Football’s popularity in Australia is surging thanks to the FIFA World Cup and the emerging Hyundai A-League, with FFA and its sponsors set to cash in.
A report on the Australian Sponsorship News website revealed a study by sports and entertainment agency Octagon shows fans of the world game are more engaged by sponsors than in any other major sport.
The Socceroos’ fearless performances in Brazil have certainly struck a chord, with Octagons research showing significant growth in “avid” followers of the game.
In 2012 that figure stood at 2.7 million people but was up to 4.9m this year.
"Any sponsor, be they associated with local or international formats of the game, as an existing sponsor or a newcomer, has the chance to step up, make a mark, and win the hearts and minds of these consumers,” Octagon's strategy director Simone Errey told Sponsorship News.
“It’s a great time to be a sponsor of football in Australia. The challenge for brands is effective activation
"When you combine this with the fact there are 4.9 million highly passionate and engaged individuals ready to embrace sponsors, the opportunity in football is obvious."
While the research showed 64 percent of fans put the World Cup as their favourite format, the A-League is certainly on the rise with 91 percent of respondents watching matches in the last 12 months.
And sponsors are the ones benefitting with Octagon finding that 33 percent of football fans are likely to buy a sponsor's product, compared to cricket (27 percent), rugby union (23) and the Olympics (19).
The original report published on the Australian Sponsorship News website can be found here - http://www.sponsorshipnews.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&stream=1-1&selkey=44061