Socially responsible fans want more diversity in sport
A recent report from YouGov has found that 68% of global fans feel sport needs more diversity and inclusion.
The white paper, Global Sports 2022: Uncovering the Socially Responsible Sports Fan, explores the attitudes of audiences to a range of social issues.
It gives insights into what sports fans want from sports organisations and the best way for rights holders and their sponsors to engage with them.
More than three quarters of the world’s population follow at least one sport, but the report shows that wider issues are increasingly on the minds of consumers.
Almost two thirds (65%) of sports fans agree that diversity and inclusion should be considered when putting on sporting events and 68% believe that ‘sports need to be more inclusive.’
“Fans want their teams and the brands that sponsor them to be aware of social justice, the environment, DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion) and other issues,” said Nicole Pike, Head of Sports and Gaming for YouGov.
“And they want more than a message. They want teams and brands to act on these issues in a way that can champion change.”
The report found that globally 34% of sports fans would prefer to watch women’s sports over men’s and 68% of global sports fans believe salaries of professional athletes should be based on skill, not gender.
YouGov also looked at global attitudes to women’s sports by age, finding that there is significantly more interest among younger generations in women’s sport.
44% of global sports fans aged 18-24 prefer watching women’s sports over men’s, compared to only 16% among global sports followers aged over 55.
