NEW YORK — Virtually half of significant American sports activities followers have traveled overseas to see a recreation, in accordance with new analysis. The survey of two,000 self-identified “sports activities fanatics” regarded on the extremes that respondents are prepared to go to, with a purpose to see their favourite competitions reside and in individual.
Whereas 45 p.c have left the nation to see a recreation, outcomes additionally discovered that 35 p.c have particularly deliberate a trip based mostly on when and the place their favourite crew is enjoying. And the identical quantity have taken a spontaneous journey to see their favourite crew in motion.
How far will folks journey for sports activities video games?
Commissioned by Go to Anaheim and performed by OnePoll forward of the beginning of the Main League Baseball season, the survey regarded on the rise of sports activities tourism, and the dedication of followers.
Outcomes discovered the common respondent can be prepared to journey 5 hours and 48 minutes for a recreation — and so they’d spend $762.20 for tickets. One respondent admitted they missed their pal’s wedding ceremony to see their crew play, whereas one other traveled 10 hours to a different state.
A 3rd individual drove two hours, then sat by means of three flights and a prepare trip — all with a purpose to get to the stadium the place their favourite gamers had been taking part in an All-Star Sport.
“Whether or not followers have it on their bucket listing to go to each ballpark within the U.S. or they plan an annual journey round seeing their favourite crew play, sports activities venues usually are not simply full of locals and residential crew followers anymore,” says Go to Anaheim President & CEO Jay Burress, in an announcement.
True die-hard sports activities followers
Over half (52%) of followers surveyed have a favourite crew, and of these, 52 p.c mentioned they watch each single certainly one of their crew’s video games. Forty-two p.c of these with a favourite crew aren’t choosy — they’ll watch any sport when any crew is enjoying. However, 40 p.c will watch any sport, however solely when their favourite groups are enjoying.
And it won’t be for his or her favourite crew, however 44 p.c have already got a visit deliberate in 2023, to see a selected sporting occasion.
“There’s nothing fairly like seeing your favourite crew play in individual, and sports activities are a terrific factor to plan a trip round,” says Burress. “Nonetheless, it’s good to move to a vacation spot the place there’s one thing for the entire household to take pleasure in, and the place there are a selection of actions close by so you’ve got choices when you’ve completed cheering your crew on on the stadium.
“When the Anaheim Geese play an area crew just like the LA Kings or the Angels play a drive market crew just like the San Francisco Giants, Anaheim is seeing out of city followers flip into vacationers as their getaway expertise extends past the sports activities venue and into inns, eating places and sights.”
Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of two,000 People who self-identify as “sports activities fanatics” was commissioned by Go to Anaheim between Feb. 8 and Feb. 10, 2023. It was performed by market analysis firm OnePoll, whose crew members are members of the Market Analysis Society and have company membership to the American Affiliation for Public Opinion Analysis (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Advertising Analysis (ESOMAR).