SLRG Omnibus Study - Winter 2011

Sports Fan Mindset --2011

Presented February 8, 2011 1

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.

2

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

3

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

88% 6%
NFL Football 79% Men's Tennis 7%
67% 9%

73% 5%
NCAA Football 60% Soccer 5%
39% 5%

64% 4%
MLB 55% Horse Racing 6%
47% 3%
57% 4%
Men's NCAA Basketball 44% Indy Car Racing 8%
25% 3%
24% 4%
NBA 25% Women's Tennis 7%
23% 7%
22%
NHL 18% 3%
15% Boxing 6%
3%
10%
NASCAR 17% 2%
21% WNBA 4%
1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10%
Winter 2011 Winter 2010 Summer 2009 Top 3 Box

4

Recreational Sports Participation
Slight Uptick in Recreational Running, Cycling, Tennis

62% 9%
Walking 50% Tennis 7%
70% 6%
21% 7%
Bicycle Riding 17% Boating/Sailing 5%
17% 9%
20% 6%
Running/Jogging 15% Hunting 6%
11% 8%
15% 6%
Baseball/Softball 13% Football 5%
14% 9%
14% 3%
Basketball 10% Motorcycle Riding 3%
12% 6%
13% 3%
Swimming 13% Soccer 2%
19% 3%
12% 2%
Fishing 16%
24% Ice Hockey 1%
2%
11%
Hiking/Camping 11% 1%
16% Scuba Diving 2%
1%
9%
Bowling 10% 1%
12% Ice Skating 1%
1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10%

5

Professional Sports Gaining Popularity

76% 20%
NFL 64% NASCAR 38%
56% 47%

67% 20%
NBA 19%
NCAA Football 59% 28%
41%
13%
56% LPGA Tour Golf 18%
NCAA Men’s Basketball 43% 20%
34%
6%
34% Indy Car Racing 14%
NCAA Women’s Basketball 23% 21%
21%
5%
WNBA 7%
34% 15%
MLB 33%
33% 4%
Men’s Tennis 8%
31% 14%
Soccer 26%
34% 4%
Horse Racing 6%
11%
26%
PGA Tour Golf 39% 4%
38% Women’s Tennis 10%
15%
23%
NHL 19% 3%
23% Boxing 5%
9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

6

Professional Sports Popularity Remaining Steady

57% 51%
Men’s Tennis 62% LPGA Tour Golf 58%
69% 59%

57% 50%
NCAA Women’s Basketball 60%
Women’s Tennis 60% 62%
66%
45%
57% Soccer 50%
NHL 56% 47%
58%
43%
56% NASCAR 45%
MLB 54% 42%
55%
42%
WNBA 49%
56% 57%
Horse Racing 58%
64% 41%
NCAA Men’s Basketball 52%
54% 59%
NBA 56%
58% 27%
Boxing 38%
45%
53%
PGA Tour Golf 50% 23%
54% NFL 34%
41%
53%
Indy Car Racing 57% 23%
60% NCAA Football 39%
54%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

7

Professional Sports Losing Popularity

70% 26%
Boxing 57% NBA 25%
46% 14%

54% 24%
Soccer 24%
WNBA 44% 19%
29%
21%
41% NHL 25%
Indy Car Racing 29% 19%
19%
20%
40% PGA Tour Golf 12%
Horse Racing 36% 8%
25%
15%
NCAA Women’s Basketball 15%
39% 18%
Women’s Tennis 30%
18% 10%
MLB 12%
39% 11%
Men’s Tennis 31%
17% 2%
NCAA Men’s Basketball 5%
7%
37%
NASCAR 17% 1%
11% NCAA Football 2%
4%
36%
LPGA Tour Golf 24% 1%
20% NFL 1%
2%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

8

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

9

League Commissioners and NCAA Attitudes

Approval Rating for Commissioners NCAA Attitudes

7.7
Roger Goodell, NFL 7.7
7.8
74%
7.0
Tim Finchem, PGA 6.8
7.9 There are too many college bowl
48%
6.4 games
David Stern, NBA 6.4
56%
5.9
Gary Bettman, NHL 5.7

5.7
Bud Selig, MLB 5.7
6.5
42%
Winter 2011 Winter 2010 Summer 2009 College coaches who violate NCAA
recruiting regulations should be 50%
banned from coaching
52%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Top 3 Box
2011 Sports Fans 2010 Non Sports Fans 2010 Sports Fans

10

Sports Fans Look for Service as Differentiator While
Showing Slight Uptick in Optimism
70%

62% 63%

60% 58%
54%
52% 51%
49%
50% 47%
44%
41%
40%

31%
29%
30%

20%
20% 18%

10%
10%

0%
Quality service can make the Compared to my parents, I'm If I see something I like, I don’t It's important to try new things This year will be a better year
ultimate difference in what I buy more self indulgent worry about the price for me than last year was

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

11

…Retirement Prospects Appear Less Daunting!

60%

50% 48% 47%
46% 47%
42%
39% 39%
40% 38% 38%
36% 36% 35%
34%
31% 30%
30% 27%

21%
19%
20%

10%

0%
I invest so I can retire early I'm confident that I will I plan to continue working I feel that I will be more I plan to spend actively on It's important for my life to
have enough to reitre in even in retirement comfortable in my useful pastimes in my include a variety of unique
comfort retirement than my parents retirement experiences
are/were
Top 3 Box

12

But the Future is a Mixed Bag, When it Comes to
Experiential Optimization
50%
45% 44%
45%
41% 40% 41% 41% 41%
40%
40% 37% 37%
34%
35% 33%
31% 31%
29%
30%
26%
24%
25%

20%
15%
15%

10%

5%

0%
I view retirement more as a I plan to scale down my I'm looking forward to my I consider myself to be The best years of my life Age 60 is the new 40
time to experience new lifestyle in my retirement "golden years" health conscious are still to come
things, than as a time to
relax
Top 3 Box

13

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

80%
73%
70% 71%
70%

60%

50%

39%
40%
35%
32% 32% 32%
30%
24%

20%

10%

0%
We live in an age of constant updates I'm spending more time these days with There's too much new technology to
friends and family, than I did in the past keep up with
Top 3 Box

14

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

55%
A college education is more critical for
professional success today than when I was a kid
63%

65%
The world is less safe for children today than
when I was a growing up
64%

Spending time with and caring for children and 15%
aging parents will reduce the time I can dedicate
to playing sports and attending sporting events 21%

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

2011 Sports Fans 2010 Sports Fans
Top 3 Box

15

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

32%
Im spending more time at home than I did two
years ago
47%

47%
I'm planning to take a major vacation this year
36%

51%
I'd rather spend time with family than friends or
business associates
57%

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

Top 3 Box

16

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

There's really no such thing as job security 60%
anymore 64%

We have seen the U.S. unemployment rate reach 25%
bottom, and it will add jobs in 2010 26%

I'm more budget conscious today than I was two 46%
years ago 55%

Today, I have to make more difficult decisions
33%
about discretionary purchases than I did five years
46%
ago

I feel better about my financial situation today 35%
than I did a year ago 22%

People will go back to spending freely on luxuries 5%
again in 2011 7%

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

Top 3 Box

17

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

The Phillies and Red Sox have 13%
25%
replaced the Yankees as "the best
I'm a fan of Lebron James
major league baseball teams that
money can buy"

It's time for MLB to reinstate
51% 17%
Pete rose and allow his The Miami Heat will win the
consideration for Hall of Fame 2010-11 NBA Championship
induction

Instant replay should be used in 58% 29%
Major League Baseball to review There will be a “work stoppage”
questionable calls 66% in the NBA in 2011-12

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
2011 Sports Fans 2010 Sports Fans Top 3 Box

18

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

70%

60% 57%
51%
50%

40%
33%
30%
30% 25%

20%

10%

0%
There will be a “work stoppage” in the Brett Favre has seriously tarnished his Voters should look past Michael Vick's The NFL has been appropriate in
NFL in 2011 legacy over the last couple of years prior transgressions and give him full disciplinary policies with players
consideration for the NFL MVP honor regarding unnecessary roughness during
this season the 2010 season

2010 Sports Fans 2011 Sports Fans Top 3 Box

19

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

32%
Professional athletes are role models
34% 35%
The golfing public is rooting for Tiger
Woods to come back strong in 2011
Once an athlete becomes a public
20%
figure, it is acceptable for his or her
private life to be open to public scrutiny 27%

I’m interested in learning more about 6%
the private lives of top sports stars. 7%
43%
I expect Tiger Woods to make a big
comeback on the PGA TOUR in 2011
Professional sports leagues' should limit 30%
and manage player usage of Twitter

I'd rather watch pro sports on TV than 34%
attend a live game
43%
Tiger Woods will ultimately go down in
history as the greatest golfer of all time.
There is too much emphasis on winning 53% 69%
in youth sports, today

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Top 3 Box

20

SLRG Omnibus Study - Winter 2011

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