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BBC Radio 5 Live Olympic Legacy Poll

ComRes interviewed the British public on behalf of the BBC.

Date Published: 10 Jan 2013

Categories: Media | Public and communities | Social | UK

Description

New poll for Radio 5 live reveals only one in five inspired to take part
in more sport since London 2012

On Thursday 10 January, almost six months on from the Olympics, Victoria Derbyshire will announce the results of an exclusive ComRes poll for BBC Radio 5 live that examine what sporting legacy, if any, has been left after the huge success of London 2012.

With increasing participation in sport being high on the agenda for the London 2012 team, results of the poll that indicate that fewer than one in five people agree that the Olympics have inspired them to take part in sport more often may be seen as disappointing.

Joining Victoria on the programme to discuss the poll’s results are Lord Sebastian Coe, Sports Minister Hugh Robertson and gold medal winning Olympians and Paralympians.

During the programme, 5 live listeners will also be encouraged to join Victoria and the panel to debate whether there has been an increase in participation in sport since the Games; whether the media has dedicated more coverage to minority sports; if funding for sport has increased and to examine what the future holds for sport in schools.

Headline Findings: A Poll of the British Public on the Olympic Legacy

The poll, specially commissioned for this programme indicates that:

- Only 18% of the British public agreed to being inspired by the Olympics to take part in sport more often than they did before London 2012. London 2012 has been less inspiring to certain demographic groups, with a smaller proportion of women (16%) and those aged over 55 (10%) agreeing.

- More than half of the British public (56%) feel that there is too much coverage of football (on TV, radio and in newspapers) and not enough of other sports. Women are more likely than men to agree (62% compared with 50% respectively). In fact, 45% of men disagree.

- Around a third (35%) agree that they have noticed an increase in coverage of non-football sports since the London 2012 Olympic Games, while half (53%) disagree with this statement. Just more than one in ten (12%) don’t know.
 

ComRes interviewed 1009 British adults by telephone from 4th to 6th January 2013. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all British adults aged 18+. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

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