This stat is a bit misleading. After some quick googling, the average age of TV watchers in general in the US is 56. The average age for Fox News is close to 70. When it comes to other sports, tennis is on the old end but most others are very close. Baseball is 57, Nascar is 58, Golf is 64, the Olmypics is 53. The only ones in relatively good shape are basketball and soccer at 42 and 40 respectively. Old people just make up a huge portion of the tv watching population nowadays. What's interesting though, is that women's tennis is actually at 55, which puts it in the upper half of sports on the list I saw.
Tennis is literally dying. Average age of TV viewers of ATP matches was 61 years
- Thread starter TimeToPlaySets
- Start date
Lleytonstation
Bionic Poster
NHL is at 50 too. They are all up there in age. Not sure it is as "big" of a deal. At least not the age stat for viewers.
However, top sports endorsements seem to be in tennis, so what does that say?
weelie
Professional
Assumption being TV contracts and advertising is where the money comes from, and watching TV is how people show their commitment? I don't watch tennis on TV, as there is none on TV here (I don't have any pay service, that I would watch on TV). Well, unless you count all the internet services as TV. (True, I am not in the USA)
My kids... they don't watch TV.... they have their eyes glued on the small screen.
All the major tennis tournaments are expanding their venues, as more people are coming to watch tennis. Are these the old people as well?
Federer has 10 times the instagram followers as Djoko or Nadal. I would assume the rest have a minor proportion of what Djoko and Nadal have, though some of the young guns do you embrace the social media. Anyway, when Federer drops out, we need more stars like him, guys everybody in the world knows and follows.
octobrina10
Bionic Poster
weelie
Professional
I just picked that stat from somewhere else, so thanks for putting it straight. I have not checked the stat myself before, as I don't really use twitter nor instagram. Raf slightly ahead of Fed and Nole is like half of either of those.
My point was not really about Fed only. It was about stars. To me Nadal is a star as well. Nole not as much. But Federer is likely to have the most universal appeal (for his looks, language skills, general manners etc). This is of course just my personal view of things. (for the record, Nadal and Federer are the guys I follow, as I am not really a fan of Nole's, so that might color my vision)
octobrina10
Bionic Poster
As for looks, Rafa has modelled underwear for two fashion companies.
As for languages, let me remind you that English is Fed's mother tongue.
you might be surprised, but in Basel, where he is coming from, mother tongue is rather German.
octobrina10
Bionic Poster
You might be surprised, but Fed's mother is South African and she has spoken English with his son since his childhood.
tennis_pro
Bionic Poster
Raul_SJ
G.O.A.T.
Average age of 61 for television viewership of tennis does not sound right. Could possibly be true if excluding internet viewership.
But any meaningful stat should include all platforms and not just be limited to TV.
good point, wasn't aware of it.
Zara
G.O.A.T.
Is that your face, finally?
tennis_pro
Bionic Poster
deaner2211
Semi-Pro
Wait a minute is there something wrong with my math? How does 110 out of 202 equals 99%?CTE found in 99% of studied brains from deceased NFL players
Among 111 players who played in the National Football League (NFL), 99% had CTE.
CTE found in 99% of studied brains from deceased NFL players
CTE was found in 110 brains of 111 deceased former NFL players. The study is the largest of its kind, and focused on the brains of 202 deceased former football players.www.cnn.com
Read the article. 202 included non-NFL players.
Out of 202 deceased former football players total -- a combination of high school, college and professional players -- CTE was neuropathologically diagnosed in 177, the study said. The disease was identified in 110 out of 111 former NFL players. It was also found in three of the 14 high school players and 48 of the 53 college players.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
While there is a strong correlation between CTE and NFL players, there is a number of things lacking in all this data:
1) Brains examined were donated suggesting acquisition bias as those with issues or families seeking compensation would be more likely to contribute
2) No data on confounding factors such as drug use, steroid use, alcoholism, age, cerebrovascular risks
3) No clear correlation with symptoms since patient histories have not been well documented and largely based on interviews with family members who again may be looking at compensation from the NFL
4) Lack of a control group such as soccer players or other males playing in athletic endeavors.
All you can say is that some players that were concerned themselves or their families were concerned donated their brains for pathologic examination and a high number showed the changes of CTE in varying stages. This is not surprising because we've known about dementia pugilistica (the old term for CTE) since the early 1900's seen in boxers. It's not a surprise that players of a collision sport like football could get this problem as well. But no one knows what the percentage risk is for players that play football to develop symptomatically relevant CTE. The denominator is absent.
You need a marker other than autopsy findings that can diagnose the presence of these changes in life and follow them as they progress. You need to know what other risks may contribute (steroids, HGH, alcohol) and control for them. And you need to see if lower collision sport athletes have similar issues.
Many people get depressed in mid life amongst non-athletes. Many people get cognitive problems in mid life amongst non-athletes. One needs to know at age 60 does a random sample of NFL players have more of these issues than a random sample of normal age matched population. That data would be crucial. Sadly all the studies are being run by pathologists with no clinical experience dealing with live humans. They aren't asking the right questions.
1) Brains examined were donated suggesting acquisition bias as those with issues or families seeking compensation would be more likely to contribute
2) No data on confounding factors such as drug use, steroid use, alcoholism, age, cerebrovascular risks
3) No clear correlation with symptoms since patient histories have not been well documented and largely based on interviews with family members who again may be looking at compensation from the NFL
4) Lack of a control group such as soccer players or other males playing in athletic endeavors.
All you can say is that some players that were concerned themselves or their families were concerned donated their brains for pathologic examination and a high number showed the changes of CTE in varying stages. This is not surprising because we've known about dementia pugilistica (the old term for CTE) since the early 1900's seen in boxers. It's not a surprise that players of a collision sport like football could get this problem as well. But no one knows what the percentage risk is for players that play football to develop symptomatically relevant CTE. The denominator is absent.
You need a marker other than autopsy findings that can diagnose the presence of these changes in life and follow them as they progress. You need to know what other risks may contribute (steroids, HGH, alcohol) and control for them. And you need to see if lower collision sport athletes have similar issues.
Many people get depressed in mid life amongst non-athletes. Many people get cognitive problems in mid life amongst non-athletes. One needs to know at age 60 does a random sample of NFL players have more of these issues than a random sample of normal age matched population. That data would be crucial. Sadly all the studies are being run by pathologists with no clinical experience dealing with live humans. They aren't asking the right questions.
TimeToPlaySets
Legend
The point was the dude was saying there is ZERO CORRELATION.
The level of stupid on this forum has no boundary.
weelie
Professional
Yeah, sure, but I guess you misunderstood what I meant. Federer is fluent in multiple languages. Like many people from Switzerland are. It is a great tool kit, and adds to the opportunities you have. Also adds to the man of the world image of his.
I did not mean it in a way that "Federer is better at learning languages" or whatever, or meaning to put down Nadal's language skills. Nadal knows Spanish, which cover a lot of the world, and his English skills are certainly sufficient, and I assume he is ok in Italian as well. Djokovic apparently speaks many languages as well. But I assume his fluency is more "taught", meaning not as "native".
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
People would die out as wel if it wasnt because the state of health care is progressing too. Too many couch potatoes who dont care about sports or about healthy activity. Only staring at their mobiles for stupid vloggers and games. This thread is dying out as wel and i dont care a bit because its not about tennis.
octobrina10
Bionic Poster
Spanish is actually Rafa's second language. His native language is the Mallorcan variety of Catalan. (It differs from Catalan spoken in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia.) Rafa is capable of giving interviews in English & italian. He understands French and can speak a little bit French.
So, he can speak a lot of languages.
weelie
Professional
Good for him! I am rooting him to take the US Open this year.
But still I think knowing something like Catalan is pretty useless for universal star power and crossover appeal. I might be wrong.
Marco Rotim
Semi-Pro
It is no coincidence that 3 of the greatest players of all time are from Europe.
Tennis is definitely dying in the USA, 20 years back Roddick was the brightest young face of US Tennis, today Americans have nobody even in Roddick's league coming up.
Tennis has produced 0 ATGs from Australia in 50 years since the early 1970s, this is one of the countries where a Grand slam is hosted, LOL.
Tennis has little importance in Asia/Africa, despite so many tournaments held there have not been great names from these regions.
Tennis has good presence in South America but not sure how many ATGs are coming from these regions in near future.
Russians seem to have shown interest in Tennis in recent decades but Wimbledon just banned Russians, this a regressive step that will further cause more decline in Tennis.
After the Big 3 we have Jokers who are unfit to win slams, Tennis is probably dead in a few years @maratha_warrior @Spencer Gore @Kralingen @MichaelNadal
Tennis is definitely dying in the USA, 20 years back Roddick was the brightest young face of US Tennis, today Americans have nobody even in Roddick's league coming up.
Tennis has produced 0 ATGs from Australia in 50 years since the early 1970s, this is one of the countries where a Grand slam is hosted, LOL.
Tennis has little importance in Asia/Africa, despite so many tournaments held there have not been great names from these regions.
Tennis has good presence in South America but not sure how many ATGs are coming from these regions in near future.
Russians seem to have shown interest in Tennis in recent decades but Wimbledon just banned Russians, this a regressive step that will further cause more decline in Tennis.
After the Big 3 we have Jokers who are unfit to win slams, Tennis is probably dead in a few years @maratha_warrior @Spencer Gore @Kralingen @MichaelNadal
socallefty
G.O.A.T.
The USTA just published that the number of tennis players in the US has increased by 30% since 2020 and gone over 20 million players after almost two decades. Soccer is the fastest growing sport in the US in terms of participation - would you say soccer dying because the US doesn’t win the FIFA World Cup? Saying tennis is dying everywhere because most Slams have been won by three players from three countries seems to be mixing two random facts together. All it might mean is those three players are true legends of the sport. Meanwhile the US has the highest number of players in the top 100 of the ATP.
If you have stats on less players playing tennis in many countries, that would correlate more to tennis dying. Even TV rating trends can’t be used anymore to look at the health of a sport because mostly old people watch TV and TV ratings in general are much lower across the board including for all sports than they used to be. Pro tennis is not doing much to popularize tennis amongst younger fans like publishing more stats, promoting fantasy sports, embracing online streaming, social media etc like other sports are doing and that is bad for the sport.
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I think the USTA gross number might be true, but the results are over interpreted.
I think the survey is typically how many times do you play tennis a year.
I think many have stamped down 1-2 times is where most of the growth is.
Not real growth of committed dedicated players.
Plus there was clearly a pandemic surge that will die and feed pickleball.
I think the survey is typically how many times do you play tennis a year.
I think many have stamped down 1-2 times is where most of the growth is.
Not real growth of committed dedicated players.
Plus there was clearly a pandemic surge that will die and feed pickleball.
octobrina10
Bionic Poster
I wonder why old American commentators assume that showing the bully's (according to Tsitsi) matches and talking about him appeals to America's young audience.
Edited:
I didn't notice that the comment I replied to was posted almost 3 years ago.
D
Deleted member 791948
Guest
2019 US Open is the greatest ever attendance-
https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-medvedev-us-open-2019-attendance-record
https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-medvedev-us-open-2019-attendance-record
Adv. Edberg
Legend
Netflix will sort tennis out next year. It’s its only hope.
otherwise ITF will destroy tennis forever with on court coaching (already started), sets to 4 and dark court with neon balls etc. everything to attract the stupid youth
otherwise ITF will destroy tennis forever with on court coaching (already started), sets to 4 and dark court with neon balls etc. everything to attract the stupid youth
D
Deleted member 791948
Guest
Tennis attendance is bigger now than ever before in Australia and America, so hard to get any bigger, unless its got a problem in Europe 
FrontHeadlock
Hall of Fame
Basketball is such an absolutely dreadful sport to watch. It might actually be my least favorite sport on TV.
D
Deleted member 791948
Guest
Basketball was outstanding entertainment, until Curry/Harden arrived and made it into constant 3-pointers.
Now too many 3-pointers and too many players are trying to draw fouls instead of aiming at the basket
Now too many 3-pointers and too many players are trying to draw fouls instead of aiming at the basket
CHillTennis
Hall of Fame
BGod
G.O.A.T.
Internet metrics are hard to pin down because data collection is way more diversified.
If three separate unregistered devices in a home get turned on to a tennis match online at different times in a day, how in the hell do you know the age of either 1 person watching it or multiple people?
TV ratings were easier because you had Nielsen families in US and equivalents in other countries. These families were registered and followed up with and their viewership monitored by every TV set they had connected back when it was via cable and not WIFI.
It's all a guess now except how merchandise is sold, social media followers (though growing dummie accounts) and local participation.
I worked in stats collection or anaytics years ago before now even better ways to collect data. And what you're referring to is practically meaningless now. You constantly have overcounting because internet surveys, newsletter registrations, promos, etc, etc.
What it boils down to is attendance at local clubs and retail sales. And that information tells us tennis equipment is constantly on sale or 2 for 1 deals, etc more frequently than say hockey equipment or golf.
If three separate unregistered devices in a home get turned on to a tennis match online at different times in a day, how in the hell do you know the age of either 1 person watching it or multiple people?
TV ratings were easier because you had Nielsen families in US and equivalents in other countries. These families were registered and followed up with and their viewership monitored by every TV set they had connected back when it was via cable and not WIFI.
It's all a guess now except how merchandise is sold, social media followers (though growing dummie accounts) and local participation.
I worked in stats collection or anaytics years ago before now even better ways to collect data. And what you're referring to is practically meaningless now. You constantly have overcounting because internet surveys, newsletter registrations, promos, etc, etc.
What it boils down to is attendance at local clubs and retail sales. And that information tells us tennis equipment is constantly on sale or 2 for 1 deals, etc more frequently than say hockey equipment or golf.
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