Consumer Insights report
The European Football Benchmark covers the big five European leagues and looks at the fans’ perspective on their favorite and followed leagues and teams, club images, and football viewing habits. This study also examines a wide range of topics, including football and social media, women’s football, and football merchandise. You will get to know fans’ attitudes toward VAR and eSports & gaming.
Topics include
Fans want entertainment without compromising on integrity
When asked about a club’s top three image attributes, fans all over the globe wish to be associated with a club that plays thrilling/exciting football. Meanwhile, many fans also want the club to be trustworthy and to be run well. This attitude was noticeable almost everywhere in Europe. In contrast, Chinese and U.S. fans put slightly less emphasis on the general running of a club. Football fans in China would rather have a club that is socially responsible; fans in the U.S. appreciate a welcoming experience.
Sponsors receive the most love from Chinese fans, and players’ kits get the most love worldwide
79% of fans in China said that they were more likely to use products from brands that sponsored their football club. This is a much higher share than in Europe, where only around 50% of respondents or less made this statement. So, for brands looking to grow their market share in the Chinese market, football provides a strong platform. Additionally, more than 40% of fans worldwide remember seeing advertisements on players’ kits in the past four weeks, with the front of shirts generating the most traction among respondents.
Fans want clubs to be progressive but not political
Over two-thirds of football fans across the globe said that clubs should act against discrimination, with Spanish (87%) and Italian fans (86%) being the strongest supporters of this viewpoint. Similarly, fans everywhere want clubs to do more to tackle environmental issues, and many of them believe it is important for a club to do charity work. However, not many wish to see politics in football, as supporters from all age groups endorsed the idea that “clubs should stick to football, not politics” in our survey.
Women’s football is on the rise, with growing calls for equal pay for male and female players
More than 70% of football fans in all countries surveyed consider women’s football to be on the rise. It is therefore one of the exciting new avenues for sponsorship in football. Many fans also believe that male and female players should receive equal pay, with fans in China (80%) being the strongest supporters of this idea.
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