Ellison and Harris Poll’s monthly poll reveals where the momentum is, with whom and why
First Monthly Spotlight: WNBA is gaining momentum
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As interest in sports continues to expand, sports that may not have received the attention they deserve are experiencing sudden surges in interest and popularity among fans and consumers. And B2B brands are increasingly looking for ways to get lower prices, get more return on investment, and reach specific audiences who are very passionate about these movements. Against this backdrop, Allison, a global integrated marketing and communications consultancy, and Harris Poll, a global market research and advisory company, announced the joint creation of the Sports Momentum Index, “an in-depth consumer poll that measures and indexes fan perceptions of sports.” What drives movement and why.
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The monthly poll will take a broad look at existing and emerging sports – including the focus on women’s sports – documenting fans’ cultural and personal relevance to each sport through a series of questions posed to the public at large. and the impression of depth of engagement. Over time, the Allison and Harris Poll’s Sports Momentum Index will be able to capture the rise in popularity of emerging sports, the ebb and flow of popularity over a season and year, with powerful statistics Explore its causes and objects.
Whether it’s a chief marketing officer and his or her staff looking into new or emerging sports and looking for data that shows momentum, whether it’s where and who is driving it, or agents who have athletes in those sports and want to Demonstrate to marketing partners why it makes sense to recognize athletes, said Shane Winn, managing director of Allison Sports Marketing. “For teams and leagues looking to do so, we view the Sports Momentum Index as A new and unique resource for sports investing.
Jennifer Musil, managing director of the Harris Poll’s sports practice, said: “With the new ‘big bang’ in sports taking place, the data clearly demonstrates the exciting new opportunities facing leagues and brands – and the new league’s fan base. With continued growth, the growing star power of female athletes, and the development of mainstream leagues, today’s fans see sports as part of their identity, they are connecting with others in their fandom, and they are ready to spend money.
The results of each monthly poll will be released, including key findings and analysis, as well as highlights of the main sports or trends relevant to that month. In addition, Allison Sports’ marketing arm, Allison Sports, and The Harris Poll’s Sports Practice will publish monthly audio and video podcasts summarizing survey results and occasionally inviting special guests to add color commentary.
Edition 1: New League. New fans. and the economic potential they bring.
The first edition of the Sports Momentum Index makes it clear that, in a world dominated by LeBron, Serena and Brady, something once unthinkable, sports are entering another new, more explosive era.
Specifically, the new league will take off in 2024.
- Professional Pickleball: Index Score: 59.41
- Professional Women’s Hockey (PWHL): Index 56.63
- Professional Flag Football (AFFL): Index 55.30
- Professional Hockey: Index 54.79
- Professional surfing: Index 54.40
- National Football League (NFL): Index 54.35
June Spotlight: WNBA
This spring, the country enters the Caitlin Clark era. For the first time ever, a female college basketball player has become a household name, and the WNBA draft seems to be getting more attention than ever. The Sports Momentum Index measures the impact of this moment. As of February, before March Madness, the WNBA wasn’t particularly strong. However, data collected in June clearly shows the impact of this cultural phenomenon. Between February and late May 2024, the WNBA’s personal relevance, engagement, and cultural currency metrics increased, along with a corresponding increase in overall fan base.
About two-thirds of Americans are familiar with the WNBA:
- The percentage agreeing that the WNBA is a league they like to talk about and/or post about increased from 28% to 41% (+13 points)
- Percentage of people agreeing that WNBA stars are influential on and off the court increased from 50% to 61% (+11 points)
- Percentage of people agreeing that they would watch more WNBA games if they had time increased from 35% to 46% (+11 points)
The league’s fan base also increased significantly during this period, from 49% of those who were familiar with it in February to 68% of those who were familiar with it in May (+19 points).
Elsewhere in the Index, we see momentum across leagues attracting large numbers of new fans. About 25% of fans in each league describe themselves as “new” fans (having been fans for less than 3 years). These fans are flocking to both long-established leagues (one-third of NCAA women’s basketball and/or volleyball fans are new, as are 19% of Gen Z NFL fans) and emerging leagues (familiar with the NCAA 58% of fans of women’s basketball and/or volleyball are new fans of the new professional women’s hockey league (called fans).
The index also shows that the craze surrounding women’s sports shows no signs of stopping. 60% of Americans (including 58% of men) are excited about the growth of women’s sports. That excitement is evident in the momentum behind the Professional Women’s Hockey League, which finished its first season in second place. We’re also seeing strong metrics from the NWSL and WNBA, according to which these stars have outsized influence off the court.
The desire for more participation is palpable. 40% of people familiar with niche leagues such as professional pickleball, lacrosse or surfing would watch more of these sports if available. About half (47%) say they notice brands that sponsor or are involved in their favorite sport.
For questions about the Allison Sports Momentum Index and the Harris Poll, please contact sports@allisonworldwide.com or sports@harrispoll.com. Allison and Harris Poll are both Stagwell companies. Representatives from Allison and Harris Poll will also discuss the findings this month at Sports Beach, Stagwell’s flagship center at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity.
About Allison
Ellison is a global integrated marketing and communications consulting firm dedicated to driving growth, innovation and positive change for clients, colleagues and communities. With extensive expertise and forward thinking, Allison delivers game-changing results that make a lasting impact. Allison is part of Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), one of the world’s fastest growing and most influential marketing and communications networks. Agency partners leverage Stagwell’s technology, data analytics, insights and strategic consulting solutions to drive measurable results and optimize return on marketing investments for more than 1,700 clients worldwide. For more information, please visit www.allisonworldwide.com.
About the Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is a global opinion, analysis and market research consultancy dedicated to revealing society’s true values to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. Harris’s research covers more than 90 countries around the world, providing cross-industry consulting services and clients to world leaders, CEOs and business decision-makers through state-of-the-art analytics, real-time software services, and practitioners in the fields of marketing and reputation. With experiences, trends, futures and thought leadership/publicly released research, Harris Poll turns changing social sentiment into a competitive market advantage. The Harris Poll is one of the oldest surveys in the United States, tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963 and is now a Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) company.
About Stagwell
Stagwell is a challenger holding company aiming to transform marketing. We deliver creative performance at scale for the world’s most ambitious brands, combining the creativity that drives culture with leading-edge technology, harmonizing the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our more than 10,000 experts in more than 30 countries are united by a single goal: to increase efficiency and improve business results for our clients. Welcome to join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
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Shanna Brown
shanna.brown@allisonworldwide.com
Source: Allison and Harris Poll
