TURNKEY Sports Poll January 2009 - Super Bowl, the PGA Tour, NASCAR and the 2008 Vancouver Olympics

TURNKEY Sports Poll

Turnkey Sports & Entertainment owns the Turnkey Sports Poll, the industry’s continuing survey of senior-level executives and owners which probes the hottest issues inside sports. The results of the poll appear weekly in the SportsBusiness Journal.

January 2009
Super Bowl, the PGA Tour, NASCAR and the 2008 Vancouver Olympics

Which two teams will play in Super Bowl XLIII?

NFC:

New York Giants – 48.48%
Carolina Panthers – 23.23%
Philadelphia Eagles – 21.72%
Arizona Cardinals – 3.54%

No response/Not sure – 3.03%

AFC:

Pittsburgh Steelers – 45.96%
Tennessee Titans – 22.73%
Baltimore Ravens – 19.70%
San Diego Chargers – 8.08%

No response/Not sure – 3.54%

Do you think it was the right move for the NFL to move the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl, starting in 2010?

Yes – 63.64%

No – 30.81%

No response/Not sure – 5.56%

What do you usually do during the halftime of the Super Bowl?

Watch the Halftime Show – 54.04%

Turn off/down the TV and socialize with friends/family – 24.75%

Make a food/drink run – 12.63%

Switch TV channels and watch something else – 3.54%

N/A – I don’t usually watch the Super Bowl – 1.52%

No response/Not sure – 2.02%

Other (please specify) – 1.52%

(Some samples)

Fast forward using DVR

Entertain - i work at the super bowl

Has the hype for the Super Bowl gotten too big?

	Dec. 2007	Dec. 2008
Yes	54.02%	36.36%
No	44.20%	61.11%
No response/Not sure	1.79%	2.53%

Which up and coming golfer has the best chance of increasing their marketing power this season?

Anthony Kim – 26.90%

Paula Creamer – 11.68%

Boo Weekley – 11.17%

Michelle Wie – 9.14%

Camilo Villegas – 7.61%

Morgan Pressel – 4.06%

Hank Kuehne – 1.02%

Hunter Mahan – 1.02%

Other – 1.52%

No response/Not sure -25.86%

Which automotive company would be the best fit to replace Buick as Tiger’s automotive sponsor?

Lexus – 27.14%

BMW – 22.11%

Mercedes-Benz – 12.56%

Cadillac – 12.56%

Jaguar – 6.03%

Audi – 5.03%

Acura – 3.52%

Saab – 0.50%

Other – 4.02%

No response/Not sure – 6.53%

NASCAR will enter 2009 with openings in at least four sponsorship categories. Which one will be the most difficult to fill?

Home improvement store – 35.71%

Rental car – 22.96%

Digital photography – 20.92%

Quick-service restaurant – 3.57%

No response/Not sure – 16.84%

NASCAR has 38 official sponsorship partners heading into 2009. In your opinion, is that:

Too many – 49.49%

Just right – 21.43%

Too few – 10.20%

No response/Not sure – 18.88%

What will be the biggest NASCAR business story in 2009?

Sponsorship – 28.72%

Number of teams merging – 27.69%

Number of cars participating in each race – 14.87%

Attendance – 11.79%

Ratings – 6.67%

Other – 0.51%

No response/Not sure – 9.74%

Will fewer cars in NASCAR races make the races more compelling?

No – 43.59%

Yes – 40.51%

No response/Not sure – 15.90%

Which Winter Olympics event are you most looking forward to watching?

Ice Hockey – 37.95%

Downhill skiing – 25.13%

Figure skating – 9.23%

Snowboarding – 9.23%

Bobsled – 5.13%

Speed Skating – 4.10%

Short Track Speed Skating – 3.08%

Other – 3.08%

No response/Not sure – 3.08%

Which Winter Olympics sport’s athletes are the most marketable?

Figure skating – 47.69%

Snowboarding – 24.62%

Downhill skiing – 12.82%

Ice Hockey – 8.72%

Speed Skating – 2.56%

Short Track Speed Skating – 0.51%

Bobsled – 0.00%

Other – 0.00%

No response/Not sure – 3.08%

The Vancouver Olympics announced that they are only holding the Olympic Torch Relay inside Canada. Should the torch relay be international?

No – 52.82%

Yes – 38.46%

No response/Not sure – 8.72%

If you were Gary Bettman, would you shut down the NHL during the Olympics to allow professional players to play in the Winter Games?

Yes – 72.82%

No – 26.15%

No response/Not sure – 1.03%

Thinking about your own particular business, what best describes your confidence level regarding the next 12 months for your own business?

	Jan 08	Nov 08	Dec 08	Jan 09
Optimistic (5, 6, or 7)	87.36%	45.70%	55.50%	54.37%
Neutral (4)	6.32%	15.59%	13.09%	12.82%
Pessimistic (1, 2, or 3)	5.57%	38.18%	30.89%	31.79%
No response/Not sure	0.74%	0.54%	0.52%	1.03%