60% Plan to Watch Via Streaming Services; Gen Z Consumers More Likely to Purchase Products Endorsed by Olympians
CHICAGO, July 24, 2024 (GlobeNewswire) – Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, has released findings on consumer behavior related to the 2024 Summer Olympics, based on a July 2024 survey of 10K+ consumers. Over half (57%) of U.S. consumers are interested in the 2024 Summer Olympics with 55% planning to watch. Consumers plan to stream the events online or watch via cable/satellite, focusing on gymnastics, swimming, track & field, diving, and volleyball.
- Over half of US consumers say they are interested in the Olympics. 57% of consumers are interested in the Olympics, with interest peaking for Boomers+ (61%) and Gen X (59%). Millennials (53%) and Gen Z (52%) report lower interest.
- Consumers of all ages agree on the top sports to watch. The top sports that consumers plan to watch are gymnastics (75%), swimming (60%), track & field (39%), diving (37%), volleyball (25%), basketball (22%), soccer/football (18%), tennis (13%), extreme sports like breaking, skateboarding, climbing, etc. (12%), and combat sports like boxing, fencing, wrestling, etc. (10%).
- Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. consumers will root for the United States during the Games. 88% say they will root for the United States Olympic team, followed by bordering countries Canada (7%) and Mexico (5%). Rounding out the top 10 countries are Brazil (5%), Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Argentina, France, and Australia (all 4%). Gen Z is the most likely to be rooting for teams outside of the US, reflecting the diversity of their generation.
- The majority of U.S. consumers plan to watch the 2024 Olympics. 55% of consumers plan to watch the Olympics, while another 22% are undecided and 22% will not watch. Of those who do not plan to watch, 66% say they are not interested, while 22% say they do not have the time, and 13% do not have cable or streaming access.
- 3 in 5 Olympics viewers will stream events online. Streaming online is the top choice for viewing events (60%), followed by cable/satellite (47%), and social media (21%).
- Cord-cutting is more evident among younger generations. Boomers+ are the most likely generation to say they will watch via cable/satellite (62%), while Gen Z consumers are twice as likely to watch via social media (45% vs. 21% for all consumers).
- Not all brands that consumers associate with the Olympics are official sponsors. When asked which brands or companies they associate with the Olympics, consumers named Coca-Cola (49%, official sponsor), Visa (26%, official sponsor), Mastercard (22%), Pepsi (20%), Apple (17%), Toyota (14%, official sponsor), Ford (11%), Samsung (10%, official sponsor), P&G (9%, official sponsor), and Airbnb (8%, official sponsor).
- Fewer than one-fifth of consumers recall past Olympics commercials. 14% distinctly recall a specific commercial, with Coca-Cola and Wheaties commercials commonly cited, along with commercials featuring Michael Phelps and/or Simone Biles.
- Nike is the brand most associated with Team USA. 64% of consumers associate Nike (an official outfitter of Team USA) with the Olympics, followed by Adidas (39%), Under Armour (26%), Ralph Lauren (18%) – also an official outfitter of Team USA, Puma (15%), The North Face (10%), Tommy Hilfiger (10%), Calvin Klein (7%), and Skims (3%).
- Product endorsements from Olympians have more of an impact on Gen Z than other generations. About half of consumers (49%) say an endorsement by an Olympic athlete could impact their purchase decision, with 13% saying they are much more likely to buy an endorsed product and 36% somewhat more likely. This is higher among Gen Z consumers, with 20% saying they are much more likely, and 46% saying they are somewhat more likely.
- Sports- and health-related products are most likely to benefit from Olympian endorsements. The types of products that consumers are more likely to purchase if an Olympian endorses it include athletic apparel (34%), grocery items (21%), non-apparel workout gear (19%), and nutrition supplements (18%).
Numerator’s 2024 Summer Olympics survey was fielded 7/9/24-7/13/24 to 10,031 consumers.
About Numerator:
Numerator is a data and tech company bringing speed and scale to market research. Numerator blends first-party data from over 1 million US households with advanced technology to provide 360-degree consumer understanding for the market research industry that has been slow to change. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Numerator has 2,000 employees worldwide; 80 of the top 100 CPG brands’ manufacturers are Numerator clients.
