February 4 – An annual ranking of cities worldwide that are most associated with sports has again placed New York at the top, followed by London and Los Angeles.
The Burson Cohn & Wolfe ‘Ranking of Sports Cities’ evaluates the top 50 sports cities from around the world based on a quantitative digital footprint analysis of the association between sport and a city (weighting 50%), combined with the perception-based views of leaders of International Sports Federations (25%) and major international sports media (25%).
Football and its ability to boost, or even ‘make’ a city’s name, is obviously a core factor in city image though probably less so for the three top cities – despite NY and LA both being home to two MLS franchises, and London being home to five Premier League teams.
Barcelona, a newcomer to the top 5 in fourth spot, in contrast probably owes more of its sports association to its football team.
Lars Haue-Pedersen, BCW Managing Director – BCW Sports, said: ““This year’s results confirm the trends we have been observing for some time in sports and cities. The cities whose image are largely associated with sports are either hosting major international sporting events or are home to renowned professional sports teams that promote the city’s name week after week – as in the case of New York. Sport has a powerful ability to attract, engage and move people, and through an integrated, audience-centric approach, sporting events and professional teams can become excellent vehicles for promoting a city internationally and creating economic impact.”
New cities that have been added to the 2021 edition of the ranking are Birmingham (GBR), Jeddah (KSA) and Abu Dhabi (UAE), marking a strong sign of the increasing role of the Gulf region in the international sports event market, said BCW.
“In a year of postponement, rescheduling, relocation and modifications for sporting events, it is more interesting than ever to discover the extent to which cities are associated with sport. The organisation of events became uncertain, tourism was banned, and cities could no longer benefit from the degree of international exposure that is linked to hosting events. As a result, cities were forced to make different strategic choices when it came to sports,” said Haue-Pedersen.
Download the BCW 2021 Ranking of Sports Cities here.
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