%

70%

10%

11%

16%

13%

10%

13%

15%

17%

50%

9%

11%

12%

13%

14%

15%

20%

21%

62%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Bowling

Hiking/Camping

Fishing

Swimming

Basketball

Baseball/Softball

Running/Jogging

Bicycle Riding

Walking


1%

1%

2%

3%

6%

9%

8%

9%

6%

1%

2%

1%

2%

3%

5%

6%

5%

7%

1%

1%

2%

3%

3%

6%

6%

7%

9%

0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10%

Ice Skating

Scuba Diving

Ice Hockey

Soccer

Motorcycle Riding

Football

Hunting

Boating/Sailing

Tennis

Slight Uptick in Recreational Running, Cycling, Tennis

Top 3 Box

6

Professional Sports Gaining Popularity

23%

38%

34%

33%

21%

34%

41%

56%

19%

39%

26%

33%

23%

43%

59%

64%

23%

26%

31%

34%

34%

56%

67%

76%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

NHL

PGA Tour Golf

Soccer

MLB

NCAA Women’s Basketball

NCAA Men’s Basketball

NCAA Football

NFL


9%

15%

11%

14%

15%

21%

20%

28%

47%

5%

10%

6%

8%

7%

14%

18%

19%

38%

3%

4%

4%

4%

5%

6%

13%

20%

20%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Boxing

Women’s Tennis

Horse Racing

Men’s Tennis

WNBA

Indy Car Racing

LPGA Tour Golf

NBA

NASCAR

Top 3 Box

7

Professional Sports Popularity Remaining Steady

60%

54%

58%

64%

55%

58%

66%

69%

57%

50%

56%

58%

54%

56%

60%

62%

53%

53%

54%

56%

56%

57%

57%

57%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Indy Car Racing

PGA Tour Golf

NBA

Horse Racing

MLB

NHL

Women’s Tennis

Men’s Tennis


54%

41%

45%

59%

57%

42%

47%

62%

59%

39%

34%

38%

52%

49%

45%

50%

60%

58%

23%

23%

27%

41%

42%

43%

45%

50%

51%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

NCAA Football

NFL

Boxing


WNBA

NASCAR

Soccer


LPGA Tour Golf

Top 3 Box

8

Professional Sports Losing Popularity

20%

11%

17%

18%

25%

19%

29%

46%

24%

17%

31%

30%

36%

29%

44%

57%

36%

37%

39%

39%

40%

41%

54%

70%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

LPGA Tour Golf

NASCAR

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis

Horse Racing

Indy Car Racing

WNBA

Boxing


2%

4%

7%

11%

18%

8%

19%

19%

14%

1%

2%

5%

12%

15%

12%

25%

24%

25%

1%

1%

2%

10%

15%

20%

21%

24%

26%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

NFL

NCAA Football


MLB


PGA Tour Golf

NHL

Soccer

NBA

Top 3 Box

9

Net Change in Popularity

Net Change in Popularity (percentage points) Summer 2009 Winter 2010 Winter 2011

NFL 54 63 75 NCAA Football 37 57 66 NCAA Men's Basketball 27 21 54 MLB 22 21 24 NCAA Women's Basketball 3 -6 19 Soccer 15 2 7 PGA Tour Golf 30 27 6 NHL 4 -6 2 NBA 14 8 - 6 LPGA Tour Golf 0 -15 - 13 NASCAR 36 38 - 17 Indy Car Racing 2 -6 - 35 Men's Tennis -3 -20 - 35 Women's Tennis -3 -23 - 35 Horse Racing -14 -37 - 36 WNBA -14 -30 - 49 Boxing -37 -52 - 67

The NFL and NCAA Football had the greatest net increase, followed by NCCA Men’s Basketball, MLB, and NCAA Women’s Basketball

10

League Commissioners and NCAA Attitudes

6.5

7.9

7.8

5.7

5.7

6.4

6.8

7.7

5.7

5.9

6.4

7.0

7.7

Bud Selig, MLB

Gary Bettman, NHL

David Stern, NBA

Tim Finchem, PGA

Roger Goodell, NFL


Approval Rating for Commissioners

52%

56%

50%

48%

42%

74%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

College coaches who violate NCAA recruiting regulations should be

banned from coaching

There are too many college bowl games

2011 Sports Fans 2010 Non Sports Fans 2010 Sports Fans

NCAA Attitudes

Top 3 Box

11

58%

31%

10%

49%

29%

62%

41%

18%

54%

47%

63%

44%

20%

52% 51%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Quality service can make the ultimate difference in what I buy

Compared to my parents, I'm more self indulgent

If I see something I like, I don’t worry about the price

It's important to try new things This year will be a better year for me than last year was

2009 Sports Fans 2010 Sports Fans 2011 Sports Fans

Sports Fans Look for Service as Differentiator While Showing Slight Uptick in Optimism

Top 3 Box

12

…Retirement Prospects Appear Less Daunting!

21% 19%

38%

27%

35%

48%

36%

31% 34%

36%

46% 47%

38% 39%

30%

42%

47%

39%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

I invest so I can retire early I'm confident that I will have enough to reitre in

comfort

I plan to continue working even in retirement

I feel that I will be more comfortable in my

retirement than my parents are/were

I plan to spend actively on useful pastimes in my

retirement

It's important for my life to include a variety of unique

experiences

2009 Sports Fans 2010 Sports Fans 2011 Sports Fans Top 3 Box

13

But the Future is a Mixed Bag, When it Comes to Experiential Optimization

41%

26%

33% 34%

41%

37%

45%

24%

31%

41% 41% 40% 40%

15%

44%

37%

31% 29%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

I view retirement more as a time to experience new things, than as a time to

relax

I plan to scale down my lifestyle in my retirement

I'm looking forward to my "golden years"

I consider myself to be health conscious

The best years of my life are still to come

Age 60 is the new 40


14

..As Sports Fans are Still Stressed and Trying to Balance Their Lives!

70%

35%

24%

71%

32% 32%

73%

32%

39%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

We live in an age of constant updates I'm spending more time these days with friends and family, than I did in the past

There's too much new technology to keep up with


15

Sports Fans are Starting to Emerge from the cocoon, But “Child Centricity” is Still Acute

21%

64%

63%

15%

65%

55%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Spending time with and caring for children and aging parents will reduce the time I can dedicate to playing sports and attending sporting events

The world is less safe for children today than when I was a growing up

A college education is more critical for professional success today than when I was a kid

2011 Sports Fans 2010 Sports Fans Top 3 Box

16

Greater Intent to Spend Time out of home and with Business Associates! Is the Hangover Lifting?

57%

36%

47%

51%

47%

32%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

I'd rather spend time with family than friends or business associates

I'm planning to take a major vacation this year

Im spending more time at home than I did two years ago


17

Economic Concerns Linger…But Sports Fans Perceive Themselves to Be In Better Shape Than Others

7%

22%

46%

55%

26%

64%

5%

35%

33%

46%

25%

60%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

People will go back to spending freely on luxuries again in 2011

I feel better about my financial situation today than I did a year ago

Today, I have to make more difficult decisions about discretionary purchases than I did five years

ago

I'm more budget conscious today than I was two years ago

We have seen the U.S. unemployment rate reach bottom, and it will add jobs in 2010

There's really no such thing as job security anymore


Getty Images

18

66%

58%

51%

25%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Instant replay should be used in Major League Baseball to review

questionable calls

It's time for MLB to reinstate Pete rose and allow his

consideration for Hall of Fame induction

The Phillies and Red Sox have replaced the Yankees as "the best major league baseball teams that

money can buy"

2011 Sports Fans 2010 Sports Fans

No Love For LeBron; Confidence in Positive NBA Labor Outcome; Yankees are still MLB’s Mercenaries

29%

17%

13%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

There will be a “work stoppage” in the NBA in 2011-12

The Miami Heat will win the 2010-11 NBA Championship

I'm a fan of Lebron James

Top 3 Box

19

25% 30%

57%

51%

33%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

There will be a “work stoppage” in the NFL in 2011

Brett Favre has seriously tarnished his legacy over the last couple of years

Voters should look past Michael Vick's prior transgressions and give him full consideration for the NFL MVP honor

this season

The NFL has been appropriate in disciplinary policies with players

regarding unnecessary roughness during the 2010 season


NFL Topical Issues—Growing, but not Overwhelming Concern for a Work Stoppage!

Top 3 Box

20

7%

27%

34%

53%

34%

30%

6%

20%

32%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

There is too much emphasis on winning in youth sports, today

I'd rather watch pro sports on TV than attend a live game

Professional sports leagues' should limit and manage player usage of Twitter

I’m interested in learning more about the private lives of top sports stars.

Once an athlete becomes a public figure, it is acceptable for his or her

private life to be open to public scrutiny

Professional athletes are role models


Perceptions: On Field Matters More than Off the Field; OnSite Fan Experience Bests TV; Tiger Comeback?

69%

43%

43%

35%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Tiger Woods will ultimately go down in history as the greatest golfer of all time.

I expect Tiger Woods to make a big comeback on the PGA TOUR in 2011

The golfing public is rooting for Tiger Woods to come back strong in 2011

Top 3 Box

slrg omnibus study - winter 2011

Sports

ncaa sports

mens ncaa basketball

sports fans2010 sports

ncaa mens basketball27

ncaa mens basketball52

ncaa football37

ncaa football2

ncaa womens basketball23