2016 annual report · motogp 4.1 iaaf world athletics championships 4.0 nfl american football 3.9...

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2016 ANNUAL REPORT

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2016 ANNUAL REPORT

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CONTENTS

Introduction01

Headlines & Rankings02

Top 10 Sports Events03

Movers and Improvers04

Summary by Sport05

3-year Review 2013-201506

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INTRODUCTION

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Introduction01

INTRODUCTION BY FRANK SAEZ

Welcome to SportsIndex 2016, the third annual summary of performance by leading domestic and international sports events in the UK.

SportsIndex is the first and only syndicated product which, every day, measures perceptions amongst the UK general public across 60 leading UK and international sports events.

Sports events have been ranked using SportsIndex buzz score – the level of public awareness of good and bad news about the sports event during the year.

In addition to buzz, SportsIndex analyses the overall brand health and awareness of sports properties, as measured by a comprehensive range of 16 metrics.

We hope you find the report informative.

Regards

Frank Saez Managing Director SMG Insight / YouGov

WELCOME TO SPORTSINDEX 2016

The previous versions of the report can be found online at:

www.smg-insight.com/sportsindex-annual-report

Events show an increase in buzz

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Events show a decrease in buzz

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SportsIndex is a measure of perception among the public, allowing 16 metrics to be accurately tracked across 60 sporting events covering 17 sports simultaneously. This lets you track public awareness and perception of yours and your competitor’s sporting events on a daily basis.

Results are delivered through an instant-access online reporting tool so you can keep a constant eye on brand health. Because the data is updated daily, any changes in public perception can be spotted immediately and acted on accordingly.

SportsIndex operates at a national and international level, allowing you to track brand perception in just one country, compare across multiple countries and/or monitor a global picture.

In addition, BrandIndex is also included in SportsIndex so you can track perceptions of 850 consumer brands alongside sporting events.

ABOUT SPORTSINDEX

Introduction01

Major sports properties monitored

60Key brand metrics

measured

16Sports sectors

covered

17

INDEXBUZZ

IMPRESSION

QUALITY

VALUE

REPUTATION

SATISFACTION

RECOMMEND

BRAND AWARENESS

AD AWARENESS

WOM EXPOSURE

CONSIDERATION

PURCHASE INTENT

CURRENT CUSTOMER

FORMER CUSTOMER

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16 metrics

ATTENTION3

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Brand Health Brand SentimentRecent Awareness

Brand Purchase Funnel

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The SportsIndex Report 2016 analyses the performance of overall recent public awareness and sentiment of news about leading UK and international sports competitions events, by buzz, by interviewing 100 people each day.

Respondents are asked “Over the PAST TWO WEEKS, which of the following sporting events have you heard something positive/negative about?”

Buzz is the net difference between the amount of respondents hearing positive news and those hearing negative news in the previous two weeks. Buzz may also be negative if the event has been subject to a high level of negative publicity.

The buzz score ranges from 100 to -100 with a zero score equaling a neutral position. Example: a score of 35 means that 35% more people said they were positive than negative about the brand.

Buzz uses a four-week moving average of daily scores during the year. The buzz score listed is the peak achieved by the sports competition during 2015.

Change in buzz has been statistically tested at the 95% level in order to determine if 2015 results are significantly different compared to previous years. Those that are statistically significantly different have been highlighted in green or red, representing that they have increased or decreased.

WHAT’S BUZZ?

METHODOLOGY

Introduction01

2016 ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015



NOTE ON DATES Date Range

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HEADLINES & RANKINGS

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TENNIS ON TOPThe Top 10 is dominated by tennis, with four major events securing places and three amongst the leading improvers.

DAVIS CUP SUCCESSTop improver this year, as well as best overall improver over the last three years, buzz around the ITF Davis Cup shows the most dramatic increase.

WIMBLEDON WINSConfirming its place in the hearts of the British public, Wimbledon is the top-ranked annual event for the third consecutive year.

ANNUAL EVENTS EXCELNine of the Top 10 events are annual, with the iRB Rugby World Cup the only periodic event to feature.

RANKINGS SHAKE-UPFour events leave the Top 10, including the F1 Grand Prix and Grand National, whilst six newcomers join.

BOAT RACE BUZZNew to SportsIndex, the Boat Race launches itself straight into sixth place in what was an historic year for this event.

Headlines and Rankings02

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Wimbledon Championships 39.1

London Marathon 26.7

Six Nations Rugby Championship 26.4

iRB Rugby World Cup 25.1

International Test Cricket 18.8

The Boat Race 18.0

Australian Open Tennis 17.8

Queen’s Tennis Championship 17.4

ITF Davis Cup 16.7

The FA Cup 16.0

Formula 1 British Grand Prix 13.0

US Masters Golf 12.4

French Open 12.1

Grand National 11.6

UEFA Champions League 9.4

Tour of Britain, Cycling 9.2

Cheltenham Gold Cup 9.2

Royal Ascot Horse Racing 9.1

America’s Cup 9.0

English Premier League 8.7

Twenty20 Cricket 8.7

The Open Championship 8.5

US Open Tennis 8.4

2016 Summer Paralympic Games 7.9

The Football League Championship 7.5

ICC Cricket World Cup 7.3

Goodwood Festival of Speed 7.2

World Swimming Championships 6.7

FA Women’s Super League (WSL) 6.7

Scottish Open Golf 6.5

Premiership Rugby 5.7

England National Football Team 5.4

FIA Formula E Championship 5.3

The Ryder Cup 5.2

ATP World Tour Finals 4.8

2018 Winter Olympics Games 4.8

Epsom Derby 4.7

MotoGP 4.1

IAAF World Athletics Championships 4.0

NFL American Football 3.9

Super League Rugby 3.6

European Cup Rugby 3.5

UEFA Europa League 3.5

Glorious Goodwood Horse Racing 3.3

European Athletics Championships 3.2

iRB Rugby Sevens 2.8

British & Irish Lions Rugby Tour 2.7

RideLondon 2.6

World Snooker Championship 2.6

PGA Championship, Wentworth 2.5

2016 Summer Olympic Games 2.5

The Scottish FA Cup 2.4

International Triathlon World Cup 2.4

2018 Commonwealth Games 1.9

Scottish Premiership 1.9

Cowes Week 1.7

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 1.7

Tour de France 1.2

NBA Basketball 1.2

2018 FIFA World Cup -6.1

Headlines and Rankings02

2016 ANNUAL REPORT SPORTSINDEX RANKINGS21

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PEAK BUZZ 2015EVENT

RANKINGS2015 2014 2013

PEAK BUZZ 2015EVENT

RANKINGS2015 2014 2013

PEAK BUZZ 2015EVENT

RANKINGS2015 2014 2013

NOTE ON DATES 2016 ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 2015 ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2014 2014 ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2013

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TOP 10 SPORTS EVENTS

03Includes annual and periodic events

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Top 10 Sports Events 03

NEWLY MONITORED EVENTS

iRB Rugby World Cup 2015

International Test Cricket

The Boat Race

Australian Open Tennis

Queen’s Tennis Championships

ITF Davis Cup

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N/A

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2015 2014 2013 Previous Year RankingsRank

ENTERING THE TOP 10

LEAVING THE TOP 10


2015 Rank

The Boat Race

America’s Cup

2016 Summer Paralympic Games

ICC Cricket World Cup

FA Women’s Super League

PGA Championship, Wentworth

Cowes Week

Tour de France

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F1 Grand Prix

Grand National

Tour of Britain Cycling

Ryder Cup

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2015 2014 2013 Previous Year RankingsRank

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Wimbledon Championships

Top annual event for the third consecutive year, the Wimbledon Championships achieved a peak buzz score of 39.1, only marginally different to 2014 but significantly lower than 2013 when the event reached a record 55.8 due to Andy Murray’s tournament victory.

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Previous Rankings 2014 20132 1

Movement 1

London Marathon

Moving up four places to rank second, the 35th London Marathon was the biggest in the event’s history, with more than 38,000 runners taking part. Record participation boosted the event’s profile and the race achieved a buzz score of 26.7, an increase of 2.1 since 2014.

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Movement 4

Six Nations Rugby

The Six Nations 2015 tournament was a closely fought contest, with a dramatic final showdown between England and France attracting record audiences. Heightened interest in the competition pushed the event up two places in the rankings, also reflecting general increased positivity towards rugby during the year of the World Cup.

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Movement 2


16.0

16.7

17.4

17.8

18.0

18.8

25.1

26.4

26.7

39.1

The FA Cup

ITF Davis Cup

Queen’s Tennis Championship


The Boat Race


iRB Rugby World Cup

Six Nations Rugby Championship

London Marathon

Wimbledon Championships

Peak Buzz % 2016

TOP 10 SPORTS EVENTS /// ANNUAL AND PERIODIC EVENTS

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RANK 2015

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Rugby World Cup 2015

Scoring a peak buzz of 25,1, RWC 2015 firmly secured its place in the Top 5 events. Given the profile of this quadrennial event and England’s hosting of it, the eighth Rugby World Cup might have been expected to achieve a higher ranking – however, England’s early exit, followed by Scotland and Wales at the quarter final stages, resulted in a decline in interest as the tournament proceeded.

4


Movement 25


Having missed out on the Top 10 in 2014, International Test Cricket made a reappearance in 2015. Scoring 18.8, an increase of 6.4 on 2014, the event’s robust performance is largely attributable to England’s reclaiming of the Ashes on home soil.

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Movement 8


Returning to the Top 10 after a year of absence, the Australian Open ranked seventh, achieving a peak buzz of 17.8, a 7.8 increase on its 2014 score. The tournament’s improved performance was buoyed by Andy Murray’s success in reaching the 2015 final against Djokovic.

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Movement 12

Queen’s Tennis Championships

Following a similar patter to the Australian Open, Queen’s re-entered the Top 10 in 2015. As Andy Murray fought his way to victory for the fourth time, playing what was widely regarded as some of his best tennis ever, event buzz peaked at 17.4.

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Movement 7

NEW ENTRY AND NEWLY MONITORED EVENT



The Boat Race

2015 was an historic year for the Boat Race, with the women’s race staged over the same stretch of the Thames and on the same day as the men’s race for the first time in the event’s 87 year history. Both races were broadcast live, boosting interest and launching the Boat Race straight into sixth place.

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Previous Rankings 2014 2013N/A N/A

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ITF Davis Cup

Again demonstrating the impact of strong performances by domestic sports stars, the ITF Davis Cup is the fourth tennis tournament to appear in the Top 10. Audiences were captivated as Andy Murray led Great Britain to its first Davis Cup title in 79 years, producing a peak buzz of 16.7, 10 points up on 2014.

9


Movement 21

The FA Cup

Holding onto the tenth spot, the FA Cup is the only football event to feature in the Top 10. The 2015 tournament achieved a buzz score of 16.0 as winning side Arsenal became the most decorated team in FA Cup history, beating Aston Villa 4-0 in the final.

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Movement 2


Wimbledon Championships Tennis Annual 39.1 39.6

London Marathon Athletics Annual 26.7 24.6

Six Nations Rugby Championship Rugby Annual 26.4 27.4

iRB Rugby World Cup Rugby Every 4 years 25.1 6.7

International Test Cricket Cricket Annual 18.8 12.3

The Boat Race Watersports Annual 18.0 *Australian Open Tennis Tennis Annual 17.8 10.0

Queen’s Tennis Championship Tennis Annual 17.4 11.7

ITF Davis Cup Tennis Annual 16.7 6.7

The FA Cup Football Annual 16.0 17.7

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PEAK BUZZ 2015

PEAK BUZZ 2014 EVENT SPORT TIMING

TOP 10 SPORTS EVENTS /// ANNUAL AND PERIODIC EVENTS


RANK 2015

N/A Not tracked

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MOVERS AND IMPROVERS

04Annual events only

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0.3

0.4

1.1

1.5

2.1

4.1

5.7

6.4

7.8

10.0

Premiership Rugby

Goodwood Festival of Speed

US Masters Golf

Twenty20 Cricket

London Marathon

Royal Ascot Horse Racing

Queen’s Tennis Championship



ITF Davis Cup

Top ImproverThe ITF Davis Cup, showing an increase of 10.0 in peak buzz, confidently qualifies as top improver for 2015 following Great Britain’s tournament victory.

Surge in BuzzIn contrast to 2014, which was dominated by football, 2015 witnessed a surge in buzz by tennis and cricket, accounting for five of the Top 10 improver events.

Leading the RankingsAs well as featuring in the overall Top 10 events for the year, the ITF Davis Cup, Australian Open, International Test Cricket and Queen’s Tennis Championships comprised the four top improvers in 2015.

First AppearanceNewly monitored event, Royal Ascot, makes its first appearance in the Top 10 Improvers list, following a successful year in which new records were set and prize money topped £5.5m for the first time ever.

Moving on UpCurrently ranked seventh among the Top 10 improvers, Twenty20 Cricket is one of two cricket events to show a significant increase in buzz and is expected to score even higher in 2016 with the ICC World Twenty20 taking place in India in March.


TOP 10 IMPROVERS /// BUZZ INCREASE /// ANNUAL EVENTS ONLY

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RANK 2015

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TOP 10 IMPROVERS /// ANNUAL EVENTS ONLY

ITF Davis Cup +10.0 16.7 6.7

Australian Open Tennis +7.8 17.8 10.0

International Test Cricket +6.4 18.8 12.4

Queen’s Tennis Championship +5.7 17.4 11.7

Royal Ascot Horse Racing +4.1 9.1 4.9

London Marathon +2.1 26.7 24.6

Twenty20 Cricket +1.5 8.7 7.2

US Masters Golf +1.1 12.4 11.3

Goodwood Festival of Speed +0.4 7.2 6.8

Premiership Rugby +0.3 5.7 5.5

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PEAK BUZZ 2015

PEAK BUZZ 2014 EVENT

CHANGE -/+ % POINTS

RANK 2015

Changes that are statistically significantly different at a 95% level are coloured red or green -/+

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SUMMARY BY SPORT

05Buzz analysis by sporting category – including annual and periodic events

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The IAAF Athletics Championships experienced a slight increase in buzz following Great Britain’s successful performance at the 2015 Beijing World Athletics Championships, finishing fourth and winning 18 medals including golds from Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah.

The European Athletics Championships on the other hand suffered a significant buzz drop of 10.5, most likely due to recent publicity around the doping scandal casting a negative cloud over the sport. The coming year will be crucial in terms of

Summary by Sport 05

ATHLETICS

IAAF World Athletics Championships 4.0 3.7 +0.4

European Athletics Championships 3.2 13.7 -10.5

39

45 rebuilding the sport’s reputation and it will be interesting to see how the sport fares in the 2017 SportsIndex Annual Report.

PEAK BUZZ 2014

CHANGE -/+

% POINTS EVENT

PEAK BUZZ 2015

RANK 2015


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Summary by Sport 05

CRICKET


International Test Cricket features in the overall Top 10 events, as well as in the Top 10 Improvers list alongside Twenty20 cricket. Both events demonstrated a significant buzz increase in 2015, making cricket one of the best performing sports in this year’s report, second only to tennis.

CRICKET

England’s regaining of the Ashes at Trent Bridge will certainly have had a positive impact on cricket buzz in the UK, along with the team winning six of its 14 test matches during 2015. Ranked 5th and 4th in the world for International Test Cricket and Twenty20 cricket respectively, England appear to be on target for success following management changes during 2015.

Excitement has been building around the ICC World Twenty20 in March 2016, with England considered serious contenders and Scotland also confirming their place in the tournament. This year’s competition will be the last biennial event before the World Twenty20 switches to a four year cycle, which may influence cricket buzz score going forwards.

International Test Cricket 18.8 12.4 +6.4

Twenty20 Cricket 8.7 7.2 +1.5

ICC Cricket World Cup 7.3 * *

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PEAK BUZZ 2014

CHANGE -/+

% POINTS EVENT

PEAK BUZZ 2015

RANK 2015

N/A Not tracked Changes that are statistically significantly different at a 95% level are coloured red or green -/+

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Summary by Sport 05

CYCLING


The Tour de France entered the rankings as a newly-monitored cycling event in 2015, registering a positive buzz score in third place behind the Tour of Britain and RideLondon, both of which experienced a decrease in buzz during 2015.

It is the first time since 2013 that the Tour of Britain has not featured in the Top 10, slipping 6 places down the rankings to 16th. Recent years have been particularly successful for the sport of cycling, with interest amongst the public peaking around 2013 – 2014 on the back of outstanding performances by sporting heroes such as Hoy, Wiggins, Pendleton and Cavendish. With the event in its twelfth year in 2015, buzz around the Tour of Britain has simultaneously increased and is only now beginning to demonstrate a slight downturn.

Mass participation cycling festival, RideLondon, also celebrated another successful year in which it attracted more than 95,000 participants across five separate events. However, it too experienced a decrease in buzz, which again could be due to a slight downturn following a number of hugely successful years for cycling.

Tour of Britain, Cycling 9.2 14.4 -5.2

RideLondon 2.6 5.5 -2.9

Tour de France 1.2 * *

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PEAK BUZZ 2014

CHANGE -/+

% POINTS EVENT

PEAK BUZZ 2015

RANK 2015


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Football events experienced an overall decline in buzz during 2015, with eight out of ten showing a decrease in peak score. The FA Cup remained the top ranked football event, achieving a peak buzz of 16.0 and holding onto tenth place in the overall Top 10 events.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup continued to drop down the rankings, decreasing by 6.1 and placing itself 60th for the second year running, no doubt due to increasingly controversial publicity surrounding FIFA itself.

Just managing to retain a place in the Top 20, the English Premier League was the second ranked football event, achieving a peak score of 8.7, approximately half that of the FA Cup.

The England National Football Team was the only football entry to increase its buzz score, rising by 2.3, which is likely to be attributable to the team’s clean sweep qualification for Euro 2016.

One new football event joined SportsIndex in 2015 – the FA Women’s Super League (WSL). With record attendances in the last twelve months, this event is one to watch in the coming year.

Summary by Sport 05

FOOTBALL

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The FA Cup 16.0 17.7 -1.7

UEFA Champions League 9.4 10.8 -1.4

English Premier League 8.7 10.9 -2.2

The Football League Championship 7.5 8.2 -0.7

FA Women’s Super League (WSL) 6.71 * *England National Football Team 5.4 3.11 +2.3

UEFA Europa League 3.5 4.3 -0.8

The Scottish FA Cup 2.4 4.0 -1.6

Scottish Premiership 1.9 2.5 -0.6

2018 FIFA World Cup -6.1 -3.41 -2.8

PEAK BUZZ 2014

CHANGE -/+

% POINTS EVENT

PEAK BUZZ 2015

RANK 2015

N/A Not tracked 1Partial year data only Changes that are statistically significantly different at a 95% level are coloured red or green -/+

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Having appeared in the 2014 Top 5 as a result of the European team’s win that year, the Ryder Cup showed a dramatic decrease in buzz during 2015.

This negative trend was largely due to the event being biennial – however, 2015 also witnessed several British golf players slide down the rankings, with Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter exiting the Top 50 and Rory McIlroy falling from first to third place. With the next Ryder Cup scheduled for September in Minnesota, it remains to be seen whether buzz around the event will take a positive u-turn.

The US Masters was the only golf event to improve its buzz score, replacing the Ryder Cup as the top event in its sporting category.

Scottish Open Golf experienced a slight decrease in buzz of 0.5 but nevertheless managed to rise in the rankings, claiming third place.

Newly monitored golf event, the PGA Championship Wentworth, entered the chart for the first time; with the next competition scheduled for May 2016, there is every possibility that this tournament will move up the rankings in the coming year.

Summary by Sport 05

GOLF


US Masters Golf 12.4 11.3 +1.1

The Open Championship 8.5 12.2 -3.7

Scottish Open Golf 6.5 7.0 -0.5

The Ryder Cup 5.2 30.8 -25.6

PGA Championship, Wentworth 2.51 * *

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PEAK BUZZ 2014

CHANGE -/+

% POINTS EVENT

PEAK BUZZ 2015

RANK 2015

N/A Not tracked 1Partial year data only Changes that are statistically significantly different at a 95% level are coloured red or green -/+

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Summary by Sport 05


Despite showing a decline in buzz, the Grand National holds onto the top spot in the horse racing event rankings, with a peak buzz score of 11.6.

Royal Ascot, new to SportsIndex in 2014, shows the best increase in buzz of all horse racing events, placing it marginally behind the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which holds onto the second spot for the third consecutive year.

Grand National 11.6 14.8 -3.2

Cheltenham Gold Cup 9.2 9.0 +0.2

Royal Ascot Horse Racing 9.1 4.91 +4.1

Epsom Derby 4.7 5.2 -0.5

Glorious Goodwood Horse Racing 3.3 4.8 -1.5

HORSE RACING

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Drawing around 300,000 spectators over five days, Royal Ascot continues to attract some of the best thoroughbreds, jockeys and trainers in the world. The 2015 race witnessed jockey Ryan Moore secure a record-breaking ninth winner on Aloft, surpassing previous records set by Pat Eddery and Lester Pigott, whilst Frankie Dettori claimed his 50th career Royal Ascot win on Osalia, all contributing to positive coverage of the event.

PEAK BUZZ 2014

CHANGE -/+

% POINTS EVENT

PEAK BUZZ 2015

RANK 2015

1Partial year data only Changes that are statistically significantly different at a 95% level are coloured red or green -/+

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The F1 Grand Prix continues to top the motorsports rankings despite peak buzz declining by 5.7 during 2015, a slight downward trend that is not surprising as 2014 was an exceptionally successful year for British F1 stars. Although Lewis Hamilton held onto the championship title in 2015, Jenson Button had a more difficult season.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed was the only motorsports event to show an increase in buzz in 2015, holding onto second place with a peak score of 7.2.

Still establishing itself on the sporting stage and with its second season now underway, the Formula E Championship retains third position for a consecutive year after joining SportsIndex in 2014.

Summary by Sport 05

MOTORSPORTS


Formula 1 British Grand Prix 13.0 18.7 -5.7

Goodwood Festival of Speed 7.2 6.8 +0.4

FIA Formula E Championship 5.3 7.4 -2.1

MotoGP 4.1 4.2 -0.1

Goodwood Revival 3.11 4.3 -1.2

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PEAK BUZZ 2014

CHANGE -/+

% POINTS EVENT

PEAK BUZZ 2015

RANK 2015

N/A

1Partial year data only Changes that are statistically significantly different at a 95% level are coloured red or green -/+

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Despite losing some momentum in 2015, the Six Nations Rugby Championship remains the top rugby event, achieving higher peak buzz than the Rugby World Cup and more than four times the buzz level of Premiership Rugby, the leading domestic club competition.

The eighth Rugby World Cup brought disappointment for hordes of domestic fans as it marked the first time in the tournament’s history when no northern hemisphere teams made it beyond the quarter-finals and the host nation failed to progress to the knock-out stages. Consequently, peak buzz among UK fans declined more rapidly than would have been hoped, preventing RWC 2015 from claiming the top spot.

Summary by Sport 05

RUGBY


Six Nations Rugby Championship 26.4 27.4 -1.1

iRB Rugby World Cup 25.1 6.7 +18.4

Premiership Rugby 5.7 5.5 +0.3

Super League Rugby 3.6 3.9 -0.3

European Cup Rugby 3.5 4.5 -1.0

iRB Rugby Sevens 2.8 3.5 -0.7

British & Irish Lions Rugby Tour 2.7 4.5 -1.9

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42

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PEAK BUZZ 2014

CHANGE -/+

% POINTS EVENT

PEAK BUZZ 2015

RANK 2015


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As highlighted earlier, tennis was undoubtedly the most successful sporting category in 2015, with three events showing significant buzz increases.

Whilst the Wimbledon Championships tops both the tennis and Top 10 events charts with a peak buzz of 39.1, the ITF Davis Cup stands out as top improver followed by the Australian Open and Queen’s, all benefiting from strong performances by Andy Murray.

Despite dropping three places in the rankings during 2015, the French Open holds tenth place amongst the top improvers for the 2013 - 2015 period. The ATP World Tour Finals experienced a similar decrease in buzz, now ranking seventh in the tennis chart.

Summary by Sport 05

TENNIS

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Wimbledon Championships 39.1 39.6 -0.5

Australian Open Tennis 17.8 10.0 +7.8

Queen’s Tennis Championship 17.4 11.7 +5.7

ITF Davis Cup 16.7 6.7 +10.0

French Open 12.1 13.2 -1.1

US Open Tennis 8.4 9.3 -0.9

ATP World Tour Finals 4.8 6.8 -2.0

PEAK BUZZ 2014

CHANGE -/+

% POINTS EVENT

PEAK BUZZ 2015

RANK 2015


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Summary by Sport 05


Watersports events are new to SportsIndex this year, and all three monitored have shown a positive start. The Boat Race leapt into the Top 10 to claim the sixth position, with a very healthy buzz score of 18.0. As mentioned earlier, 2015 was a significant year in the race’s 87 year history, as the women’s race took place on the same day as the men’s and on the same stretch of the Thames for the first time ever, with both races broadcast live.

The America’s Cup also achieved a robust buzz score of 9.0 in its first year on SportsIndex, with Ben Ainslie’s British team finishing fourth in the third leg of the event in Bermuda and hopes remaining high for the team in the World Series.

In third position is Cowes Week, one of the oldest and largest regattas in the world, involving around 1,000 competing vessels and 8,500 participants in 2015.

WATERSPORTS

The Boat Race 18.0 * *America’s Cup, Sailing 9.0 * *Cowes Week 1.7 * *

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PEAK BUZZ 2014

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% POINTS EVENT

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New to SportsIndex, the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games achieved the highest buzz of 7.9 in this category, ranking higher than the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Both events are set for a surge in buzz during the coming months, with results to be revealed in the 2017 SportsIndex Annual Report.

The Rio 2016 Paralympics are predicted to be the biggest Paralympic Games ever, with Great Britain expected to have in the region of 250 athletes competing. Team GB’s performance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is also eagerly anticipated, following a record medal haul at London 2012.

Whilst showing a slight decrease in buzz in 2015, the ITU World Triathlon Series could also be on track for an improved score during the coming year, as the city of Leeds has been selected to host an inaugural race stage, creating potential for increased interest amongst the UK population.

MULTI- SPORTS

2016 Summer Paralympic Games 7.9 * *2018 Winter Olympics Games 4.8 * *2016 Summer Olympic Games 2.5 1.1 +1.3

International Triathlon World Cup 2.4 2.7 -0.3

2018 Commonwealth Games 1.9 * *

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Summary by Sport 05

PEAK BUZZ 2014

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The ‘Other Sports‘ category includes a wide spectrum of events, ranging from snooker to basketball to swimming.

Scoring a peak buzz of 26.7, the London Marathon stands out as the best performer in this category, claiming a place in the overall Top 10 events chart and appearing to go from strength to strength as it reaches its highest ever position in the rankings, coming second only to Wimbledon.

OTHER SPORTS

The World Swimming Championships achieved a buzz increase of 3.5 this year, reflecting Great Britain’s record performance in 2015, winning 14 medals including seven golds – a remarkable improvement on the team’s performance at the previous Championships in 2013.

Third in this category, NFL American Football, recently announced its continued expansion in the UK, signing deals with Twickenham as well as Wembley and Spurs. This should serve to heighten the sport’s profile in the UK and create potential for an improved buzz score in the 2017 SportsIndex Report.

Summary by Sport 05

London Marathon 26.7 24.6 +2.1

World Swimming Championships 6.7 3.2 +3.5

NFL American Football 3.9 5.7 -1.8

World Snooker Championship 2.6 7.1 -4.5

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 1.7 3.2 -1.5

NBA Basketball 1.2 1.4 -0.2

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40

57

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06SPORTSINDEX 3-YEAR REVIEW 2013-2015

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SportsIndex 3-year Review 2013-201506

Wimbledon Championships, London Marathon, Six Nations Rugby Championship All three annual events have featured in the Top 10 for the last three years, with Wimbledon the clear leader, achieving a peak buzz score of at least 10% higher than any other event on every occasion.

Tour of Britain Cycling After holding onto a Top 10 spot in both 2013 and 2014, this event dropped out of the rankings in 2015, with a buzz decrease of 5.2% placing it 16th.

ITF Davis Cup Whilst a buzz increase of 11.4% takes the Davis Cup to the top of the rankings as best improver 2013 – 2015, the rest of the Top 10 Improver chart is largely dominated by football (four improvers) alongside one other tennis event and one event each from the worlds of motorsport, cricket and golf.

iRB Rugby World Cup, Ryder Cup, Commonwealth Games, Winter Olympics, British & Irish Lions Tour All five periodic events have scored places in the Top 10 during the last three years, with the Commonwealth Games and Winter Olympics both featuring twice.


THE MAJOR PLAYERS

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Wimbledon Championships 39.1 2014 Commonwealth Games 52.9 Wimbledon Championships 55.8

London Marathon 26.7 Wimbledon Championships 39.6 British & Irish Lions Rugby Tour 30.3

Six Nations Rugby Championship 26.4 2014 Winter Olympics Games 37.7 London Marathon 29.3

iRB Rugby World Cup 25.1 The Ryder Cup 30.8 Six Nations Rugby Championship 27.6

International Test Cricket 18.8 Six Nations Rugby Championship 27.4 International Test Cricket 25.3

The Boat Race 18.0 London Marathon 24.6 Queen’s Tennis Championship 20.4

Australian Open Tennis 17.8 Formula 1 British Grand Prix 18.7 Australian Open Tennis 18.4

Queen’s Tennis Championship 17.4 The FA Cup 17.7 Tour of Britain, Cycling 18.0

ITF Davis Cup 16.7 Grand National 14.8 2014 Winter Olympics Games 17.7

The FA Cup 16.0 Tour of Britain, Cycling 14.4 2014 Commonwealth Games 17.7

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PEAK BUZZ 2015 2014 REPORT

PEAK BUZZ 2014 2013 REPORT

PEAK BUZZ 2013


RANK 2015


TOP 10 EVENTS 2013-2015

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-5

0

5

10

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2013-01-01 2013-03-01 2013-05-01 2013-07-01 2013-09-01 2013-11-01 2014-01-01 2014-03-01 2014-05-01 2014-07-01 2014-09-01 2014-11-01 2015-01-01 2015-03-01 2015-05-01 2015-07-01 2015-09-01 2015-11-01

ITF Davis Cup Formula 1 British Grand Prix US Masters Golf Twenty20 Cricket French Open



TOP 10 NON-FOOTBALL IMPROVERS 2013-2015

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-5

-3

-1

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2013-01-01 2013-03-01 2013-05-01 2013-07-01 2013-09-01 2013-11-01 2014-01-01 2014-03-01 2014-05-01 2014-07-01 2014-09-01 2014-11-01 2015-01-01 2015-03-01 2015-05-01 2015-07-01 2015-09-01 2015-11-01

The Scottish FA Cup The Football League Championship Scottish Premiership English Premier League UEFA Champions League



TOP 10 FOOTBALL IMPROVERS 2013-2015

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ITF Davis Cup +11.4 16.7 5.3

Formula 1 British Grand Prix +2.2 13.0 10.7

US Masters Golf +1.6 12.4 10.8

The Scottish FA Cup +1.4 2.4 1.0

The Football League Championship +1.1 7.5 6.4

Scottish Premiership +0.8 1.9 1.1

Twenty20 Cricket +0.6 8.7 8.1

English Premier League +0.5 8.7 8.2

UEFA Champions League +0.4 9.4 9.0

French Open +0.2 12.1 11.9

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PEAK BUZZ 2015

PEAK BUZZ 2013 EVENT

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RANK 2015


TOP 10 IMPROVERS 2013-2015


INTERESTED? For further information please contact Richard Brinkman on 0207 012 6132 or email [email protected]

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INTRODUCING THE 2016 SMG INSIGHT EVENT HEALTH REPORT

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2016 ANNUAL REPORT

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