New Insights into British Eventing Audiences Show Loyal and Passionate FanbasesNew Insights into British Eventing Audiences Show Loyal and Passionate Fanbases
Research conducted by data-driven sports marketing agency Two Circles, around the eventing audience in Britain, has unveiled huge opportunities for sponsorship within British Eventing and confirm eventing has one of the most loyal and passionate fanbases.
The research – which saw Two Circles analyse data from 70,000 ticket purchasers, 350,000 tickets and 450,000 digital users – was launched to gain a deeper understanding of the audience engaging with eventing in the UK. The results have created the most comprehensive market study ever, which showcases eventing’s commercial opportunities available within the significant UK audience of 5.8m people who we know have an affinity to horses.
Two Circles’ experience working with other sporting governing bodies, brands and organisations; including Wasps Rugby, Lawn Tennis Association, Ascot Racecourse and Youth Sport Trust, has helped to deliver insights that give the sport reliable proof to long-term assumptions, and provide findings that can be confidently shared with brands and potential sponsors to help to build strong, mutually-beneficial, relationships.
When comparing eventing to other brands, the research confirms the audience’s unique qualities, such as a high proportion from flourishing societies, with 53% coming from upmarket household classifications along with further confirming British Eventing’s predominately female audience at 75%. In addition, the insights verify that eventing has one of the most loyal and passionate fanbases; during the study audiences scored their love for their sport as 8.7 out of 10, higher than the UK sport average, and it also has an average Net Promoter Score (NPS)* of +62, which is above the NPS for Netflix.
The full findings of the research – made public in a report entitled A Commercial Content Guide to Eventing in the UK – can be viewed on the BE website.
As part of its new five-year commercial strategy, British Eventing is using this profound understanding of its audience to showcase the unique value its events – which include two of the world’s six CCI4* events – and media platforms, can offer brands looking at both international and domestic markets.
“Brands are increasingly demanding an in-depth understanding of their target audience when making sponsorship decisions,” said British Eventing Chief Executive David Holmes. “We are entering a new commercial era where we are looking to demonstrate greater value to our current partners and open up the sport to new brands; brands that are seeking new and unique content options targeted to a relevant audience, which makes this research – and its findings – critical.”
Jake Jones, lead consultant at Two Circles, added: “Eventing is a classic example of a sport that has a huge amount of hidden assets waiting to be uncovered. Now, armed with this new data-driven understanding of its audience, we are confident British Eventing is in a position to develop genuinely outstanding and measurable commercial opportunities for major brands.”
*Net Promoter Score measures the willingness of customers or fans to recommend an organisation’s products, services or events to others
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.