The trend is one for all international federations to take note of: according to an ambitious study conducted worldwide by sports marketing agency Two Circles, most sports fans catch the virus in their teens. Specifically, at the age of 14. The survey suggests that the younger the onset of a passion for sport, the more it will materialize in the form of a taste for regular exercise, engagement in social networks and financial expenditure. Two Circles assures us that this is a global phenomenon, but there are differences from country to country. The UK and Switzerland are the two countries where fans are “born” the earliest, with more than half (57%) admitting to a passion for sport before the age of 14. At the other end of the scale, India has the oldest fans, with only 35% in this age bracket. But cricket seems to be the exception, with half of all fans having been trained before the age of 14. Another of the survey’s lessons is that interest in sport is stronger the earlier it begins. Younger people are 24% more likely to declare themselves “highly passionate“, 98% more likely to consume a sport every day, and 26% more likely to exercise for at least 150 minutes a week.
