Consumer
Who is buying, why, and what comes next
Consumer behavior and market dynamics shaping the global sporting goods industry. SGI Europe tracks participation patterns, demographic shifts, cultural drivers, and regional demand, decoding how changing preferences translate into commercial opportunity for brands and retailers.
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Market Data | Consumer and Culture | Sports Participation
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Basketball State of Play 2026
Basketball is where participation, fandom, footwear and fashion reinforce one another. 610 million players. 3.3 billion fans.
New York dethrones Paris in Burson’s sports cities ranking
A three-year streak by Paris ends as an NBA title and the FIFA World Cup Final lift New York to the top of Burson’s index.
APAC football fandom is massive. Merch sales are not.
The fandom is real. The conversion model most European clubs use in APAC is not built for the region.
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US: sporting goods emerge as World Cup retail winner
Two months later, adidas, Fanatics and Foot Locker led a US sporting goods surge that outpaced every retail category.
After ad-business recovery, X introduces card payments
Sport has gotten X back in with advertisers. X Money is a different story.
Brands race to catch the run clubs’ wave
Running clubs surge across Asia and in cities worldwide, turning what was once solitary exercise into a collective ritual of reconnection and belonging.
US women’s sports audience and ad spend are booming
US audiences watched 46 billion minutes of women’s sports in 2025, while brands poured in record ad dollars, per Nielsen.
Running footwear sales climb 13% as US market stalls
US footwear sales inched up 1 percent in H1 2026, but running shoes grew 13 times faster.
Running State of Play 2026
Nearly a third of runners started during the pandemic, motivated by health not competition – they are reshaping the sport
How SE Asian local brands find a competitive edge
A Bali brand built on surplus fabric from global labels. A Brunei brand built on repairs. How Southeast Asian local brands compete.
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Running State of Play 2026
Nearly a third of runners started during the pandemic, motivated by health not competition – they are reshaping the sport
Gravel running becomes brands’ new growth strategy
Salomon describes gravel as a gateway to new consumers, and Nike, Craft and HOKA are following it into the category.
Rugby 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.
Record 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.
APAC football fandom is massive. Merch sales are not.
The fandom is real. The conversion model most European clubs use in APAC is not built for the region.
US women’s sports audience and ad spend are booming
US audiences watched 46 billion minutes of women’s sports in 2025, while brands poured in record ad dollars, per Nielsen.
How SE Asian local brands find a competitive edge
A Bali brand built on surplus fabric from global labels. A Brunei brand built on repairs. How Southeast Asian local brands compete.
The offline campaign running on Instagram and TikTok
Fila and Deichmann use the “offline-as-luxury” narrative to resonate with Gen Z in new social media campaign featuring Kayla Shyx
US: sporting goods emerge as World Cup retail winner
Two months later, adidas, Fanatics and Foot Locker led a US sporting goods surge that outpaced every retail category.
Sports companies are discovering the pet market as a growth area
From a niche market to a multi-billion-dollar industry: How sports companies are already making good money in the $270 billion pet market.
Circana: padel shoe market equals tennis in Spain
For the first time, padel accounts for half of all racquet-sport shoe revenues in Spain, as an 18 percent surge offsets a contraction in tennis.
Global sports economy: numbers and outlook | WEF report
A new WEF analysis reveals sports tourism as the biggest driver, but climate threats and physical inactivity could erode revenues.
Intelligence, analysis and advice for the global sporting goods industry.
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