Fuse Shares New Insights on How Adding More Youthful Sports to the Olympics in 2020 Will Impact Gen Z's Consumption Habits

BURLINGTON, Vt., June 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fuse, LLC, an award-winning marketing agency that effectively connects brands with teens and young adults, released new data today on what teens think about the new Summer Olympic sports. In May, Fuse surveyed 1,000 13 to 18-year-old teens to ask them about the 2020 Olympic sports and specifically if they are planning to pay attention. 

In August of 2016, the International Olympic Committee announced the addition of five new sports to the roster of the 2020 summer games in Tokyo: skateboarding, sport climbing, karate, baseball/softball, and surfing. This decision, referred to as "the most comprehensive evolution of the Olympic program in modern history," is an effort by the IOC to make the games more relevant and reach a younger audience.

What Teens Say About the Olympic Additions

From the survey, Fuse unveiled four key insights around what Gen Z thinks of these new sport additions:

1. Adding more youthful, non-traditional sports to the Olympics in 2020 has positively impacted Gen Z's views of the summer games. While 61% of Gen Z respondents consider themselves fans of the Olympics, with the addition of these five new sports to the Olympics, 45% now have a more positive view of the games.  
   
   "It's so amazing to see that the Olympics are opening up to non-traditional sports that so many people enjoy and are excited about." – Gen Z Survey Respondent 
   
   
2. By including sports like surfing and skateboarding in the Olympics, Gen Z's likelihood of watching the games has increased. More than 57% of Gen Z respondents stated that the new sport additions have increased their likelihood to watch the Olympics and its new sport disciplines.  
   
   "It's very exciting to see surfing and skateboarding added! As a viewer, this is important to me because it will give a lot of young professionals amazing opportunities to further their careers and represent their sport and country!" – Gen Z Survey Respondent 
   
   
3. When it comes to which sport Gen Z was most excited about being added to the Olympics, surfing topped the list. Among the five new sports being added to the Olympic roster, 21% of Gen Z respondents were most excited about surfing, compared to baseball/softball (17%), karate (15%), skateboarding (14%), and sport climbing (8%).  
   
   "I love the inclusion of all of the new sports because I feel like it will give up and coming athletes a chance to make a name for themselves." – Gen Z Survey Respondent 
   
   
4. Most teens are still unaware that new sport disciplines have been added to the upcoming summer games in Tokyo.  Less than 30% of the teen respondents were currently aware of each of the five new sports being added to the upcoming summer games.  

For more information on this topic, see the announcement of the first USA Skateboarding National Team, the determination of new Olympic qualifying events such as Dew Tour, and thought-provoking opinion pieces on what it means for these sports to be added to the Olympic roster. 

Olympic is a registered trademark of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).  This has not been endorsed, sponsored, or otherwise approved by the USOC.

About Fuse   
Fuse is a marketing agency founded in 1995 that creates authentic brand engagement for teens and young adults, providing its clients brand strategy, experiential, digital, and creative services. For more about Fuse, check out our website or find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.   

SOURCE Fuse