It’s not just Gen Z who are rejecting the sparkle of socialising and prioritising fitness, according to The Playbook: Sports Edition, released by PrettyGreen, a leading creative communications agency. Providing new insights into the UK’s leisure behaviours and wellness predictions for the year ahead, the report is part of a long term series investigating emerging consumer behavioural trends.
Flipping the switch on Gen Z, the report shows that wellness is becoming even more of a focus for adults across the UK, with one in five prioritising improving their health and well-being, over meeting new people or discovering new experiences. Furthermore, the rise of the ‘active’ event is paramount with organised events such as half-marathons and obstacle events such as Hyrox set to see the most significant increase in both leisure time +31% and money spent (+17%) this year.
You only need to look at the rise in popularity of women’s football since the Lionesses EURO win and Chelsa’s recent WSL title win to see that women’s sport pulled in a record 46.7m UK viewers on linear TV in 2023*. The Playbook highlights that this year, women are expected to increase attendance to live sporting events and spending by 12%.
With extensive experience in the sports and wellness sector, PrettyGreen’s deep dive into consumer leisure trends reveals key takeaways for brands and businesses to tap into during the Summer of Sport.
Find below a snapshot of the macro trends uncovered, with key takeaways for brands to be found in the report here:
1. We’re getting physical
Active events, such as organised 10k runs, marathons and obstacle courses, are expected to see significant increases in both leisure time (31%) and money spent (17%) in 2024.
2. Wellness is becoming a focus
One in five UK adults prioritise spending leisure time improving their health and well-being (22%), surpassing other activities like meeting new people (9%) or discovering new experiences (16%).
3. Repeat attendance
The research reveals fitness fans show strong repeat attendance at active events, with an average of 3.6 times per year, creating repeat opportunities for brands to engage
with consumers at different training touchpoints.
4. Investment in live sports attendance
Live sports emerged as the top leisure activity where consumers spent the most money in 2023, as a result – one in five UK adults attended live sports games in 2023, at a frequency of 4.8 times per year. The report predicts a 15% net increase in investment from consumers in live sports attendance in 2024.
Lucy Porter, Strategy & Creative Partner at PrettyGreen, commented on the findings:
“Our latest Play Book research highlights the dynamic shifts in the UK’s leisure behaviour, with exercise and wellness set to be prioritised by consumers in the year ahead. As we approach 2024’s so-called ‘Summer of Sport’ there’s an exciting opportunity for brands to build relevance and add value through their audience’s passions and needs, even if they’re not directly involved in the sector.”
Earlier this year PrettyGreen launched their Play Book report, uncovering new insights into evolving leisure preferences and spending habits. Reinforcing the self improvement trend, the Playbook shows one in five UK adults spend their leisure time developing their body and mind, by creative (18%), learning new things (20%) and doing things that improve their health and wellbeing (22%).
To access the full report and discover key takeaways for brands, please visit https://itsprettygreen.com/news/the-play-book-sports-edition/