fans go less and less to the stadium – Corriere.it

The technological advances of the last three years have significantly enhanced the experience of those who follow sporting events from home, but not of those who do so by going to sports facilities: this is what emerges from the latest report of the Capgemini Research Instituteby title “A whole new ball game: Why sports tech is a game changer», a survey conducted between March and April 2023 on a sample of 12,000 sports enthusiasts over the age of 18 in 11 countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States . As technology continues to improve the viewing experience and make it more immersive, 77% of Generation Z fans and 75% of Millennials in fact, they state that they prefer to enjoy sporting events outside the gaming facilitiescompared to 53% of Baby Boomers and 32% of people over the age of 70.

Fewer and fewer fans in stadiums

In short, fans increasingly prefer to see sport away from stadiums, especially the younger ones. While the excitement of watching live events continues to be strong at major international events such as the Olympics or World Championships, that may not be the case for local competitions and regular league matches. This change in fan preferences is resulting in a reduction in their attendance at live sporting events. In 2019, 47% of fans globally visited sports venues frequently, while today the percentage has decreased to 34%with a further significant generational gap: 49% of fans over the age of 70 often attend sports facilities, while the percentage of Generation Z stops at only 17%;

What a drop in the UK

This variation is most marked in Australia and the United Kingdom, where the number of people who currently decide to watch live sporting events on a regular basis has halved compared to 2019, while France and Germany recorded the smallest declines (less than 5 points percentages). In the last 12 months, only 37% of fans globally have visited a sports facility at least once
olta, compared to 80% in 2019. Fans with disabilities register in particular a low satisfaction with the overall accessibility conditions of sports facilities (only 48%), but nevertheless declare themselves confident that technology can help them better access and enjoy the sporting events in person.

TV always tops the list

The channels and devices that fans use to watch sporting events have also changed significantly in recent years. The percentage of mobile device usage has increased, even if fans overall still prefer TV to watch matches, factor which suggests that smart devices represent an additional option for following matches away from home or in «multi-screening» mode. In 2019, just 40% of respondents said they preferred smartphones for watching sports, compared to 70% today (notably a remarkable 78% for Generation Z and 74% among Millennials). Streaming platforms and social media have also seen an increase in importance among the available methods of use: In 2019, only 39% of fans preferred streaming platforms, while today this percentage has almost doubled to 75%. As for social media, the share has risen from 44% in 2019 to 64% today, driven by the younger generations.