• by Jon Last , Columnist, Yesterday

The last month has certainly been interesting, especially when we look at shifting consumer attitudes relative to actual behaviors. There has been an underlying cautiousness as more people question the sustainability of an economy that continues to defy some of the gloom and doom predictions circulating in the popular press..  Certainly, the financial markets’ roller coaster ride of early spring has done nothing but solidify many of the mixed signals that we continue to receive from sports fans.

On the concerning side, overall optimism has been trending downward, hitting a low point in early April, with preliminary May data suggesting a leveling off, which also signals uncertainty.  Similarly, our three primary measures of inflation show two-thirds of Americans believe consumer prices increased over the most recent six-month period.  Recessionary fears have increased +8 points since January, though it is worth noting that recessionary perceptions are highly correlated with one’s political leanings.

Consumers continue to sort through the implications of the frenetic first 100 days of the new administration.  In late March we asked sports fans whether they felt that things in Washington were moving too fast, not fast enough or at the right pace.  A plurality of 45% felt that things were moving too fast, and even Republicans were just as likely to feel that way as they were to suggest that things needed to move faster. Nearly two-thirds of sports fans strongly feel that their lives are in a holding pattern -- up six points from last September.  But there remain a number of positive signs and implications for the sports industry.

Leisure travel indicators remain relatively stable.  Couple this with a slight rally in hybrid work, and one can infer that what we’ve labeled “The Great Reprioritization” remains intact and continues to suggest a persistent desire on the part of consumers to live for today.

Also on the optimistic side, a sixteen-month high of 47% strongly consider themselves to be very health-conscious.  And the incidence of Americans who strongly agree that if they see something they like, they don’t worry about price, has doubled from a two-year low of 13% in December to more than a quarter in early April.

As I’ve often observed, this suggests that several of the key drivers of engagement in sports map nicely onto this national mood.  Fans and participants want value -- and they want escape.