From ItsaSurvey.com
While Still the Nation's Favorite Sport, Professional Football Drops in Popularity
By
Jan 9, 2007 - 4:28:25 PM
Professional football
continues to be the most popular sport among U.S. adults who follow
more than one sport, although its popularity has dropped slightly from
2005's high. In 2006, twenty-nine percent of adults who follow more
than one sport say pro football is their favorite, down four percentage
points from 2005's thirty-three percent. Baseball remains unchanged at
14 percent, with college football coming neck-in-neck again (13%,
unchanged from 2005) and auto racing, which is down two points at nine
percent. Professional basketball has increased by three percentage
points, with seven percent of adults who follow more than one sport
saying it is their favorite.
These are the results of a nationwide Harris Interactive(R) survey
conducted online between December 12 and 18, 2006 among 2,309 U.S.
adults, of whom 1,219 follow more than one sport.
Since Harris Interactive began asking this question in 1985,
professional football has always been on top and its popularity is now
five points higher (from 24% to 29%). Compared to 1985's results,
baseball has dropped nine percentage points (from 23% to 14%), horse
racing and men's tennis have both dropped three percentage points and
college football and auto racing have each increased by three
percentage points.
Demographic variations
The survey also finds some sizable differences between different segments of the population:
-- Pro football is most popular among those who live in the East (39%),
those with household incomes of $35,000 to under $45,000 (39%), among
Generation X (those ages 30 to 41) (36%) and African Americans (35%).
Those who earn less than $15,000 (20%) are least likely to call
football their favorite sport.
-- Baseball is most popular among Liberals (20%) and those who live in the
East (19%). African Americans are least likely to say baseball is their
favorite sport (7%).
-- College football is particularly popular among those with post graduate
degrees (23%). Just six percent of those who live in the East cite
college football as their favorite sport.
-- Auto racing (which includes NASCAR) is most popular among those with
household incomes of $25,000 to just under $35,000 (19%) and those with
a high school education or less (15%), while it fares worst among those
with a post graduate degree (1%) and Liberals (4%).
TABLE 1
FAVORITE SPORTS
"If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?"
Base: All adults who follow more than one sport
CHANGE
1985 1989 1992 1993 1994 1997 1998 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 1985-
2006
% % % % % % % % % % % % %
Pro
football 24 26 28 24 24 28 26 27 29 30 33 29 +5
Baseball 23 19 21 18 17 17 18 14 13 15 14 14 -9
College
football 10 6 7 8 7 10 9 9 9 11 13 13 +3
Auto racing 5 4 5 6 5 5 7 10 9 7 11 9 +3
Men's pro
basketball 6 7 8 12 11 13 13 11 10 7 4 7 +1
Men's
college
basketball 6 10 8 8 8 6 4 4 6 6 5 5 -1
Men's golf 3 4 4 6 5 6 4 4 5 4 4 4 +1
Hockey 2 3 3 3 5 4 3 3 3 4 5 4 +2
Men's
soccer 3 2 2 1 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 2 -1
Men's
tennis 5 4 4 4 3 3 4 1 2 1 1 2 -3
Track &
field 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 1 3 1 * 2 -
Horse
racing 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 -3
Boxing NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 2 2 1 NA
Women's
tennis NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 3 2 2 1 1 NA
Bowling 3 5 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 -2
Women's
golf NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 1 * * 1 NA
Women's
college
basketball NA NA NA NA NA NA 1 1 * 1 * 1 NA
Women's pro
basketball NA NA NA NA NA NA * 1 1 * * * NA
Women's
soccer NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 1 * * NA
Not sure * 1 4 1 2 2 1 3 1 2 2 3 -
Pro
football's
lead over
baseball 1 7 7 6 7 11 8 13 16 15 19 15 +14
Note 1: NA = Not asked in that year. Previously did not distinguish
between men and women's sports when asking these questions.
Note 2: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Note 3: "*" indicates less than 0.5%. "-" indicates no response.
TABLE 2
DEMOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS IN FAVORITE SPORTS
"If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?"
Base: All adults who follow more than one sport
Sport All Adults Highest Lowest
% % %
Pro football 29 East 39 Less than $15,000 20
$35,000-$49,999 39 West 21
Gen Xers (30-41) 36 $25,000-$34,999 21
African Americans 35 Matures 22
Baseball 14 Liberals 20 African American 7
East 19 Conservatives 10
College Football 13 Post-graduate 23 East 6
$25,000-$34,999 19 $35,000-$44,999 8
South 19 African Americans 9
$75,000+ 18 Less than $15,000 9
Auto Racing 9 $25,000-$34,999 19 Post graduate 1
High School or less 15 Liberals 4
Gen Xers (30-41) 13 College Graduates 5
Methodology
This Harris Poll(R) was conducted online within the United States
between December 12 and 18, 2006, among 2,309 adults (aged 18 and over)
of whom 1,219 follow more than one sport. Figures for age, sex, race,
education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to
bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.
Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents'
propensity to be online.
All surveys are subject to several sources of error. These include:
sampling error (because only a sample of a population is interviewed);
measurement error due to question wording and/or question order,
deliberately or unintentionally inaccurate responses, nonresponse
(including refusals), interviewer effects (when live interviewers are
used) and weighting.
With one exception (sampling error) the magnitude of the errors that
result cannot be estimated. There is, therefore, no way to calculate a
finite "margin of error" for any survey and the use of these words
should be avoided.
With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it
is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but
not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a
pure probability sample of 1,219 adults one could say with a
ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a
sampling error of +/- three percentage points. However that does not
take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not
based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling
error can be calculated.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
J28941
Q900, Q905
Harris Interactive Inc. 1/07
The Harris Poll(R) #3, January 9, 2007
By Regina Corso, Director, The Harris Poll
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market
research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven
insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident
decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in
performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll,
one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for
pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what
it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the
Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through
its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary
Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market
research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research
industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development
services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More
information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at
www.harrisinteractive.com.
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