If history is any indication, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games - scheduled for July 27-Aug. 12 in London - will be a boon for athletic, recreation and fitness facility operators. That's because people tend to show an increased interest in playing sports and being active after watching the Olympics on television, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.
Data from the most recent SGMA Study on Sports, Fitness and Recreational Activity Participation indicate that the Winter and Summer Olympic Games remain the two most popular spectator events for TV viewers of sports, and that there is a positive correlation between extensive media coverage of the Olympics and people showing an interest in being more active and taking an interest in a given sport that year or the next.
An example of the Olympic influence on sports participation in the United States can be seen in the following activities that have an Olympic affiliation:
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SGMA officials also expect that swimming and soccer will generate plenty of interest this year.
"While some people may not be motivated to play a particular sport because of watching the Olympic Games, many people are encouraged to start exercising and getting in better physical shape because of the Olympic Games," says Neil Schwartz of SGMA Research. "It's personally motivating to see people in such great physical shape who are excelling in athletic competition and having a good time. The great athletes make it all look so easy, which is what makes many of those sports very appealing to a newcomer. We see these athletes on the field and in the pool, and it motivates us to try and accomplish some of our individual athletic and fitness goals."
