Canadian soccer fans in the stands: BBM Media Snapshot

With the Under-20 World Cup hitting Toronto this month, soccer is top of mind with many Canadians. Who are they, and what else are they into?
By Patti Summerfield
June 19, 2007

Some 2.6 million (9%) of Canadians attend a soccer game occasionally or regularly in season. Check out this info about their predelictions:

• Not surprisingly, fans who attended a game are 4 times more likely to play the game themselves regularly in season than their fellow Canadians.

• They are also 2.8 times more likely to own orthopaedic supports and/or braces than average Canadians.

• Canadian soccer fans are 45% more likely to be planning to buy a new home in the next two years than average Canadians.

• The international flavour of soccer is reflected in Canadian soccer fans, who are 2.5 times more likely than average Canucks to speak Italian, Spanish, German or Chinese well enough to conduct a conversation.

• As a group, soccer fans are 50% more likely to have shopped at stereo/electronic stores in the past year, and 60% more likely than average Canadians to have purchased an HD-compatible TV in the past two years.

• TV (88%), Radio (86%) and Internet (66%) are the top three media by yesterday exposure for Canadians who attend soccer games occasionally or regularly.

• The top three formats by weekly radio reach for this group are: News/Talk (34%), Adult Contemporary (29%) and Mainstream Top 40/CHR (21%).

• Canadian soccer fans watch the following top three television program types in an average week: Movies (65%), News/Current affairs (55%) and Hockey, when in season (48%).

Source: BBM RTS Canada, Spring 2007, Individuals 12+. The preceding information is from BBM RTS, a syndicated consumer-media survey of over 64,000 Canadians, conducted twice a year by BBM Analytics. For more information, contact Andrew Currie of BBM Analytics: acurrie@bbmanalytics.ca.