Football Grows In Popularity In Biggest Asian Market

Interest in football is on the rise in Asia’s three largest countries of China, India and Indonesia, according to new research.

The biggest increases were seen in Indonesia and China, according to a study by GfK.

Among the most avid sports fans interviewed, football remained the favourite sport in China and Indonesia, and was the second favourite in India.

The project in Asia consisted of 5,000 online interviews, lasting 15 minutes each, with internet users between 16 and 69 years of age, who were representative of the population of internet users in each country, during November 2017 and November 2018.

Over half of respondents in the three countries stated that they are “very interested” in football. The level of interest has grown by seven percentage points in the period analysed, rising from 45% to 52%.

Particularly notable was the growth in Indonesia, with an increase of over nine percentage points to reach 59%, as well as in China, with a seven point increase reaching 43%.

Although more moderate in India, interest also rose by four percentage points to 53%.

In China football was in first place alongside basketball, in Indonesia it occupied first place, and in India it was the second-favourite sport behind cricket.

GfK conducted the study in 10 Asian market on behalf of LaLiga, which an excellent image in the markets with 80% of football fans in the countries studied rating it positively, as being of “high quality” with “prestige” and having the “best players in the world.”

Unaided awareness of LaLiga has increased by four percentage points in the three biggest countries.

According to Javier Gomez, GfK’s Brand and Customer Experience Director, “In our experience with regard to brand tracking studies, growth in brand awareness of one percentage point in one year is a very good figure. The result obtained by LaLiga, with a rise of four percentage points in a single year, is extraordinary.”

Additionally, the number of viewers who watched at least one LaLiga match per month last season increased by three percentage points.

In the 12 months analysed, this figure rose from 59% to 62% of the internet users interviewed.