Sports & Fitness Participation Research & Industry Insights
Stronger Decisions Start Here
Whether you are evaluating a new market, tracking participation trends, launching a product, or planning for the future, better decisions begin with better information.
SFIA delivers the research, industry insights, and market intelligence organizations need to understand trends across the sports and fitness industry. From annual participation studies and industry reports to custom research and emerging market analysis, our research helps you reduce uncertainty, identify opportunities, make decisions with confidence, and plan for the future.
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Why Organizations Trust SFIA Research
126
Sports, fitness & leisure activities tracked in our participation study
18,000
Americans surveyed annually
~20 yrs
Of participation trend analysis
~500
Media mentions referencing our data annually
Answering the Questions That Shape the Industry
Every year, organizations across the sports and fitness industry turn to SFIA research to answer questions like these.
The answers help organizations develop better products, identify emerging opportunities, support participation growth, and plan for what is next.
→ Which sports are growing?
→ How many Americans participate in sports and fitness activities?
→ How has participation changed over time?
→ What trends are shaping the future of sports and fitness?
→ Where are the greatest market opportunities?
Annual Participation Studies
Measure Participation Across the Sports & Fitness Landscape
No matter what questions you are trying to answer, SFIA offers comprehensive research designed to help you understand participation, evaluate markets, and make informed decisions.
Industry & Business Data
Track the Business of Sports & Fitness
Team Sports
Understand Team Sports Participation
Fitness
Monitor Fitness Participation Trends
By Sport
Explore Participation Data Your Way
Whether you are researching a single sport or comparing trends across dozens of activities, SFIA offers multiple ways to explore participation data.
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Report Library
Participation Hub
Browse our library of 92 Single Sport Reports, organized by sport category to help you quickly find the research most relevant to your organization.
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Available By Request
Participation Dashboard
Explore annual participation data through an interactive dashboard that lets you compare activities and demographics, analyze trends, and discover insights across the sports and fitness landscape.
Special Reports
Featured Special Reports
Participation data shows what is happening. Market intelligence helps explain why. SFIA's special reports explore emerging sports, consumer behavior, and the trends shaping the future of the industry.
Free Resources
Explore Free Research Before You Buy
Download executive summaries and research snapshots to see key findings before purchasing a full report.
Custom Research
Research services
Sometimes the answers you need do not exist yet.
Turn to SFIA to design the custom research that helps answer your business's complex questions, from market sizing and consumer behavior to participation analysis and strategic planning.
Whether you are evaluating a new opportunity or performing due diligence on a possible acquisition, our research team can help.
Talk with our Research Team
Tell us a bit about what you need and we will follow up — whether it is a question about our published research, a custom research engagement, or access to the Participation Dashboard.
Methodology
How We Measure Sports & Fitness Participation
Reliable decisions require reliable data.
SFIA is a founding member of the Physical Activity Council (PAC), a coalition of leading organizations that conducts the nation's largest annual study of sports and fitness participation. Partners include National Golf Foundation, Outdoor Industry Association, Health & Fitness Association, United States Tennis Association, USA Football, SnowSports Industries America, and People for Bikes.
This consistent methodology allows organizations to compare participation trends over time and make decisions based on credible, independent research.
Still have questions about our methodology? Get in touch.
→ Since 2007 the study has used the same methodology
→ 18,000+ Americans ages 6 and older surveyed each year
→ Nationally representative sample weighted to U.S. Census demographics
→ 126 activities measured today, with new activities added over time
Browse the Complete Research Library
Never Miss a New Report
Get notified the moment new participation data, industry reports, and special research releases publish.
@thesfia on Instagram
New Insights, Shared in Real Time
We regularly post participation data breakdowns and trend highlights on Instagram — follow along for timely insights between report releases.
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Stronger Decisions Start Here.
Whether you are purchasing a report, exploring participation trends, or commissioning custom research, SFIA helps organizations make more informed decisions through our industry-leading participation research and data insights.
Pickleball Market Playbook
Developed in partnership with DUPR, this report combines participation research, consumer insights, and market analysis for a comprehensive view of pickleball's rapidly evolving marketplace. Explore usage rates and purchase decision preferences of highly engaged pickleball players.