Sponsored Episode: Sports Participation Deep Dive

There is nothing quite as valuable to sports organizations and destinations that host their events than data. And one of the leading organizations that has been diving into data analysis for years is the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. The association, whose members include sporting goods and fitness brands, manufacturers, retailers and maerkters, has one of the deepest data pools in the country, annually surveying Americans 6 years old and up about their levels of participation in a list of sports that now tops 120 different activities. Every year, the association issues a Topline Report detailing which of those sports and activities are on the upswing and which are headed down. Toss in a worldwide pandemic that has fundamentally shifted the way everyone participates in the activities they love and you’ve got a data set that is ripe for analysis and contemplation for all who organize sports events at all levels.

Tom Cove has been the assocaition’s longtime president and CEO and his take on why some sports are doing better than others is always worth a listen. In this episode, we discuss with him those activities that are faring well and why, what impact the Olympics is having on sports that are part of the official program, what sports-event organizers should be thinking about when it comes to retaining athletes, and how age and income can determine not only your level of activity but the types of things you might go out and try. It’s a fascingaitng conversation and one with considerable takeaways for anyone who has their hand in the sports events industry.