2017 ANNUAL REPORT CONTENTS. Introduction. Headlines & Rankings. Top 10 Sports Events. Movers and Improvers. Summary by Sport

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2 2 CONTENTS 01 Introduction 02 Headlines & Rankings 03 Top 10 Sports Events 04 Movers and Improvers 05 Summary by Sport

3 3 INTRODUCTION 01 powered by

4 01 Introduction 4 WELCOME TO SPORTSINDEX Show an increase in buzz or remain static (includes newly-monitored events) INTRODUCTION BY FRANK SAEZ Welcome to SportsIndex 2017, the fourth annual summary of performance by leading domestic and international sports events in the UK. 34 Events show a decrease in buzz SportsIndex is the first and only syndicated product which, every day, measures perceptions amongst the UK general public across 60 leading UK and international sports events. Sports events have been ranked using SportsIndex buzz score the level of public awareness of good and bad news about the sports event during the year. In addition to buzz, SportsIndex analyses the overall brand health and awareness of sports properties, as measured by a comprehensive range of 16 metrics. We hope you find the report informative. Regards Frank Saez Managing Director SMG Insight / YouGov

5 01 Introduction 5 ABOUT SPORTSINDEX Major sports properties monitored Sports sectors covered Key brand metrics measured SportsIndex is a measure of perception among the public, allowing 16 metrics to be accurately tracked across 60 sporting events covering 17 sports simultaneously. This lets you track public awareness and perception of yours and your competitor s sporting events on a daily basis. FORMER CUSTOMER CURRENT CUSTOMER INDEX 2 BUZZ 3 ATTENTION Results are delivered through an instant-access online reporting tool so you can keep a constant eye on brand health. Because the data is updated daily, any changes in public perception can be spotted immediately and acted on accordingly. SportsIndex operates at a national and international level, allowing you to track brand perception in just one country, compare across multiple countries and/or monitor a global picture. PURCHASE INTENT 14 CONSIDERATION 13 WOM EXPOSURE metrics 4 6 IMPRESSION 5 QUALITY VALUE In addition, BrandIndex is also included in SportsIndex so you can track perceptions of 850 consumer brands alongside sporting events. AD AWARENESS 11 BRAND AWARENESS REPUTATION SATISFACTION 9 RECOMMEND Brand Health Brand Sentiment Recent Awareness Brand Purchase Funnel

6 01 Introduction 6 METHODOLOGY The SportsIndex Report 2017 analyses the performance of overall recent public awareness and sentiment of news about leading UK and international sports competitions events, by buzz, by interviewing 100 people each day. NOTE ON DATES Date Range 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2013 The previous versions of the report are online here RESPONDENTS ARE ASKED Over the PAST TWO WEEKS, which of the following sporting events have you heard something positive/negative about? WHAT S BUZZ? Buzz is the net difference between the amount of respondents hearing positive news and those hearing negative news in the previous two weeks. Buzz may also be negative if the event has been subject to a high level of negative publicity. The buzz score ranges from 100 to -100 with a zero score equaling a neutral position. Example: a score of 35 means that 35% more people said they were positive than negative about the brand. Buzz uses a four-week moving average of daily scores during the year. The buzz score listed is the peak achieved by the sports competition during Change in buzz has been statistically tested at the 95% level in order to determine if 2016 results are significantly different compared to previous years. Those that are statistically significantly different have been highlighted in green or red, representing that they have increased or decreased.

7 7 HEADLINES & RANKINGS 02

8 02 Headlines and Rankings 8 RIO REIGNS SUPREME Record-breaking British Olympic and Paralympic performances see the two quadrennial events hit the Top 3. WHEELS IN MOTION The dominance of British cyclists in road cycling s showpiece event drives huge buzz for the annual Tour de France. CENTRE COURT SUCCESS Despite losing its top spot to the Summer Olympics, the Wimbledon Championships still boasts a strong and static level of buzz. SNOOKER STAR POWER Ronnie O Sullivan, the most talented player in snooker history, hits form in 2016 and boosts the World Snooker Championship. PREMIER LEAGUE PUSH The English Premier League achieves its best buzz score in four years, with several major news stories booting it into the Top 10. TWENTY20 TRIUMPH English cricket s NatWest T20 Blast goes from strength-to-strength and bags itself a spot in the Top 10 for the first time.

9 02 Headlines and Rankings 9 SPORTSINDEX RANKINGS RANKINGS EVENT PEAK BUZZ 2016 RANKINGS EVENT PEAK BUZZ 2016 RANKINGS EVENT PEAK BUZZ Summer Olympic Games Tour of Britain, Cycling Commonwealth Games Wimbledon Championships Cheltenham Gold Cup Super League Rugby Summer Paralympic Games US Open Tennis International Triathlon World Cup Six Nations Rugby Championship UEFA Champions League Scottish Premiership Tour de France The Ryder Cup irb Rugby Sevens English Premier League Grand National FA Women s Super League (WSL) Twenty20 Cricket Royal Ascot Horse Racing Goodwood Revival International Test Cricket (England Test Cricket) The Open Championship The Scottish FA Cup Australian Open Tennis irb Rugby World Cup FIA Formula E Championship The FA Cup WTA Finals Glorious Goodwood Horse Racing Formula 1 British Grand Prix Premiership Rugby Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ITF Davis Cup America s Cup, sailing Epsom Derby Queen s Tennis Championship Goodwood Festival of Speed NBA Basketball US Masters Golf British & Irish Lions Rugby Tour Winter Olympics Games The Boat Race ICC Cricket World Cup IAAF World Athletics Championships French Open European Cup Rugby European Athletics Championships World Snooker Championship NFL American Football WWE The Football League Championship Scottish Open Golf Cowes Week England National Football Team RideLondon PGA Championship, Wentworth ATP World Tour Finals World Swimming Championships FIFA World Cup -4.8 NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit CHANGES NEWLY MONITORED IN 2016

10 10 TOP 10 SPORTS EVENTS Includes annual and periodic events 03 powered by

11 03 Top 10 Sports Events 11 NEWLY MONITORED EVENTS ENTERING THE TOP 10 LEAVING THE TOP 10 RANKINGS EVENT PEAK BUZZ 2016 RANKINGS EVENT PEAK BUZZ 2016 RANKINGS EVENT PEAK BUZZ WTA Finals Summer Olympic Games London Marathon* Goodwood Revival Summer Paralympic Games irb Rugby World Cup WWE Tour de France The Boat Race English Premier League Queen s Tennis Championship Twenty20 Cricket ITF Davis Cup 13.2 *No longer monitored as of February 2016 NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit CHANGES NEWLY MONITORED IN 2016 NO LONGER MONITORED IN 2016

12 03 Top 10 Sports Events 12 TOP 10 SPORTS EVENTS /// ANNUAL AND PERIODIC EVENTS RANK 2016 PEAK BUZZ SCORE Summer Olympic Games Wimbledon Championships Summer Paralympic Games Six Nations Rugby Championship Tour de France English Premier League Twenty20 Cricket International Test Cricket* Australian Open Tennis The FA Cup 13.5 *English Test Cricket NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2013

13 03 Top 10 Sports Events Summer Olympic Games Movement 50 Achieving a peak buzz score of 42.1 and knocking a repeated winner off the top spot, the 2016 Summer Olympic Games stands proud at Number 1 in the rankings, with interest in the event heightened amongst the UK population by Team GB s impressive medal haul its best since Previous Rankings N/A 2 Wimbledon Championships Movement -1 Having previously topped the rankings multiple times, the Wimbledon Championships finds itself pipped to the post by the 2016 Summer Olympic Games but only just as the UK s much-loved tennis event maintains a healthy buzz score of Previous Rankings Paralympic Games The growing profile and popularity of paralympic sport manifests itself in this year s SportsIndex rankings, with the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games achieving a peak buzz level of 35.9, placing it firmly among the Top 3 events. Previous Rankings N/A 2013 N/A 4 Movement 22 Six Nations Rugby Championship Movement -1 Enjoying consistently robust buzz scores, the Six Nations Rugby Championship once again holds onto its place in the Top 5 events and appears set to continue to do so, given the tournament s current level of popularity and accessibility within the UK. Previous Rankings NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2013

14 14 03 Top 10 Sports Events 5 Tour de France Movement 53 8 International Test Cricket (England Test Cricket) Movement -3 Cycling s showpiece event enters the Top 10 for the first time and demonstrates the biggest increase in buzz of all SportsIndex 2017 events, reflecting the positive health of the sport in general and boosted by multiple successes of professional British riders. Previous Rankings N/A 2013 N/A Despite a tricky subcontinent tour at the end of 2016 and a slight fall in the rankings this year, international test cricket holds its momentum in terms of buzz, with a score of 14.7 securing its place at Number 8. Previous Rankings English Premier League Movement 14 9 Australian Open Tennis Movement -2 Featuring in the Top 10 for the first time in four years, the English Premier League s buzz score of 18.9 is almost double what it achieved last year, driven by various major news stories, not least Leicester City s surprise 2015/16 title victory. Previous Rankings Achieving a buzz score that reflects its enduring popularity and prominence as the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open once again makes the Top 10, with Murray s advancement to the finals no doubt pushing up its 2016 buzz level. Previous Rankings Twenty20 Cricket Movement 14 Moving 14 places up the rankings to grab its Top 10 spot, Twenty20 Cricket is English cricket s 2016 success story, with efforts to re-position and market the game as an all-round entertainment spectacle seriously paying off and contributing to its much-improved buzz score. Previous Rankings The FA Cup Movement Static = Ranked tenth for a second consecutive year, the FA Cup continues to generate sufficient buzz to hold onto its place amongst the SportsIndex s top events and is the second football event to feature, alongside the English Premier League. Previous Rankings NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2013

15 15 MOVERS AND IMPROVERS Annual events only 04

16 04 Movers and Improvers 16 TOP 10 IMPROVERS /// ANNUAL AND PERIODIC EVENTS RANK Tour de France World Snooker Championship % BUZZ INCREASE Streets Ahead A newcomer to SportsIndex in 2015, the Tour de France this year jumps an impressive 53 places to rank fifth overall and top the improvers chart, with a buzz increase of more than 20% between 2015 and Twenty20 Cricket ATP World Tour Finals The Football League Championship Get the Ball Rolling Whilst last year s improvers list was dominated by tennis, this year s features two football events: The Football League Championship and the Scottish Premiership, moving up 7 and 11 places respectively in the rankings Scottish Premiership RideLondon International Triathlon World Cup Mixed Bag The Top 10 improvers this year cover a broad range of sporting categories and events - the World Snooker Championship, International Triathlon World Cup and NBA Basketball all feature, pointing to an increased level of buzz across events that sit outside the mainstream popular sporting categories European Cup Rugby NBA Basketball Advantage ATP Having never previously featured in the Top 25 ranked sports, the ATP World Tour Finals turned it around in 2016, surging forward 15 places in the overall rankings and placing it in the top five year-onyear improvers. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

17 04 Movers and Improvers 17 TOP 10 IMPROVERS /// ANNUAL EVENTS ONLY RANK 2016 EVENT 1 PEAK BUZZ 2016 PEAK BUZZ 2015 % BUZZ INCREASE Tour de France World Snooker Championship Twenty20 Cricket ATP World Tour Finals The Football League Championship Scottish Premiership RideLondon International Triathlon World Cup European Cup Rugby NBA Basketball NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

18 18 SUMMARY BY SPORT Buzz analysis by sporting category including annual and periodic events 05

19 05 Summary by Sport 19 ATHLETICS The well-documented, top-down challenges facing athletics in the areas of corporate governance and anti-doping will no doubt have been a large contributing factor to year-on-year decreases in buzz around athletics two major events, the IAAF World Athletics Championships and the European Athletics Championships. PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 55 IAAF World Athletics Championships European Athletics Championships As an off year for the World Championships which took place in Beijing in 2015 buzz around the event was anticipated to decrease slightly, however a large increase is to be expected next year when the event returns to the UK and, in particular, to London s 2012 Olympic Stadium. One contributing factor to the 2016 European Athletics Championships slight decrease in buzz is the performance of Team GB, which only achieved 16 medals, seven fewer than at the previous Euros in Zurich in 2014, when it topped the table. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

20 05 Summary by Sport 20 CRICKET The success story of English cricket in 2016 is no doubt the NatWest T20 Blast, the latest iteration of English cricket s domestic Twenty20 cricket competition. PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 7 Twenty20 Cricket International Test Cricket (England Test Cricket) The positioning of the event as a highly entertaining spectacle with music and dancers, low-cost tickets and Friday night games has helped push buzz up by 6.6% in 2016, building on an increase of 1.5% in This increase also means the T20 Blast enters the SportsIndex Rankings Top 10 and is the only event to be in the Top 10 SportsIndex Improvers for a consecutive year. 35 ICC Cricket World Cup The ICC Cricket World Cup did not take place in 2016, which accounts for the small decrease in buzz around the event. A similar fall in buzz for English test cricket was likely caused by the team s poor tour to the Indian subcontinent at the end of the year, which saw it fail to beat India across five games and lose to Bangladesh for the first time ever. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

21 05 Summary by Sport 21 CYCLING PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 5 Tour de France Tour of Britain, Cycling RideLondon The Tour de France, road cycling s showpiece event, experienced the largest year-on-year buzz of any annual sports event in the 2017 SportsIndex Annual Report, pushing it into fifth position in the overall Top 10. In the UK, cycling is in rude health from both a recreational perspective and in terms of interest at the elite level, fuelled by the healthy living movement and success after success for professional British riders. Buzz around the 2016 Tour in particular was high because Team Sky s British rider, Chris Froome, the winner in 2015, returned to retain his title and become Britain s first ever three-time winner of the race, all in the lead-up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where he would also be competing. The two major cycling events held on UK home soil, the Tour of Britain and RideLondon, experienced a small decrease and a small increase in buzz respectively. RideLondon 2016 received large amounts of positive buzz before the event that reversed post-event following two large crashes which dominated headlines. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

22 05 Summary by Sport 22 FOOTBALL The SportsIndex headline for football during 2016 is the huge increase in buzz around the English Premier League, which was 10% up on 2015 and saw the world s most popular domestic football competition return to the Top 10 (placed sixth) for the first time in four years. PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 6 English Premier League The FA Cup The Football League Championship England National Football Team UEFA Champions League Scottish Premiership FA Women s Super League (WSL) The Scottish FA Cup FIFA World Cup This huge buzz will have been caused by a combination of major news stories which kept the Premier League on the back pages across the year, including: Leicester City s surprise 2015/16 title victory, the return of José Mourinho to the League as Manchester United manager, and the re-emergence of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool as title contenders for 2016/17. Outside of the Premier League it was a mixed bag, the most notable buzz figure being the year-on-year decrease of 3.4% for the FA Women s Super League, despite the event seemingly being on an upward growth curve with record attendances in From 2017 the Women s Super League will be played alongside the traditional football calendar from September until May each season, with a one-off competition, the Women s Super League Spring Series, played from February to May to bridge the gap between the 2016 and 2017 seasons. This has been done in part to increase overall awareness of the competition, so a positive buzz is anticipated in NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

23 05 Summary by Sport 23 GOLF Overall, buzz around golf in the UK was down in 2016, with the Ryder Cup the only major golf event of the five monitored by SportsIndex to not experience a year-on-year decrease. PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 14 US Masters Golf As 2016 was an event year for the biennial Ryder Cup, it is to be expected that buzz in the competition would increase following a sharp decrease in Buzz was particularly positive this year due to expectations around the European team, which hadn t lost since The Ryder Cup The Open Championship Scottish Open Golf PGA Championship, Wentworth The Open Championship, the biggest annual golf event held on UK soil, experienced a second year-on-year fall in buzz. Part of the reason for this is arguably the large amount of buzz generated when The Open was won by Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy in 2014; in the 2015 and 2016 events no homegrown talent was able to mount a serious challenge for the title, particularly on the final day s play. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

24 05 Summary by Sport 24 HORSE RACING Buzz around all the horse racing events monitored by SportsIndex in 2016 fell by a one-digit percentage. PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 22 Cheltenham Gold Cup Grand National Royal Ascot Horse Racing The Grand National at Aintree, arguably horse racing s greatest race, experienced the biggest year-on-year decrease (4.1%) following a 3.2% decrease the previous year. This is likely caused by controversy around animal welfare the age of social media has helped amplify criticism related to horses injured in the race. Nevertheless, every year organisers make adjustments to the course to make the race safer, and key fences have been reduced in height to decrease the number of injuries Glorious Goodwood Horse Racing Epsom Derby Royal Ascot was down 2.3% in 2016 having boasted an increase of 4.1% in 2015 this is perhaps due to horse and jockey stories around the 2016 meeting grabbing less headlines than those in 2015, which was a spotlight year due to jockey Ryan Moore securing a record-breaking ninth winner on Aloft, surpassing previous records set by Pat Eddery and Lester Pigott, and Frankie Dettori claiming his 50th Royal Ascot win. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

25 05 Summary by Sport 25 MOTORSPORTS The Formula 1 British Grand Prix reigns supreme as the UK public s most talked about motorsport event, reversing a 5.7% fall in 2015 to post a small buzz increase of 0.3% in PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 11 Formula 1 British Grand Prix Goodwood Festival of Speed Though Formula One more generally has been in a state of flux over the last few years large numbers of fans stating their disapproval over a lack of overtaking and rules preventing exciting driving the British Grand Prix remains the annual showcase of the UK s strong heritage in the sport, with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button both racing in front of their home crowds in Goodwood Revival NEW EVENT 3.0 FIA Formula E Championship Having experienced a second year-on-year SportsIndex decrease in buzz in 2016, 2017 is anticipated to be a strong year for Formula E with developments such as the introduction of a New York City race for the 2016/17 season bringing a huge amount of attention to the innovative sports property. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

26 05 Summary by Sport 26 RUGBY PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 4 Six Nations Rugby Championship irb Rugby World Cup Premiership Rugby British & Irish Lions Rugby Tour European Cup Rugby irb Rugby Sevens The most remarkable buzz movement in rugby union, on the surface at least, was the 18.9% drop for the irb Rugby World Cup but, given the quadrennial event is midway between its last and next event, governing body World Rugby will not be concerned and buzz is expected to return to a significantly higher level in the lead up to Japan Strong buzz around the Six Nations Rugby Championship, the northern hemisphere s biggest annual rugby union international team tournament, means it holds onto its Top 5 spot in the overall SportsIndex rankings. With free-to-air coverage in the UK and games played over a relatively short six-week period, the Six Nations alongside Wimbledon holds a special place in the UK sporting calendar and consistently draws a high level of buzz year-on-year. The quadrennial British & Irish Lions Rugby Tour recorded the biggest increase in buzz of the rugby union events monitored in SportsIndex due to preparations for the 2017 matches starting in 2016, including the announcement of Warren Gatland as head coach in September. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

27 05 Summary by Sport 27 SAILING The two sailing events monitored in SportsIndex, both introduced in 2015, both saw their buzz fall in PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 32 America s Cup Cowes Week The America s Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy taking place, generally, every three or four years. Though boats compete in the America s Cup World Series in the years between the America s Cup race itself, buzz around the event will always be at its peak in an event year. As 2016 was a non-event year, with the competition next scheduled for summer 2017, the decrease in buzz this time around was not unexpected. With British sailing legend Ben Ainslie s Land Rover-sponsored team looking most likely to take on the defending champions in Bermuda in June, buzz around the America s Cup is likely to increase dramatically this year. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

28 05 Summary by Sport 28 TENNIS It was a strong year for tennis in 2016, with the Wimbledon Championships the second biggest event in those monitored by SportsIndex, only knocked off its 2015 top spot by the 2016 Summer Olympic Games maintaining a high level of buzz. The Australian Open grand slam and season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London also recorded strong increases. PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 2 Wimbledon Championships Australian Open Tennis Andy Murray now officially Sir Andy Murray is in the form of his career and each of the three events mentioned marked a significant moment for him in The Australian Open is the first grand slam of the year and Murray reached the final; at Wimbledon Murray took his second title; and at the World Tour Finals, having become world number one for the first time weeks earlier, Murray beat Novak Djokovic to win the event for the first time ITF Davis Cup Queen s Tennis Championship French Open ATP World Tour Finals US Open Tennis WTA Finals NEW EVENT 5.3 The annual international team tennis event, the ITF Davis Cup, experienced a 3.5% decrease in buzz in 2016 following a 10% increase the previous year. Spearheaded by Andy Murray, Great Britain won the tournament in 2015, but the team failed to make the final in 2016, hence the negative impact on the buzz score around the event. With a new era on the horizon for women s tennis as Serena Williams career comes ever closer to the end, the newlymonitored WTA Finals the season-ending climax of women s tennis is also likely to attract greater buzz as interest increases in a new generation of female players. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

29 05 Summary by Sport 29 MULTI-SPORTS PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS Summer Olympic Games Summer Paralympic Games Commonwealth Games Winter Olympics Games As anticipated, the two major multi-sports events of 2016 the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio generated huge surges in buzz across the UK during the year. Buzz was strong both in the lead-up to the event and after, when Team GB returned home with 67 Olympic medals, the most successful medal haul since British Paralympians also far exceeded their medal target, returning with 147 Paralympic medals, their best since The large increases in buzz, however, also highlight how low buzz is for the two major events in non-olympic and Paralympic years. Initiatives such as the Olympic Channel the International Olympic Committee s media platform to engage sports fans with Olympic sports all year round are looking to change that. Though the 2018 Winter Olympics saw buzz drop year-on-year, this is likely to be because attention was focused on its summer equivalent, with buzz expected to increase steadily in both 2017 and NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

30 05 Summary by Sport 30 OTHER SPORTS Having had the sixth highest buzz of all sports events monitored by SportsIndex in 2015, the Boat Race the annual rowing competition between Oxford and Cambridge universities fell out of the Top 10 with a 6.3% decrease in buzz in Buzz in 2015 was particularly high because it was the first time the Women s Boat Race was held on the same course and same day as the men in the event s long history. PEAK PEAK CHANGE RANK BUZZ BUZZ -/ EVENT % POINTS 15 The Boat Race World Snooker Championship Buzz around the annual showpiece World Snooker Championship, held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, increased by 7.8% in 2016, reversing a 4.5% decrease the year before. This was due to the performance of and hype around - arguably snooker s greatest ever talent, Ronnie O Sullivan. Ronnie went into the tournament in incredible form, having won the Masters (January 2016) and Welsh Open (February 2016) in the preceding months NFL World Swimming Championships Super League Rugby International Triathlon World Cup UFC NBA Basketball WWE NEW EVENT US-based sports properties NBA Basketball, NFL American Football and mixed martial arts event the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) all saw small increases in buzz in These three events are now hosting regular, major events in London and will look to slowly build their fan bases across the UK, so buzz increases are hoped for in SportsIndex reports over the coming years. At the end of 2016 the newly-monitored WWE, which also hosts events in London, announced an original event for 2017 to crown its first UK champion this new competition will no doubt boost interest around WWE in the UK going forward. NOTE ON DATES 1 Jan - 31 Dec ANNUAL REPORT 1 Jan - 31 Dec 2015 For previous years results visit

31 05 Summary by Sport 31 SUMMARY OF TOP SCORING EVENTS BY SPORTING CATEGORY Multi-sports 42.1 Tennis Peak buzz Rugby Union 26.3 Cycling 22.6 Football 18.9 Cricket 15.3 Motorsports 13.3 Golf 11.8 Other 11.7 Horse racing 8.3 Sailing 5.1 Athletics 1.7 0

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