Latest Nielsen data reveals the nation’s most popular athletes, favourite sports, top trends, and changing in fan demographics
- Les LA Angels ont désormais plus de fans au Japon que les Yomiuri Giants
Tokyo – December 14, 2023 – Nielsen Sports today released its latest Fan Insight Report – an independent survey of Japan’s ever-growing legion of sports fans. The report includes rankings of popular sports and sporting events, as well as fan recognition, and core fan rates for each sport.
The report is the result of Nielsen Sport surveys conducted in more than 20 regions around the globe, looking at trends between 2020 to 2023, including the impact of Covid.
It gives brands, rights holders, agencies, and sports marketers the detailed insights they need to design, refine and increase the success of strategies and campaigns.
Points forts
The popularity of Japanese players can make a big difference to the fanbase of a team, even the sport itself, often resulting in a marked shift in fan interest before, during, and after international games.
• Soccer viewership surpasses baseball
Soccer now tops baseball when it comes to local viewers.
• Despite trailing soccer, baseball viewership is growing
Japan’s interest in baseball remains strong, and the number of fans grew in 2023 thanks to the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
• Popular players are difference-makers
US Major League Baseball Team (MLB), the Los Angeles Angels, have surpassed the Yomiuri Giants when it comes to the number of Japanese fans, thanks in no small part to local hero, Shohei Ohtani.
The research shows this effect has had an increase on interest in the sport overall, with Japanese fans of all MLB teams increasing.
Otani, who won the MLB’s MVP award earlier this year recently signed a record-setting contract with the LA Dodgers, which is likely to fuel the popularity of American baseball in Japan.
Japanese basketballer, Rui Hachimura, also helped to grow the number of LA Lakers fans in Japan, following his signing to the prestigious NBA team – confirming that local players in foreign leagues grows the sport’s fanbase.
• Influence of sponsorships is on the rise
From the survey result of brand sponsorship, the number of fans who answered “sponsorship contributes to brand appeal” and “sponsorship exposure is more memorable than other advertising” is gradually increasing
Autres informations clés disponibles dans le rapport
- Top 20 most popular Sports Ranking in Japan: Awareness, fan size, core fan Size, Media watchers, and event attendees
- Les 30 événements sportifs locaux et mondiaux les plus populaires auprès du public japonais
- Les 30 ligues sportives les plus populaires au monde pour le public japonais
- Top 50 most popular professional sports teams in Japan and the US for Japanese audiences (Japanese professional baseball teams, J1/J2, B-League, MLB, NBA)
the brands spending big to attract Kiwi tourists
- Augmentation de l'audience après l'affaire Covid
- Chevauchement de fans de sport
- Effets de la Coupe du monde sur les supporters japonais
- Changements chez les supporters de rugby entre la Coupe du monde de rugby 2019 et la Coupe du monde 2023
- Les Jeux olympiques n'ont-ils plus la cote ?
Please contact us for more information about the report
nielsensports_press_jp@nielsen.com
