INTERSPORT SPORTS REPORT 2018 Focus: eSports

SPORT TO THE PEOPLE

Mathias BoenkeCOOINTERSPORT Deutschland eG

David TewsHead of Marketing INTERSPORTDeutschland eG

“ Sport makes me feel free,” say

71 %Dear Readers,How physically active are people in Germany? We ask ourselves this question every day at INTERSPORT. We want to inspire our customers with the best brands, the best advice and the best service. This is why we always go that extra mile as a true sports retailer.

Towards a better understanding of sports’ enthusiastsEager to learn exactly what exercise and sports mean to us in Germany, we asked more than 2,500 people about their habits, preferences and wishes in two surveys. The result is out now – the 2018 INTERSPORT SPORTS REPORT.

The eSports SpecialIf the hype is anything to go by, eSports competitions are the hottest thing in sports these days. They have certainly touched off a heated debate. As emissaries of every form of sport, we at INTERSPORT want to take a closer look at the trend with this eSports Special. Get to know the eSports scene and discover intriguing facts about the competitions and mindset of eSports players, and how they compare with traditional sports enthusiasts.

Scientifically soundThe INTERSPORT Sports Report was also published in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia at the same time the results were posted in Germany. Collectively, this representative trend study reflects the exercise and sports-related wishes, habits and preferences of 118 million people.

We hope you enjoy the read!

Mathias Boenke, COO David Tews, Head of MarketingINTERSPORT Deutschland eG INTERSPORT Deutschland eGMathias Boenke, COO David Tews, Head of MarketingMathias Boenke, COO David Tews, Head of Marketing

Question: Why do you (regularly) pursue exercise through sports?Baseline: Engage in sports or exercise at least once a month 2018 SPORTS REPORT 2

2018 SPORTS REPORT43 � � �

20 %say, “Active sport has no place in my life.”

21 %say, “Active sport is a necessary evil for

me.”

43 %say, “Active sport is a wonderful

part of my life.”

16 %say, “Active sport

shapes my life and I never want to be

without it.”

Nearly 60% of Germans are sports enthusiastsAround 16% are serious athletes

Question: How would you best describe your relationship to sports and exercise? Question: How often do you exercise or engage in sports?

several times a week

several times a month

once a week

once a month

less often

never (almost) daily

35%

19%

13%

14%

9%

7%

3%

Nearly 2 out of 3 Germans engage in sports at least

once a week.

42018 SPORTS REPORT 5

Exercise and sport has no age limit

60–69 year-olds:

44.0%exercise every week

50–59 year-olds:

60.5%exercise every week

40–49 year-olds:

61.5%exercise every week

30–39 year-olds:

63.3%exercise every week

20–29 year-olds:

66.9%exercise every week

14–19 year-olds:

81.8%exercise every week

Question: How often do you exercise or engage in sports?62018 SPORTS REPORT 2018 SPORTS REPORT7

The top sports / active pursuits by ranking

Question: What type of physical activity do you engage in at least occasionally? || Baseline: Engage in this sport at least once || multiple choices allowed

43+57+F42.9 %Swimming

19+81+F18.9 %Football

44+56+F43.7 %Running

41+59+F41.2 %

Gym

29+71+F29.3 %

Hiking

42+58+F42 %Cycling

82018 SPORTS REPORT 2018 SPORTS REPORT9

91 %say, “To maintain my

physical fitness.”

92 %say, “To improve my

physical well-being.”

78 %say, “To relieve stress

and relax.”

78 %say, “For fun.”

Do yourself a good turn— THIS IS WHAT DRIVES SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS!

Question: Why do you (regularly) pursue exercise through sports? || Baseline: Engage in sports or exercise at least once a month

Do yourself Do yourself

2018 SPORTS REPORT 2018 SPORTS REPORT11102018 SPORTS REPORT

The majority of Germans prefers to exercise evenings

Early morning (5–9 AM)

17 %

In the afternoon (2–5 PM)

35 %In the morning (9 AM–12 noon)

27 %In the evening (5–9 PM)

64 %

Noon (12–2 PM)

12 %At night (9 PM–5 AM)

3%

Question: How many hours a day, week, month or year do you invest in sports activities?Baseline: Engage in sports or exercise at least once a month

5On average, Germans are active for five hours a week

Question: At what time of the day do you generally exercise / engage in sports? || Baseline: Engage in sports or exercise at least once a month12 2018 SPORTS REPORT132018 SPORTS REPORT

PREFER SPORTS ACTIVITIES69%OUTDOORSQuestion: Where do you usually exercise / engage in sports? || Baseline: Engage in sports or exercise at least once a month

52 %of Germans tend to

exercise alone.21 %of respondents tend to exercise

with others.

Question: Do you generally tend to exercise / engage in sports alone or with others? || Baseline: Engage in sports or exercise at least once a month

27 %of respondents

exercise alone and with others in equal

measure.

Alone or with others?

2018 SPORTS REPORT15142018 SPORTS REPORT

Nearly two thirds of non-athletes seek out like-minded people

WHAT WOULD GET COUCH POTATOES GOING?

Question: What would motivate you to exercise / engage in sports (more often)? || Baseline: Exercise less than once a month || Multiple choices allowed

Question: Why don’t you exercise / engage in sports (more often)? || Baseline: Exercise less than once a month Question: How often do you exercise or engage in sports?

63% of the interviewed couch potatoes say, “I don’t exercise or engage in sports because I have no-one to join me.”

of respondents arecouch potatoes.

27%

COULD’VE, SHOULD’VE, WOULD‘VE

28 %If I were in better shape.

27 %If friends

would take part in sports.

27 %If my

health would let me.

23 %If I had more time / liberty

to do so.

28 %Nothing could motivate me to

take part in sports.

16 2018 SPORTS REPORT172018 SPORTS REPORT

46 %engage in sports to be with the family.

Better together:family fitness

69 %of German parents motivate their children to exercise.

Question: To what extent do you agree to the following statements about intergenerational sports, sporting goals and health?Question: Why do you (regularly) pursue exercise through sports? || Baseline: Engage in sports or exercise at least once a month

182018 SPORTS REPORT 2018 SPORTS REPORT19

� � � 40.3 %to stay healthy/fi t or get healthier/

fi tter

40 %to relieve stress /relax� � � 37.6 %

sports facilities are nearby

30.6 %good coaches

55.6 %for the friends they play

sports with

Reasons why children engage in recreational sports

Children and sports — what drives them? The joy of movement

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � BELIEVE CHILDREN SHOULD GET A LOT MORE ACTIVE IN SPORTS90%

2018 SPORTS REPORT

62.5 %for the joy of movement

What aspects of sports/exercise are important to children?� � � � 2018 SPORTS REPORT Question: To what extent do you agree to the following statements about intergenerational sports, sporting goals and health?202018 SPORTS REPORT 2018 SPORTS REPORT2120

How Germans shop

Question: To what extent are the following criteria important to you when you frequent a sports retailer?

� � � � � � � The perfect sporting goods shop

A sporting goods shop is perfect for the customer if it has...

84 %...a wide range of

products

83 %...low prices

89 %...good value for the

money

85 %...competent sales staff

87 %...the right products

85 %...a friendly sales

staff

82 %...high-quality

products

2018 SPORTS REPORT 222018 SPORTS REPORT 2018 SPORTS REPORT2323

� � �More than half of Germans buy predominantly in shops

Question: How do you generally go about buying sports gear?

42 %buy sporting goods

mainly in online shops.

58 %buy sporting goods

mainly in brick-and-mortar shops.

Question: Please tell us how much money you spend each month on sports activities (for your children) in the following categories. || Baseline: Children under 18 living at home

How much sports activities are worth to Germans

Sportsenthusiasts

spend around

299 €per person and year on sports.

For their childrenthey spend another

204 €per child and year on sports.

2018 SPORTS REPORT 2018 SPORTS REPORT25242018 SPORTS REPORT

eSportsFocus:

If the hype is anything to go by, eSports competitions are the hottest thing in sports these days. They have certainly touched off a heated debate. Despite their growing popularity, traditionalists cast doubts on their credibility as a “real” sports. eSports players are often labelled with clichéd stereotypes: They are lazy, uneducated loners; out-of-shape couch potatoes that spend too much time in dark rooms. Some say eSports are a threat to traditional sports.

As an emissary of every form of sport, INTERSPORT wants to take a closer look at the trend with this eSports Special: Are traditional and digital sports really at odds with one another? What touch-points are there between the two? How do eSports players experience their sporting activity; what drives them to play? INTERSPORT dug deep into the lives of real eSports players, comparing them with traditional athletes and recreational gamers. This search yielded some intriguing insights as to the accuracy of preconceived notions about eSports players.

HYPE?BELIEVE

THE

Focus: eSports27

Focus: eSports

fully rate eSports as a “real” sport on par with traditional sports.5%Nonetheless, 17.8% tend to

acknowledge eSports as a “real” sport.

of the core target group (14–29 year-olds) already equate eSports with traditional sports.30%

ONLY of men already equate eSports with traditional sports —just one in ten women agree (10.2 %).25%

BUT THERE IS POTENTIALeSports have yet to be recognisedas a “real” sport.

Hype here & the struggle for recognition there

Question: Do you see eSports as a “real” sport that can be equated with traditional sports? 29

Focus: eSportsQuestion: To what extent are you interested in eSports? Have you ever watched an eSports tournament?

1 in 5 people show interest in eSports.

Question: How often do you play computer or video games in your spare time, either with your family / (your) children or with friends / acquaintances? How many hours a day, week, month or year of your spare time do you invest in playing computer orvideo games? || Baseline: Play computer or video games at least once a month

Not just a sport for Generation Z:

Interest is greatest among 20-29 year-olds (34.6%),

followed by 14-19 year-olds with 30%.

1 person in 5 has watched an eSports event on TV or even

live.

1 in 3 men show interest

in eSports, but just 1 in 8 women.

Interest is growing. Gaming is established.Digital games are a fixture of everyday life.

38 % play video or computer games for more than 10 hours a week.

38.5 %play several times

a week.

13.3 %play every day.

15 %of juveniles (14–19 year-

olds) say they never play.

©RIOT GAMES

31

Focus: eSports33

eSports have no negative impact on traditional sports habits of 81.3%

68.8%12.5%

18.6%

confi rmed that eSports do not impact their traditional sports pursuits.

engage more in traditional sports / exercise since taking up eSports.

engage less in traditional sports since taking up eSports.

Prejudice #1:

“eSports are a threatto traditional sports!”

In reality:

A duet rather than a duel.eSports do not compete with traditional sports – quite the opposite.

Question: Would you say that eSports have an influence on the way you engage in traditional sports? || Baseline: Engage in sports or exercise at least once a month

©RIOT GAMES

Focus: eSports35

Prejudice #2:

“eSports players areloners.”

In reality:

Committed team playersrather than individualists.eSports players have strong team spirit, arepart of a huge community and are connected worldwide.

eSportsFocus: eSports35

77 %see eSports as time spent

with friends.

79 %believe eSports help them get to know

people from all over the world.

33 %play team sports — most

traditional sports enthusiasts exercise on their own.

37%deliberately engage in traditional

sports to take part in“real life” and take a break from the

digital routine.

Question: Why do you engage in physical activity or sports in your spare time? [...] In your spare time, are you more likely toplay a team sport or engage in a solitary sport? /[...] Why do you play computer or video games in your spare time? /[...] | Baseline: Play computer or videogames at least once a month

Focus: eSports37

Prejudice #3:

“Sitting at the screen makes eSportsplayers stupid.”

In reality:

eSports players performexceptional cognitive feats.This sport is a greater mental and cognitive challengethan most others.

play eSports for the cognitivechallenge, and to train their ability to

concentrate and react quickly.

the desire to improve their mental fi tness is the motivation

to play eSports.

80 %69 %

Question: Why do you play computer or video games in your spare time? \[...] | Baseline: Play computer or video games at least once a month

Just under

For

Focus: eSports39

Prejudice #4:

“eSports player lack discipline.”

In reality:

eSports players arehardcore competitors.eSports players are a very ambitious group of people,who strive for maximum success, fame & recognition.

associate eSports with competitive aspects such as performance and success.

Question: Why do you play computer or video games in your spare time? \[...] | Baseline: Play computer or video games at least once a month

68 % the motivation is the prize money

paid out in tournaments.

51 % social recognition is also a motive.45 %

For

For

Focus: eSports41

Believe the hype –not the prejudices!The love for sports is a unifying force.

The SPORTS REPORT reveals that traditional and digital sports do not have to be at odds. On the contrary, eSports and traditional sports share the same characteristics. Both are competitive in nature, and eSports players also strive for peak performance, which can only be achieved with intensive training, team spirit and strategic excellence.

eSports and traditional sports are two unique expressions of similar pursuits, united by the love for sports. With that in mind, the sports community really

should be open-minded about the eSports trend.

UPSHOT: The

1st wave: 2nd wave:

7.2%16.6%16.2%

22.2%21.2%

16.6%

7.6%17.1%16.4%

22.9%20.2%

15.8%

7.4%50.6% 49.4%

14–1916.9%20–2916.3%30–3922.5%40–4920.7%50–5916.2%60–69

Sample Total

8%16.6%16.5%

22.7%20.4%

15.8%

8.1%17.2%16.8%

23.1%20.2%

14.7%

8.1%50.4% 49.6%

16.9%16.6%22.9%20.3%12.2%

14–1920–2930–3940–4950–5960–69

Sample Total

ABOUT THE SURVEYTimeline:1st wave: 07/08/2018 – 16/08/20182nd wave: 03/12/2018 – 10/12/2018 (Focus: eSports)

Population:Persons from Germany 14 to 69 years of age

Method:Computer assisted web interviews (CAWI)

Sample size:1st wave: n = 1,038 net interviews (core target group)2nd wave: n = 1,503 net interviews (core target group)Random selection by quotas

Survey conducted by:Marketagent.com, Mag. Ingrid Fischer

Breakdown by samples

n = 1,038 n = 1,503

INTERSPORT Deutschland eG, Wannenäckerstraße 36, 74078 Heilbronn, Germany

Phone: 0049-7131/288-0, email: service@intersport.de, Internet: www.intersport.de

SPORT TO THE PEOPLE