- Less than 50% know that Canada is hosting the Pan Am Games
- Only 60% of Canadians are aware of the Women Soccer World Cup event
- 3 out of 4 Canadians haven't purchased any sports publications or sports related equipment in the past 6 months
TORONTO, June 26, 2015 /CNW/ - While Canadians' love affair with Hockey endures with 54% following Hockey to some degree, there seems to be little to no room left for other sports. Almost 30% of Canadians aren't interested in following any sports at all. Generally, Canadians average following only 2 sports.
Although following sports generally doesn't quite seem to be a hit with Canadians, one would think locally hosted international events would spike the dormant patriotism. Although following sports generally doesn't quite seem to be a hit with Canadians, one would think locally hosted international events would spike the dormant patriotism ... This is the question that TNS Senior Vice-President Eric Dubois has been struggling with. Having lived in France at the time of the Men FIFA World Cup in 1998, he felt compelled to better understand the Canadian sentiment to the 2015 event.
According to a TNS Canada survey, results show that bringing an international scale event 'home' does not reverse the trend. One of two Canadians is "not really" or "is really not" interested in the Women Soccer World Cup and the same level of disinterest applies to the Pan Am Games!
The week before the start of the FIFA Women Soccer World Cup in Canada, awareness levels of the event sat low at 34%. Only one in five Canadians were able to name the Pan Am Games as a sporting event scheduled to take place in 2015.
We do slightly better once a cheat sheet is offered - the optimists might see this as a glass half full - 62% indicated awareness of the Women FIFA World Cup taking place in 2015 and one in two Canadians recalled the Pan Am Games! In comparison – there was 43% awareness of the Formula 1 Canada Grand Prix, an event that has taken place annually since 1978!
In Ontario, the host province of the Pan Am Games, the results are nothing but jaw dropping – only 29% of Ontarians are interested in following the games while in the rest of Canada the numbers plummet even further to 11% in the Atlantic provinces, 17% in Quebec and 17% in the West. Surprisingly, the TNS study showed identical results for the Women Soccer World Cup, which takes place in every province but Ontario! The week before the event opening, 4% had already purchased a ticket and 5% expressed interest in attending.
With the Canadian women's soccer team performing well in the competition, perhaps the number of followers and viewers will rise…
Despite rise in digital media sources, television remains the primary indicated choice by those intending to follow the games (36%) followed by a tie between Newspapers and Digital media (12%). As expected here, the younger the followers, the more connected they are, with 20% of the 18-34 following via Digital dropping to 8% of the 45-64.
Regardless of the outcome of the event from a pure sports point of view, three quarters of Canadians believe that such an event is "A great way for other countries to discover our cities & regions" and ultimately, for 46% it is " A great time ahead for fun & parties".
Would the party and the fun be affected by the recent saga at the FIFA top command level? A large majority believe Sep Blatter should quit his position (76%) while only 11% would still welcome the man in Canada during the event.
Enjoy the games, on the field, as ultimately - that is what matters!
Notes to editors
About this survey
Fieldwork took place June 1-5 2015 with national sample of 975 Canadians via Online self-administered mode.
Data collection conducted by Lightspeed GMI for TNS Canada.
About TNS
TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and customer and employee relationships, based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions. With a presence in over 80 countries, TNS has more conversations with the world's consumers than anyone else and understands individual human behaviours and attitudes across every cultural, economic and political region of the world.
TNS is part of Kantar, the data investment management division of WPP and one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups. Please visit www.tnscanada.com for more information.
About Kantar
Kantar is the data investment management division of WPP and one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups. By connecting the diverse talents of its 12 specialist companies, the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and inspirational insights for the global business community. Its 27,000 employees work across 100 countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to offer clients business insights at every point of the consumer cycle. The group's services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. For further information, please visit us at www.kantar.com
About Lightspeed GMI
Lightspeed GMI is an award-winning global digital data collection enterprise. Founded in 1996, its innovative technology and proven sampling methodologies deliver operational excellence throughout the online research process. With more than 5.5 million online research respondents in 40+ countries, Lightspeed GMI's proprietary panels deliver unparalleled quality, capacity and targeting.
Headquartered in Warren, New Jersey, Lightspeed GMI is part of Kantar, the data investment management division of WPP, the world leader in marketing communication services. For more information, visit www.lightspeedgmi.com
SOURCE TNS
Share this article