Sport fans want their teams to lead on environment, sustainability and inclusion issues

A new survey from YouGov has revealed that sport fans in 2022 have a concern about environmental, sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues with 47% of fans around the world considering whether brands are socially and environmentally responsible when making purchases.

The study, Global Sports 2022: Uncovering the Socially Responsible Sports Fan, from YouGov Sport, reveals that sport fans also believe there should be more DEI in sport (68%) and that DEI should be considered when putting on events (65%).

Aiming to improve understanding of sport fans and they what they want from sporting brands, teams, leagues and organisations, and aid rights holders and their sponsors engage with them, the study advises that 76% of the adult population follow sport.

Among this audience, the study found that 34% of fans would prefer to watch women’s sports over men’s, along with concern over pay disparities between genders.

Overall, 68% of global sport fans believe salaries of professional athletes should be based on skill, not gender, with women (70%) ranking this issue higher than men (67%).

More than half (56%) of global sports fans believe tennis tournaments should offer men and women equal prize money, while 51% believe the men’s and women’s World Cup winners should earn the same amount.

The majority (55%) of sports fans also don’t feel there is enough female representation in senior positions in the sports industry.

What fans want from sport organisations
Sports fans, more than the general population, gravitate to brands that take social and moral stands. They think positively about brands that communicate ethical messages (62% vs. 59%) and are willing to get involved in social issues (49% vs. 45%). They believe a brand’s success should be built by creating real connections with customers (66% vs. 64%).

They want brands to be authentic and transparent (84%), believe brands should show they care (85%) and should stand for something (78%). And they overwhelmingly believe professional sports people should be role models - 71%, compared to 65% of general sport fans and 61% of the global population.

Implications
Explaining that the YouGov Sport report delivers a clear picture for sports organisations and the companies that sponsor them that fans want more from their teams than just wins and championships, Nicole Pike, YouGov’s Senior Vice President and Head of Sports and Gaming, declared “fans want their teams and the brands that sponsor them, to be aware of social justice, the environment, DEI and other issues.

“And they want more than a message. They want teams and brands to act on these issues in a way that can champion change. For companies that take action, fans will reward them with their loyalty by purchasing their products.”

Australian sport fans
Following the release of the Uncovering the Socially Responsible Sports Fan report, YouGov has revealed that 77% of Australians are more likely to be a fan of sports, with older age groups more interested in following sport than younger generations.

The demographic divide breaks down as follows:
• Age 18 to 24 - 69% 
• Age 25 to 34 - 76%
• Age 35 to 44 - 77%
• Age 45 to 54 - 79%
• Age 55+ - 78%

Other key findings:
• 66% of Australians think that having the Olympics is good for the international community.
• 67% of Australians follow the Summer Olympics whereas 49% follow the Winter Olympics. 
• Among Australian sport fans, 66% watch sports less than five hours per week. 

Most followed national teams:
• Australian National Swim Team (Dolphins) (53%)
• Australian Men’s National Test Cricket Team (48%)
• Australian Men’s National Davis Cup Tennis Team (45%). 

Most followed games/codes/events (level of interest):
• Commonwealth Games - 71% 
• The Australian Open (Tennis) - 62%
• Wimbledon Tennis - 58%
• AFL - 57%
• State of Origin (men’s) - 50%

The Australian data was extracted from YouGov Profiles which tracks more then two million data variables from YouGov’s 20 million global panel members in 49 markets, covering demographic, psychographic, attitudinal, and behavioural consumer metrics, with data collected daily and updated weekly.

Click here to access the Global Sports 2022: Uncovering the Socially Responsible Sports Fan report.

Image: Fans engage with the West Coast Eagles AFLW team.