Parity sheds light on the power of Paralympic athletes and fans in latest research

The GIST: Yesterday, Parity followed up its recent report on the Olympics with one about fan interest in the Paralympics, which officially kick off tomorrow. Parity’s data illustrates how those who are fans of the Paralympics and women’s sports — spaces where equity is front and center — are excited about Para women athletes and are very aware of brands in the space.

• For additional context, we spoke with Parity director of research and insights, Dr. Risa Isard, on what we can learn from these findings and how companies can promote Para athletes and score favorability along the way. Let’s dive in.

The data: Over a third (36%) of U.S. Winter Paralympic fans plan to follow more than in years past, and women’s sports fans follow the Paralympics more than men’s sports fans. Sixty percent said athletes are the top reason they’re excited about the Games, which is why ensuring exposure to Paralympians through social, traditional media, and ad campaigns is critical.

• Paralympic fans are focused on equity — and the brands aligned with it. Compared to Olympic fans, Paralympic fans expressed a stronger commitment to gender equity, which aligns with Winter Paralympic fans being about 25% more likely than Winter Olympic fans to say a brand’s partnership with a woman athlete caught their attention during the Games.

The overlap: Dr. Isard said the relationship between women’s sports fans and Paralympic fans is “really notable” and rooted in an “inclusive understanding of excellence.” She also noted that women’s sports fans have spent years championing athletes and teams excluded from mainstream coverage, which has fostered a fervent fandom and a “grit” that Paralympic fans also possess.

• When asked about women’s sports fans fielding more interest in “niche sports,” Dr. Isard said she wasn’t surprised. “I think any sport that is outside of the mainstream, or has historically been outside of the mainstream, fans have had to work really hard to cultivate their fandom…I think it's the same fan experience [between Paralympic sports and women’s sports].”

The brand opportunity: While these insights into Paralympic fans should be encouraging for brands, this is still very much an overlooked opportunity. Historically, only a sliver of media coverage goes to the Paralympics compared to the Olympics, and in Parity’s data collection, Paralympians received only 6% of mentions between Winter Olympians and Paralympians.

• Dr. Isard noted that while interest in athletes is driving Paralympic interest, it’s challenging when lacking media coverage makes them less familiar to audiences. It’s a shame, because 24% of U.S. Winter Paralympic fans surveyed made a purchase because of Paralympic sponsorships — and Dr. Isard believes brands have a “really important role to play” in changing the narrative and closing the visibility gap.

• “I would challenge a brand out there that really wants to cement their mark in the Paralympic movement and [with] this consumer base that, again, we know is very intentional in their spending, to think about where they can be a strong advocate in the media landscape for Paralympic sports to get a little bit more shine,” she added. Shine on.