Football Becomes the Most Favorite Sport at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

In an Ipsos survey, football was the most appealing sport for the public during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 30% of global respondents stated that football was their favorite sport, particularly respondents from Saudi Arabia.

Furthermore, athletics (track and field), encompassing running, jumping, and throwing, also attracted significant global attention. 27% of respondents expressed interest in watching competitions from this category.

Aquatics (diving, swimming, swimming combinations and water polo) and gymnastics followed closely behind. These two sports garnered the attention of 22% and 21% of respondents, respectively.

Although global audiences were enthusiastic about following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, most, including Japanese citizens as hosts, opposed the event. This was because the sporting competitions took place amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate of coronavirus transmission was increasing in Tokyo, leading the public to worry that the Olympics would only worsen the situation.

Ipsos distributed the survey to 19,510 adult respondents across 28 countries. Data collection took place from May 21 to June 4, 2021.