Football drops in popularity, basketball picks up

NEWS RELEASE

HARRIS INTERACTIVE

********************** While still the nation's favorite sport, professional football drops in popularity Baseball and college football are next in popularity

ROCHESTER, New York, January 9 - 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, 29 percent of adults who follow more than one sport say professional football is their favorite, down four percentage points from 2005's 33 percent.

Baseball remains unchanged at 14 percent, with college football coming neck-in-neck again (13 percent, 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 percent to 29 percent).

Compared to 1985's results, baseball has dropped nine percentage points (from 23 percent to 14 percent), 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:

- professional football is most popular among those who live in the East (39 percent), those with household incomes of $35,000 to under $45,000 (39 percent), among Generation X (those ages 30 to 41) (36 percent) and African Americans (35 percent). Those who earn less than $15,000 (20 percent) are least likely to call football their favorite sport

- baseball is most popular among liberals (20 percent) and those who live in the East (19 percent). African-Americans are least likely to say baseball is their favorite sport (7 percent)

- college football is particularly popular among those with post-graduate degrees (23 percent). 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 percent) and those with a high-school education or less (15 percent), while it fares worst among those with a post-graduate degree (1 percent) and liberals (4 percent)

Tables

Table #1 - Favourite sports Table #2 - Demographic variations in various sports

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 95 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. 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 HarrisInteractive.com. **********************