Consumer insights from the sporting goods industry
We got you covered with market statistics and trends from the sports business
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ArticleDressed to the Nine (iron)
South Korea buys nearly half the world’s golf fashion: a $4 billion market powered by women, status and lifestyle wear.
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ArticleRugby State of Play 2026
Rugby’s recovery is led by pre-teens and women. Brands still targeting adult club rugby are on the wrong side of the demand curve.
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ArticleSwipe left, buy Local: the Douyin athleisure takeover
Grandparents with 34 million Douyin followers, a $910 billion silver economy, and a guochao generation rewriting who buys local activewear, and why.
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ArticleRecord numbers. New players. The soccer boom in the US is already here.
SFIA data shows U.S. soccer at peak participation, driven by Hispanic growth, female re-engagement, and millennials.
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Market ReportsExclusive data: Will Anta’s investment in Puma spark a China revival?
Anta took a 29% stake in Puma at the start of 2026. Can it do for Puma what it did for FILA, Descente and Salomon? Our new report with Hot Pot China unpacks the data.
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News briefsFemale participation reorders the US golf market
Female on-course participation in the US hit a record 8.1 million in 2025 — surpassing a 2006 peak that stood for nearly two decades.
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ArticleFan price-squeeze index
The NFL earns $433 million per franchise in national revenue while fans pay up to $1,500 for access, and 87% report frustration.
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ArticleSport, the churn reducer
Fragmentation, $935–$1,500 NFL seasons, and a rights market 150 times more expensive than Friends: streaming’s sports bet explained.
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ArticleGolf: The 2026 State of Play
The 9-hole round, screen golf and digital apps are rewriting the rulebook on who plays golf and how.
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ArticleEverything padel has become is coming to Barcelona in May 2026
The British army, a former champion and the global federation of padel walk into a trade show. It’s not a joke, but the set-up for the Padel Summit.
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ArticleActivewear sells confidence. The data disagrees.
A peer-reviewed study finds no link between activewear engagement and female body confidence, contradicting a core industry marketing claim.
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ArticleAthletic footwear loses ground in US survey
A new US survey finds athletic spend down 5 percent and athleisure down 8 percent, as durability overtakes performance tech as the key purchase driver.
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ArticleBeyond the logo: what brands gain from mass participation sports
A 7.8% surge in event participation is reshaping where sporting goods brands can build durable equity – if they look past the finish-line banner.
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ArticleReport: Europe’s fitness market breaks records in 2025
The 2026 EuropeActive/Deloitte report shows the sector surging past €39bn in revenue, with consolidation accelerating and the US penetration gap still wide open.
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ArticleCultural athleisure: homage or exploitation?
When athleisure brands mine local cultures, the line between homage and exploitation blurs.
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News briefsPadel hits all-time high in global search interest
Global search data confirm padel’s 2025 performance set a new baseline, with Indonesia, the UK and India emerging as rising markets.
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ArticleRacquet Sports: The 2026 State of Play
106 million tennis players, 35 million padel converts, 24 million pickleball players in the US alone. What the 2026 data tells brands and investors.
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ArticleUS sporting goods wholesale hits $130bn
Five-year gains of nearly 35 percent reveal which categories are pulling ahead — and where demand is quietly shifting.
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ArticleRecord US sport participation masks deep gaps
A historic milestone for US sports participation — yet most Americans still don’t meet weekly activity guidelines, new SFIA data shows.
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ArticleSport participation: Triathlon finds a new consumer
Younger athletes and rising female participation are reshaping the multisport market – and redefining who sporting goods brands need to reach.
