August 2012
Featured in this insight: Sports & physical activity
Market insights suggest British Olympians perceived to have benefitted from home advantage: Almost nine out of 10 people believe that the Olympics being on home soil helped British athletes to their greatest performance for over a century; a survey of 13,473 respondents by LightSpeed Research has shown. 89 per cent of the population thought that the patriotic home crowds had helped to boost the British tally of gold medals.
Belief in the power of home advantage soared after British athletes first began to win gold medals, with over half as many Britons again deciding that their support had had an effect (57 per cent to 89 per cent – an increase of 56 per cent).
Men initially thought that athletes performing in their home nation was less of an advantage than women did, with just 55 per cent of men and 58 per cent of women backing the idea. But the gender divide disappeared after Team GB’s success and 89 per cent of both sexes believed that cheering and support from home crowds had a positive effect.
Dr Michelle Harrison, CEO of TNS BMRB, a Kantar company, said:
“The extra pressure of performing in front of a home crowd doesn’t seem to have affected our athletes, in fact, it looks like a virtuous circle, with each victory firing up the supporters who then encourage Team GB to new heights.”
LightSpeed Research is also a Kantar Company.
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