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by Allan Maki
The Globe and Mail
July 27, 2005
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How much damage did the National Hockey
League inflict on itself by cancelling an entire season?
According to a Toronto research company, the 2004-05 lockout cost the
NHL two million fans in Canada.
A survey conducted by Solutions Research Group showed that, of the 1,776
Canadians (aged 12 and older) interviewed in May and June, 55 per cent
identified hockey as one of their favourite sports. The total was down
from 68 per cent in a similar survey in 2003.
"If you extrapolate that to our population, it represents two million
people who no longer think of hockey as their favourite sport,"
said Jeff Vidler, a partner with Solutions Research. "We felt that
was interesting and important. It definitely adds to the discussion."
The question put to those surveyed was: "Thinking of the sports
you follow in general, which ones are your personal favourites?"
Hockey took its biggest beating among youths aged 12 to 19. Only 50
per cent identified themselves as hockey fans, a drop from 60 per cent
two years ago.
"There was no significant increase in any of the other sports,"
Vidler said when asked whether the National Basketball Association,
Major League Baseball or the Canadian Football League gained in popularity
at the NHL's expense.
"We saw some in auto racing, but that's happening independently
of hockey. People may have filled time watching basketball and baseball,
but it didn't replace hockey."
The good news for the NHL, Vidler said, is that it's making the right
first moves to generate enthusiasm for the coming season.
"They've made some rules changes and they got Sidney Crosby into
the league," Vidler said. "At the end of the day, it has to
be a more exciting game. It has to deliver on what it promises."
Solutions Research tracks consumer trends in the areas of entertainment,
media and technology and was eager to see whether the NHL's labour feud
had negatively affected interest among fans.
The results of its survey are accurate to plus or minus 2.3 points for
the population as a whole, 19 times out of 20, Solutions Research said.
Costly lockout
In a recent survey of 1,776 Canadians in May-June 2005, 55 per cent
of respondents aged 12 or older identified hockey as one of their favourite
sports, down 13 points from 68 per cent in a survey conducted in 2003.
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