Are we all in our sporty spice era?
The Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony drew a star-studded crowd, show-stopping performances, and 28.6 million US viewers, a considerable jump from the 17 million who tuned into the Tokyo 2021 opening ceremony. The numbers represent the anticipation around the Games, but also the growing fascination with sports and how it's manifesting throughout culture.
But what's behind this rise? Well, health has a big part to play. Post-COVID, one in five Britons (20%) people say they’re fitter now than before the pandemic. According to YPulse, 85% of young Americans say that exercising is as much about their mental wellbeing as their physical health, and this has influenced a spike in team-based and recreational sports.
The aesthetics of sports have also enticed people, particularly at a time when aesthetics reign supreme. Take tenniscore, for example – the aesthetic has maintained popularity over the years but truly soared in 2024, in part due to the popularity of the film Challengers and designers like Miu Miu and Gucci embracing it. In the UK, there's been a significant year-over-year increase of 30% in search volume for ‘tennis dresses’.
As noted in our Sports Unlimited sector behaviour, people are keen to enjoy sports alongside other forms of entertainment, creating an immersive experience that retains the prized feeling of camaraderie. Street basketball tournament Quai 54 is an example of local pride rooted in music and fashion as much as basketball itself. To meet the social needs of fans, brands can look to curate spaces for niche sports and activities. For example, ahead of the Olympics, Adidas supported lesser-known sports like BMX and breakdancing, while Samsung launched a three-part docu-series that tapped into niche sports fandoms ahead of the opening ceremony.
