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Watching and Playing Sport, Worldwide
The Greeks may have invented the Olympics, but according to figures from TGI they are the globe's most reluctant sporting participants. Only 1% of Greeks claim to play two or more sports, whereas at the other end of the table figures are 59% in urban China and 70% in the USA. The report also gives detailed figures for watching sport on TV.
NB in India, China and South Africa interviewing is restricted to urban populations so figures do not represent the whole nation.
Predictably, football is the most popular televised sport in most countries - 9 of the 15 analysed. (Urban) China has the largest proportion of football fans, with almost two thirds (60%) saying they choose to watch it on TV. It is also hugely popular in Brazil, Mexico and Greece, (around half).
Other sports with a strong global presence include motor racing (which appears in six of the 'top 3' listings) and basketball (five). Only in Australia and the US is traditional football absent from the top three, and both have their own versions of the game which are top in the popularity stakes.
Combat sports are still popular across much of the globe, and are particularly popular in (urban) South Africa, where boxing and wrestling are among the top four televised sports. Certain sports are uniquely popular in individual countries: volleyball in Brazil, ski jumping in Germany (especially in the last 5 years) and cricket in India with 60% of the urban population watching it on TV. 28% watch rugby in Great Britain, the England 'World Cup Effect' clearly evident.
| Top
3 sports watched on
TV in last 3 months
|
| |
| |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
| Australia |
| |
Australian
Rules (39%) |
Cricket
(39%) |
Swimming
(34%) |
| Brazil |
| |
Football
(50%) |
Motor
Racing (27%) |
Volleyball
(22%) |
| China* |
| |
Football
(60%) |
Basketball
(46%) |
Table Tennis (42%) |
| France |
| |
Football
(38%) |
Motor Racing (31%)
|
Cycling
(29%) |
| GB |
| |
Football
(38%) |
Rugby
(28%) |
Snooker
(25%) |
| Germany |
| |
Football
(42%) |
Motor
Racing (28%) |
Ski
Jumping (25%) |
| Greece |
| |
Football
(48%) |
Basketball
(22%) |
Field
Events (17%) |
| Hungary |
| |
Motor
Racing (28%) |
Football
(25%) |
Boxing
(24%) |
| India* |
| |
Cricket
(60%) |
Football
(16%) |
Hockey
(15%) |
| Mexico |
| |
Football
(47%) |
Basketball
(17%) |
Wrestling
(15%) |
| Saudi
Arabia |
| |
Football
(37%) |
Motor
Racing (15%) |
Athletics
(15%) |
| South
Africa* |
| |
Football
(35%) |
Boxing
(28%) |
Cricket
(27%) |
| Spain |
| |
Football
(43%) |
Basketball
(28%) |
Cycling
(24%) |
| Ukraine |
| |
Boxing
(31%) |
Figure
Skating (31%) |
Football
(29%) |
| USA |
| |
American
Football (46%) |
Basketball
(35%) |
Baseball
(30%) |
Source:
TGI Global
*Base: Individuals
Aged 18+ except: |
India : Individuals aged 18-55 from ABC socio-economic groups, 40 selected urban centres
China : Individuals aged 18-64, 30 cities
South Africa Individuals aged 18+, urban communities with population 8,000+
The TGI web site is at www.tgisurveys.com
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