The data says ｜ The big data portrait of China fans is coming, and Shandong football is super enterprising.
What is the hottest this winter?
In 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, there will be 8 world-class stadiums, 32 teams and 64 peak matches. The Argentine team and the French team will compete for the World Cup in the final. Nowadays, on the major social platforms, the atmosphere of the competition has been "full", and topics about fans, such as "Is anyone in charge of the mental state of fans", have also been frequently searched. Every World Cup, China fans are more nervous than the players and coaches on the field. The favorite team can be happy all day if it wins, and will be angry if it loses.
Recently, fastdata, a big data intelligent analysis platform, released a data, saying that the number of fans in China is as high as 289 million, making it one of the most important markets for football marketing in the world. China has a population of 1.4 billion, in other words, about one in five people in China is a football fan. What can be found in the portrait of this huge group of fans? Let’s talk about China fans through the data.
The status of football as the most popular sport in the world is indisputable. The global appeal of football is not only to attract the interest of fans all over the world: from sponsorship to broadcasting, from club ownership to the value of major stars, the influence of football is universal. According to the Report on the Marketing Value of Football Fans in China in 2022, football accounts for 43% of the penetration rate of the world’s major ball sports fans. According to the data, there are 3.46 billion football fans in the world, of which about 289 million are from China. In other words, one in every 11 fans in the world is a China fan.
There is no insurmountable gap between football and life. What are the standards for becoming a football fan in China?
According to the data of the platform, male fans in China account for nearly 90%. In terms of age, fans aged 25-34 account for the highest proportion, accounting for 41.5%; In terms of academic qualifications, the proportion of undergraduate and above fans reached 66%, and the overall education level was high; In terms of marriage, the proportion of unmarried fans is high, accounting for more than 60%.
With the help of data, we can know that the proportion of male senior fans in China is higher as a whole; The age is concentrated under 34 years old, and most of them are distributed in first-and second-tier cities. The academic qualifications of senior fans are concentrated in undergraduate courses; Personal monthly income is between 20,000 and 30,000, and the average personal monthly income is 107.661 million yuan.
How do China fans with high diplomas and high incomes perform in terms of spending power? According to the research results of iResearch, Nike and Adidas are the most popular brands among fans in China, while domestic brands Li Ning and Anta are becoming the hot spots of fans’ attention. About 60% of China football fans spend 500-3000 yuan on shoes/clothes/hats every year, with an average annual consumption of 2105.4 yuan.
According to public reports, Qatar released data that China fans bought 7,000 tickets during the World Cup. Fans who haven’t gone abroad are equally enthusiastic, squatting in front of the TV every day to CALL their favorite team stars.
Recently, the consumption related to watching football can be described as "bursting".
According to the data of the US Mission, on the opening day of the World Cup, the order for snack take-out increased by 55% month-on-month and the fruit increased by 35% month-on-month. Among them, melon seeds increased by 69%, French fries by 62%, peanuts by 35% and nuts by 32%.
Of course, watching the ball is inseparable from drinking, and many e-commerce platforms have higher sales of beer and fruit wine. According to the data of Vipshop, the sales of beer have increased by 150% since November. There are still many young fans who favor fruit wine. During the same period, the sales of fruit wine increased nearly four times year-on-year.
In addition, the sales of related categories such as football wear increased by 75% compared with last year. Among them, the sales of brands such as Clover and JOMA increased particularly rapidly, with the growth rates reaching 339% and 112% respectively.
Thus, the consumption potential of China fans is rampant! From analyzing the situation, buying sports lottery tickets to buying goods related to watching football, I am immersed in the upsurge of the World Cup, and my sense of participation is very high.
What are the fans watching about football?
Football players are one of the global stars who lead the trend on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. A large number of followers on the platform directly increase the value that players bring to partner brands and teams, competitions, charities and other organizations.
Social media provides a powerful platform for sports stars and other celebrities to build personal brand value. The data shows that as of July 2022, C Ronaldo’s social media operation ability is significantly stronger than other players, and he has the most fans on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms.
Cristiano Ronaldo is still the most popular star in China. By December 14th, 2022, the number of fans of Cristiano Ronaldo in Weibo reached 8.391 million, and the number of related topics read exceeded 5 billion. According to the research results of iResearch, the foreign stars that fans are most concerned about are Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Mbappé, Harland and lewandowski. In terms of domestic stars, Lei Wu has become the most popular local star for his outstanding performance in La Liga.
Football is becoming more and more successful in business every year. It may be the sport with the most cash flow in the world and has become one of the most profitable sports industries in the world. A huge fan base is the foundation of players’ commercial value. Mbappé, a French international, topped the list of 2022 footballers’ income published by Forbes magazine in October with US$ 128 million, surpassing Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to become the highest-paid footballer in football.
What can you find by focusing on Shandong?
The data shows that this year, fans in China, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 have the highest frequency of watching several games per week, reaching 27%. The huge fan base has contributed a lot to the promotion of sports industry’s contribution to GDP. Little known is that Shandong people’s football dedication has been strong for thousands of years.
As early as more than 2300 years ago, Shandong people began to explore the cause of football. In Linzi, the capital of Qi State during the Warring States Period, cuju has developed into a popular form of entertainment among the people. Biography of Historical Records of Su Qin records: "Linzi is very rich and real, and all its people are those who play the flute, drum instruments, percussion, playing the piano, fighting cocks, walking dogs, playing six blogs and kneeling."
Shandong Taishan Football Club, referred to as Taishan Team for short, takes Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium as its main venue and is now competing in the Chinese Football Association Super League.
In 2005, the world’s first professional football museum, which comprehensively displays the evolution history of China football for thousands of years and the development style of world football, was officially opened in Linzi, Zibo, the birthplace of world football.
In 2017, the General Office of Shandong Provincial Government issued the Implementation Plan for Football Reform and Development in Shandong Province. The plan proposes measures such as building a four-level campus league tournament and creating a "Lu Chao" brand event.
In 2018, Shandong Campus Football Association (SCFA) was established.
The wonderful thing about Shandong football "Foot" is that there are so many talented people. Why can Shandong football be so talented and become the backbone of China football? The answer lies in the high-level football youth training system.
According to the data of "Shandong Campus Football Characteristic Schools Directory" issued by Shandong Provincial Department of Education, there were 317, 264 and 410 campus football characteristic schools in Shandong Province in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Some netizens called the Provincial Sports Center Stadium a holy place for Shandong fans, and publicly reported that Rizhao Football Center, the first professional football field in Shandong Province, will soon be put into use.
In this FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Shandong elements can be seen everywhere inside and outside the stadium.
Hisense, which is "the first in China and the second in the world", has sponsored four consecutive top sports football events.
Qingdao Wandelong Textile Technology Co., Ltd., which has provided flag products for seven consecutive World Cups, can provide tens of millions of flags. Since March this year, millions of flags, large and small, have set off from here and finally flew over Qatar.
Cuju from Zibo, the birthplace of football, was warmly welcomed by Qatari local players and coaches, who personally experienced Cuju culture.
With the smooth performance of the World Cup, the football DNA of Shandong people moved.
In Yantai, Shandong Province, a woman made noodles into a football cake, with 32 pieces of leather.
Wang Yanbao, a fan of Jinan, Shandong Province, drew the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 mascot Raib in a 7 mm snuff bottle.
"Grandpa A Mu" in Liaocheng, Shandong Province is once again popular because of tenon-mortise football.
Regarding football, the dedication of Shandong fans is really super!
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Planning: Dai Lingling
Coordinator: Zhao Xiaoju
Data/Copy: Liu Lanhui
Design: Zhu Qianqian
Produced by Volkswagen Daily Data News Studio
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