Dubai Sports CouncilBarriers to Attending Games in Stadium – Final Quantitative ReportSynovate & CARAT findings May 2009

Barriers to Attending Games in Stadium – Final Quantitative Report• Prepared for: Dubai Sports Council and Carat

Sport• Prepared by: Vishal Vasavada• Date: May 18th 2009

3© Synovate 2009

Presentation structure

• What is the background to this research?

• Objective

• Methodology

• Executive Summary

• General Findings

© 2009. Synovate Ltd. All rights reserved.

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What is the background to this research?

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What is the background to this research?

• The hallmark of any great countries sporting culture begins at the grassroots level, not least the development of the local leagues.

• In this respect, the UAE set themselves on the way to creating a great footballing tradition through the establishment of the first professional football league in the country, the UFL.

• Established in 1973, there are currently 12 teams competing for glory. However, the lack of attendance at stadiums has unfortunately been endemic in the UFL.

• The mission statement of the Dubai Sports Council is to “Inves(t)..the revenues as well as the capabilities to set up an ideal sporting sector to make Dubai a pioneering milestone in sports”.

• In order to create this heritage, DSC would like to understand why people do not attend football games in the stadium. The following study, conducted in conjunction with Carat Sport follows on from a preceding qualitative study with similar objectives.

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What are the main objectives for this research?

• Leagues interested in, and extent of interest

• Local football clubs supported

• Mode of watching the game (Stadium, TV)

• Reasons for and against watching games in the stadium, and motivators towards live viewing of games

• Optimal time and day for games

• Extent of UFL matching up to ideal football league

• Evaluation of advertising and professional standards of the UFL

• Perception of football clubs in the UAE

• Optimum balance of local versus international talent

Through the study we tried to uncover:

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How has the research been conducted?

• The research was conducted only in the Emirate of Dubai, among UAE Nationals mainly, with a smattering of Expat Arabs and other GCC Nationals.

• The sample was then sub-grouped based on age levels, gender, and nationality.

• A total of n=120 interviews were conducted.

• The report will present results on a total sample level; where significant, results will be analysed by individual sub-groups and summarised above each total level chart.

• Interviews were conducted face-to-face with the respondent, who was contacted through random street intercepts in locations all around Dubai.

• The average duration of a typical questionnaire was 20 minutes.

• The following presentation will focus independently on quantitative while drawing on some findings from the qualitative report.

Sample Criteria and Methodology

Executive Summary

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Executive Summary

• Despite poor attendance in stadiums and a perceived lack of quality in the standard of players in the UFL, there is a definite interest in the league as such.

• Although fans desire a greater proportion of international players than local, we can see from the qualitative that it is not ‘international’ in the sense of the player’s nationality, but rather their standard.

• Due to exposure to other international leagues, fans here expect to see their players behave like other players in professional leagues and even emulate them.

• How else can the standard of the local player improve, apart from their behaviour? Only through grassroots development, which is another big rallying cry from fans.

• The biggest barrier towards stadium attendance is the preference to watch the game on TV, the stadium facilities, and the inconvenient timings of the games.

• Lack of proper parking facilities is another major concern that needs to be addressed.

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• Reflecting the qualitative findings, we find that games on weekdays are not palatable to fans, and anytime before 6 pm is considered early. If we were to pick an optimum time and day for games to be held, it would be Thursday between 9 and 10 pm.

• The lack of atmosphere in the stadium can be stirred up with help from the media, of which newspapers are most visible to fans.

• The standards of the UFL are seen to be improving ever so slightly, while many fans believe the standard hasn’t changed much in either direction.

Executive Summary

General Findings

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UAE National

74%

Expat Arab26%

Sample Demographics Base Respondents: All (n=120)

18-2535%

26-3438%

35-4527% Less than

15,000 AED23%

AED 15,001 and

above77%

Nationality

AgeMonthly

Household Income

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Single43%

Married without children

19%

Married with

children38%

Marital Status

Sample Demographics Base Respondents: All (n=120)

Very Interested, 69

Quite Interested, 31

• Over half the sample are married.• We spoke mainly to football ‘fanatics; nearly 70% are Very Interested in football. The younger they are, the

more likely they are to express a passionate interest in the sport.

Level of Interest in Football

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23

40

37

71

41

32

16

28

22

23

30

34

35

30

37

3

28

12

16

4

3

2

34

2

UAE Football League

La Liga (Spanish)

English Premier League

Serie A (Italian)

French League

Bundesliga (German)

Infrequently Occasionally Regularly Every game

Football Leagues Followed and FrequencyBase Respondents: Total (n=120) + Frequency Base=Those Interested in Each League

• The findings below in terms of football leagues followed resonates with the qualitative; Locals are most interested in their own league. 94% of those we spoke to follow UFL in some capacity, and nearly half of them follow it in a dedicated manner.

• We found from the qualitative research that fans appreciate skill; therefore it is no surprise that La Liga is ranked second.

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4

9

10

15

24

37

2Al Khaleej, Al Sharjah

Al Shabab

Al Ain

Al Wahda, Al Jazeera

Al Nasr

Al Wasl

Al Ahli

Clubs Supported in the UAEBase Respondents: Follow the UFL (n=115)

• As this survey was conducted in Dubai, it is understandable that the majority of respondents support clubs based in the Emirate.

• However, there is a following for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain clubs as well. Al Jazeera is quite popular among Expat Arabs.

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In the stadium - Friends

11%

On TV - Friends

57%

On TV - Alone32%

Means of Following UFL gamesBase Respondents: Follow the UFL (n=115)

• The most common way of following UFL games is watching on TV with friends. The next slide explores reasons why people stay away from the stadium.

• Overall, TV viewership of the UFL is most common among 89% of the respondents, which represents a huge untapped opportunity to bring fans through the turnstiles.

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Reasons for NOT Watching Games in StadiumBase Respondents: Follow UFL but do not watch games in stadium (n=101)

25

39

46

46

57

Distance of stadiumfrom home/workplace

Lack of parkingfacilities

Timings are notconvenient

The conditions instadium (heat)

Prefer to watch gameson TV

• Similar to the qualitative findings, we see that reliability on television tends to be a common ‘excuse’ for not attending games in the stadium.

• However, factors such as the stadium facilities and inconvenient timings of games are also cited to explain lack of stadium attendance.

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Ideal Day of the Week for GamesBase Respondents: All (n=120)

5 3 3 5

46

57

12

• It is clear that most respondents prefer games to be held on days which allow a cushion from work the next day.

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Ideal Time for Weekend and Weekday GamesBase Respondents: All (n=120)

• On the outside of the clock, you will see the preference for WEEKEND time-slots, while the %’s on the inside of the clock denote the inclination towards timespans in the WEEKDAY.

• Both the 6-9 and 9-12 slots are equally popular, however for a Thursday (which is still a weekday), the 9 pm-10 pm slot is ‘prime’.

14 %28

%

16 %18 %

15 %

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Reasons for NOT Watching Games in StadiumBase Respondents: Follow UFL BUT do not watch games in stadium (n=101)

5

6

8

10

11

11

20

21

24

23

Cannot smoke inside stadium

Lack of information about games

Stadium is old, worn-out

Difficult to get tickets

My team not performing well now

Prefer other football leagues

No big screens

No atmosphere/passion in the stadium

Prices of tickets are too high

UFL is not exciting enough

• Also mentioned as barriers is the lack of excitement in the league as well as in the stadium, and the high prices of tickets.

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Frequency of watching games in the stadiumBase: Watch games in the stadium (n=14*)

Mainly when there is a ‘big’ game on

21%

Every 3 weeks21%

Every 2 weeks 29%

Once a month 7%

Every week 21%

• Please note that the base size for those who watch games in the stadium is stastically insignificant, so the findings below should be treated as inferential, rather like qualitative research.

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Reasons for Watching Games in StadiumBase: Watch games in the stadium (n=14*)

Helps me to feel Helps me to feel closer to my closer to my

teamteam

Because I go Because I go together in a together in a

group of friendsgroup of friends

TV is no match TV is no match for watching for watching

game in stadiumgame in stadium I like to show I like to show support to my support to my

teamteam

• Again, as we are looking at a very small base, it is important to only draw inferences on the reasons mentioned below.

• Below are key reasons mentioned by at least half of the non-stadium goers.

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38

31

29

29

33

14

24

33

32

34

35

33

24

41

27

34

More investment in foreign ‘star’ players

Have games at more convenient time

More entertainment in the stadium (pre-match etc)

More entertainment facilities in stadium

More promotional efforts from the UFL about games

More faciilites for families/children

Merchandising at the stadium

Cheaper tickets

Very Big Difference Quite Big Difference

Influencers to Watch Games in Stadium: T2BBase Respondents: Follow UFL BUT do not watch games in stadium (n=101)

• Below are some key motivators (based on top 2 box ranking) towards watching games in the stadium.• Again we see the importance that the timing of the game plays in influencing attendance. • Fans also believe that investment into foreign players may increase the excitement levels of the UFL. This

was echoed, especially by Expat fans, in the qualitative research.

Primarily International Talent , 49

A Mix, 23

Primarily Local Talent, 28

Ideal Composition of Players in UFL

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Concept of Sports Rivalry in the Media

15

17

59

Makes me followup on games

Creates spectatortensions

Createscompetition &enthusiasm

Yes38%

No62%

Does the Media Create Rivalry?Base Respondents: All (n=120)

Reasons for Liking Media RivalryBase Respondents: Believe in Media Rivalry (n=46)

• The idea of creating rivalry between teams in the media is welcomed by fans, but currently there is not quite enough of it as per their perceptions.

• Creating rivalry is a good way of generating passion and enthusiasm in the game, and can help to counter a previously mentioned objective about the UFL ‘not being exciting enough’.

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Expectation vs. Fulfilment of UFLBase Respondents: n=120

020406080

100 High professional standard ofplayers

World-class Internationals

Professionally managed

Grassroots development

High quality stadiumsHigh standard of refereeing

State-of-the-art stadiums

Quality of merchandising

Promotional schemes

Appeals to all walks of life

Ideal League UFL

%

Comparison of Ideal League vs UFL• The chart below plots the disparity between expectation from a ‘perfect’ football league, and the fulfillment of

those needs through the UFL.• As we can see, the biggest gap can found in terms of the standard of the players in the UFL.• On the other hand, the UFL performs well in terms of promotional schemes, as well as having a mass appeal.

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89

787674

7368

6463

6260

4949

43

686

815

2026

1813

2438

89Adequate parking

Big-screen monitors

Adequate restroom facilities

Professional catering with variety of F&B

Availability of team merchandise

Availability of refreshments

Separate women's seating area

Facilities for children

Stewards/stewardesses welcoming to stadium

Pre-match and half-time entertainment

Reasonable ticket prices

Music during game

Authorization to smoke

T2B=Very + Somewhat Important B2B=Very + Somewhat Unimportant

Importance of Stadium ExperienceBase Respondents: All (n=120)

• When thinking about the stadium experience, fans are quite concerned with the ‘basics’: parking, restrooms, catering.

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46

46

8

1

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

Al Ain

Sharjah

Which City has the Most Professional Clubs?Base Respondents: All (n=120)

• The professionalism of Dubai and Abu Dhabi clubs are considered to be on par

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38

8

11

16

10

28

34

21

11

22

23

28

19

33

23

31

11

18

9

18

12

Best Stadium in UFL

Wide variety of merch

Largest fan base

Most professional mgmt

Best website

Best communications

Al Jazeera Al Ain Al Ahli Not one stand-out All clubs

Club AssociationBase Respondents: All (n=120)

• The clubs with the most outstanding images tend to be Al Jazeera, Al Ain and Al Ahli. • In terms of a good website, no one club seems to have a huge advantage over the other. However, we see

from the qualitative that the website is not an ideal way to connect to fans anyway.

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Perceived Improvement of UFLBase Respondents: All (n=120)

Still amateur

4%

Standard has stayed the same

38%

A little more

professional

36%

A little less professional

9%

Much more professional

13% Still an amateur league

1%

Perfectly professional

2%

Standard has stayed the same

45%

A little more

professional

34%

Little/lot less professional

4%

Much more professional

15%

Professionalism Branding

• By and large, the UFL has made basic improvements if any at all in terms of bettering their standards over the years.

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Seen Advertising for UFL? Where?

1

7

14

16

22

26

68

75

Cannot recall

Internet

Billboard

SMS

Magazines

Word of Mouth from Friends

Television

Newspaper

Yes73%

No27%

Base Respondents: All (n=120)

Base Respondents: Seen Ads for UFL (n=88)

• Positively, nearly 3 out of 4 respondents recall seeing some sort of advertising for the UFL.• The media with most recall by far are newspaper and television

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Satisfaction with WebsiteBase Respondents: All (n=120)

Extremely Satisfied , 17

Somewhat Satisfied, 52

Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied,

22

Somewhat dissatisfied , 6

Extremely dissatisfied , 4

Satisfaction with Website

A little professional

11%

Average 20%

Very amateur 6% Amateur

52%

Very professional

11%

Professionalism of Website

• 45% of respondents interviewed were aware of the UFL website; of them, close to 70% are satisfied to some degree with it. However, it could be doing a lot more in terms of professionalism.

Base Respondents: Aware of UFL Website (n=54)

Base Respondents: Aware of UFL Website (n=54)

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Suggestions to UFL ChairmanBase Respondents: All (n=120)

22

20

14

9

8

6

5

5

10

8

8

Develop football players

Hire world class international players

More organised facilities in the stadium

Availability of coaching experts

Develop football at grass roots level

Develop management of football clubs

Availability of big screens/more screens

More promotional efforts from UFL to increase spirit

Don't use foreign coaches & players

Develop new football clubs

Professional referees

• Many different suggestions were put forth by fans in a hypothetical discussion with the UFL chairman; below are a selection of the best comments.

• Again, the cry for more international talent is reiterated.

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Our curiosity is all yours.Thank you.

!

Dubai Sports CouncilBarriers to Attending Games in Stadium – Final Quantitative Report

Gregory BolleManaging DirectorCARAT Sponsorship MENAg.bolle@carat-me.com / 050 435 4846

Sebastien Sayegh Executive Account ManagerCARAT Sponsorship MENAs.sayegh@carat-me.com / 050 103 3886