New data has shown a significant growth in the number of sporting events either taking place now or being sanctioned by governing bodies following the end of lockdown, though the figure remains significantly down on pre-pandemic levels.
Data analysed across ten UK sports by sports technology specialists Sport:80 revealed encouraging signs of recovery.
The company found a 40% growth in the number of events being sanctioned by governing bodies from May to June this year and an 8% growth from June to July. However, the number of events being sanctioned remains 45% down overall when compared with the same period in 2019.
In terms of events actually taking place, which include competitions as well as courses and other events, there was a 20% growth from May to June and a 1% decline from June to July. Compared to 2019, the number of events taking place across May, June and July remains 7.6% down.
“The encouraging signs are that we’ve seen growth month on month in terms of events being sanctioned, however, the figures are still shy of a typical year,” explains Gary Hargraves, CEO, Sport:80.
“We have seen growth from May to June, but then a plateau or even a slight decline from June to July. The fact that there are fewer events taking place in July compared to June maybe typical for the sports that we have analysed rather than reflective of sport in general.”
However, UK traffic to the Sport:80 Platform increased during May and June with a drop in July that is likely due to the lead up to and start of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. However, this still represents just a 3.6% drop on traffic for the same period in 2019.
The Sport:80 Platform is used by governing bodies of sport to manage a wide variety of sports business operations including membership, events, and qualifications. It also enables governing bodies to deliver online services to athletes, coaches, officials, and supporters, as well as clubs, leagues, and regional bodies. In delivering these functions, the Sport:80 Platform streamlines operational processes, creates opportunities to strengthen revenue streams and aggregates insightful data.
