Sports

Not only is the sports industry global, but it also reaches its global consumers on an emotional level. This makes it unique. Connecting emotionally with target consumers has always been a goal of marketers. This means the sports industry is ripe with marketing opportunities. The major trend in sports: it is a continually growing industry with a steady flow of audiences and participants.

The industry is extremely lucrative, bringing in roughly $450 billion a year between the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, and sales in sports apparel and equipment, according to Plunkett Research, Ltd. Personal tastes and technology are responsible for the constant evolution of the sports industry. Popular personalities have a great influence on what people want to watch. For example, Lance Armstrong influenced the growing popularity of cycling.

Trends can be seen within individual sports, many occurring in direct relation to the economic state of the country. Plunkett Research shows that tennis is up 30 percent in popularity from 2000, perhaps because it is one of the least expensive sports to participate in, while companies will begin to see a decline in the popularity of gas-guzzling activities such as RVs and motorboats due to high gas prices. Some sports and activities that have been growing in popularity are bowling, lacrosse, table tennis, roller-skating (not in-line skating) and paintball. Technological advances, such as NASCAR’s growing popularity over the older Indy 500, have also led to big changes within specific genres of sports.

Consumers’ technological tastes and abilities are evolving, making the Internet the newest arena for sports. According to Sports Marketing 2.0, growing trends include fantasy sports teams and online betting (poker). But the trend with the most growth, according to Plunkett Research, has nothing to do with the Internet: There has been an extreme boost in gym memberships and exercise equipment purchases.

So what can consumers and companies expect to see in the coming years? At AXIA, we foresee the push towards sports as both entertainment and experience. The smart marketer can take this already widely viewed category and appeal more to consumers’ emotions by giving sports even more entertaining and unique qualities. AXIA also sees the need to understand and use new and evolving technology to reach consumers. AXIA is ready to take advantage of the growing popularity of all-in-one cell phones and the emergence of sports news and events delivered via these devices. The sports industry is an ever-growing industry full of opportunity if you understand its trends and how to capture your target consumers. At AXIA we are prepared to provide the increased exposure needed to appeal to this market and place companies in good standing with these potential consumers.

“Introduction to the sports industry,” Plunkett Research, Ltd.
“Introduction to the sports industry,” Plunkett Research, Ltd. 2008 <http://www.plunkettresearch.com/Industries/Sports/SportsTrends/tabid/274/Default.aspx>.
Pat Coyle, “Top three trends in sports marketing over next 5 years,” Sports Marketing 2.0. 9 March 2007 < http://www.patcoyle.net/2007/03/09/top-3-trends-in-sports-marketing-over-next-5-years/>.
“Introduction to the sports industry,” Plunkett Research, Ltd.