Annual Participation Data

All participation statistics were derived from a nationwide study conducted during the 2024 calendar year by Sports Marketing Surveys USA (SMS), a Buffalo Groupe Company. Under the guidance of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) and seven other sports industry associations that make up the Physical Activity Council (PAC), the participation study was designed and launched by Digital Research (DRI). All other data is attributable to the SFIA/SMS research partnership.

​

Sample Specification

​

During 2024, a total of 18,000 online interviews were carried out with a nationwide sample of individuals from U.S. proprietary online panels representative of the U.S. population of people ages six and older. Strict quotas associated with gender, age, income, region, and ethnicity were followed to ensure a balanced sample.

​

The 2024 participation survey sample size of 18,000 completed interviews provides a high degree of statistical accuracy. All surveys are subject to some level of standard error—that is, the degree to which the results might differ from those obtained by a complete census of every person in the U.S. A sport with a participation rate of five percent has a confidence interval of plus or minus 0.32 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

​

A weighting technique was used to balance the data to reflect the total U.S. population ages six and above. The following variables were used: gender, age, income, ethnicity, household size, region, and population density. The total population figure used was308,888,845people aged 6 and older.This represents a 0.64% increase in total population which should be kept in mind when interpreting the findings.

​

Activity reporting is based on a rolling 12-month participation rate. All charts represent data from U.S. populations ages 6 and over, unless otherwise specified.

​

Research Methodology

​

Seasonal participation data

All snow sport seasonal data were derived from the same participation tracking study. However, seasonal data is derived from October 2023 through April 2024 dates rather than the annual 12-month period.

​

If you have specific questions regarding the methodology, please contact Sports Marketing Surveys at info@sportsmarketingsurveysusa.com.

 

Quality Assurance - Multiple Levels

​

• Respondents are prevented from taking the survey again within 3 months. 

• Our panel provider has a suite of technology platforms to prevent fraud. 

• Technical fingerprinting to eliminate duplicates.

• LOI offense checking (to eliminate “speeders”)

• Pattern response checking

• Internal QA questions e.g. colors of the American flag

• Internal consistency checks e.g. a limit on the number of total occasions. 

• Open-end response quality algorithm

• Ongoing response visual checks.

 

​

About the Physical Activity Council (PAC)
The Physical Activities Council (PAC) is the nation’s definitive source for sports, fitness, and recreational activity participation. Each year, top leading trade associations combine resources to conduct the single largest study detailing the sports, fitness, and recreational habits of all Americans ages six and over. With the overall aim of the survey is to establish levels of activity and identify key trends in sports, fitness, and recreation participation, each partner produces detailed reports on specific areas of interest.

​