Life Monitor, a company specializing in monitoring and analyzing buy telemarketing data brands' social media activity, has created an infographic analyzing which sports are generating the most excitement among the Spanish Twitter community ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The report, whose results are presented in an infographic,
Was compiled using 7,267 comments made on Twitter between June 27 and July 22. In addition to ranking the 10 most talked-about sports, it also analyzes medal expectations and opinions about athletes and the television coverage of the Games. The Top 10 Sports
Olympic sports
The "top 10 sports" account for 85% of all mentions about the Olympic Games. Users tweet their predictions, talk about their favorite sports, and speculate about possible results for Spain. The most popular sport is basketball , which, with 26% of comments, demonstrates the interest it has generated among Twitter users.
The second most talked-about sport is soccer (12%).
Athletics follows with 11%. However, internet users' preferences differ in this sport. Cycling , with 7% of mentions, is also one of the most popular sports. The issue of Oscar Freire's departure stands out. In short, we can say that the sports that generate the most interest are ball sports, although sports such as swimming, synchronized swimming, weightlifting, and athletics also account for a high percentage of the total buzz.
Expectation of medals
There are also expectations regarding the results and medals that Spanish athletes should win. The most sought-after is a gold medal , and the sport with the best chance of winning it, according to Twitter users, is basketball, followed by soccer. A curious detail is that, although most people believe a gold medal in basketball is possible, a greater number are betting on the United States as the favorite.
The silver medalist takes second place in the public's predictions. In this case, all the comments are related to basketball. Spaniards recount previous results in this sport and predict what will happen in London 2012. Some are betting on the United States as the champion, while Spain would be second. Regarding soccer, Spaniards indicate they have more confidence in the national team.
Regarding the bronze medal , the sports most frequently associated with it are gymnastics and athletics. Particularly noteworthy are the messages of encouragement and support for David Bustos, as well as those happily recalling Louis Segura's bronze medal at the 1908 London Olympics.
The buzz about athletes
Internet users have also given their opinions this past month about the athletes who will be participating in London 2012. Some of the most notable are:
Isabel Macías: Users announce their participation in the Olympics and show their support for the athlete.
Alex Fábregas: A retweeted interview mentioning his participation as a member of the hockey team for the London Olympics has been circulating.
Silvia Soler: There was a popular RT that included the news of the competitor's participation.
Sierra, Ruesga, and García Parrondo: The comments refer to the three players being dropped from the handball team.
Rafael Nadal 's withdrawal from the Olympic Games is a notable highlight. Following the official announcement confirming that he will not be able to participate in London 2012, Spanish users tweeted expressing their disappointment. Meanwhile, there is talk of the tennis player being replaced by Feliciano López.
Another topic that has caused a stir on Twitter is the broadcast of the Games.
The media outlet most frequently associated with the upcoming Olympics is television. Comments about three different television channels stand out: TVE, Teledeporte, and Cuatro. The main topic of these mentions is a public complaint about the fact that these channels broadcast only basketball and soccer news. People are demanding that all sports be covered during these Olympics.
“This study helps us discover what Spaniards expect from their various athletes. We've also observed the excitement and eagerness of the public for the Olympic Games to begin. There are messages of support for the athletes, as well as medal predictions that are favorable for Spain. It's very interesting to see how the closer the date approaches, the clearer internet users' expectations and hopes become,” comments Jairson Vitorino, Co-Founder and Technical Director of E.Life.
“Social media today represents a much more realistic audience gauge. The opinions expressed by users come from spontaneous mentions; they reflect what people are really thinking and feeling at that moment. These new metrics serve to measure user opinions in any sector and any type of event to obtain a more accurate picture of reality,” says Katy Hoffmann, business development director of E.Life Spain.