Australian Open generates most positive ‘buzz’ among sporting events and competitions

The Australian Open has topped a ranking of sports that generate the most positive ‘buzz’ among Australians, according to data released by YouGov.

Assessing the 10 sporting properties which generated the most positive sporting sentiments among Australians in the last year, the Grand Slam tournament topped the rankings with a score of +35.4.

The ranking is based on YouGov SportsIndex data which measures the public’s perception of sports teams, events and leagues on a daily basis, compiling the highest four-week average buzz scores to create the rankings. Buzz scores are a net measure of whether respondents have heard positive and negative news about an event or sports property over a specified fortnight.

The first major tennis championship of the season tends to garner huge interest amongst sports fans and the presence of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic ensured significant buzz around last year’s tournament. The ‘Big Three’ of men’s tennis all made the quarter finals and catapulted the tournament to the top of the YouGov’s 2021 Australian sport rankings.

While the Australian Open leads the top 10, cricket dominates the list taking three of the top 10 spots.

The Big Bash League’s second place with a peak score of +22.2, reflects the enormous attending matches, followed by the brand of governing body Cricket Australia (+21.8).

In seventh place the Women’s Big Bash League scored +12.5, not far behind the AFL Women’s competition in sixth place on a score of +19.8 - with both brands reflecting the ever-increasing popularity of women’s sport both in Australia and globally.

Although paused due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the AFL took fourth spot on the ranking, hitting a peak score of +21.4 in October as Richmond Tigers claimed a second consecutive title.

Sandwiched between the men’s and women’s AFL was rugby league’s State of Origin Series in fifth place on the list; while the final three places were taken by ATP Men’s Tennis which scored +12.2 in January, the English Premier League which hit a peak of +12.0 in February and the Formula One World Championship which scored +11.6 in September.

Commenting on the research, Ned Morris Managing Director of YouGov Australia & New Zealand - Sports, stated “the pandemic might have resulted in delays and disruptions to live sports events, but has clearly not impacted Aussie sports fans from chattering about their favourite sports leagues. While the Australian Open tops the list, it appears that cricket is what has dominated Aussie conversations this year. As the pandemic rolls on, it will be interesting to see how sporting leagues continue to adapt, to keep the games going.”

Tennis the most popular sport among Australia’s female fans
YouGov’s findings on the value of tennis brands concurs with recent data released by Nielsen FanLinks which shows tennis as the most popular sport among female fans in Australia, with the information offering potential for brands wanting to reach that demographic.

The data shows that female tennis fans in Australia are 16% more likely than the average Australian female to change health insurance providers in the next 12 months and are 12% more likely than the average Australian female to buy a car in the next 12 months.

Releasing the data to coincide with the Australian Open, Scott Gillham, Scott has a accountHead of Nielsen Sports - Pacific, stated “rights owners, brands and agencies can leverage our insights on consumers’ path to purchase behaviours to plan their marketing activities to specific targeted audiences that are passionate about tennis.”

Despite Coronavirus quarantine criticisms, Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley is confident that the tournament will “will play a major role in both the economic and psychological reinvigoration and rejuvenation of Melbourne and Victoria” and will provide critical opportunities for local businesses.

The Australian Open’s partners are at the forefront of brands using sporting events for promotion.

Kia Motors has returned as a major sponsor for its 20th year while other major partners for the tournament include Emirates, Luzhou Laojiao and Rolex. Other brands involved in 2021 are Chemist Warehouse, Uber Eats, ANZ, Canadian Club, Bondi Sands, Infosys and Santos.

Main image courtesy of Tennis Australia.