Bangkok--31 Jul--Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Football and synchronized swimming the most likely battlegrounds Some of the toughest competitions during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games may be at home over the television remote control, according to a Visa survey which shows a divergence between men’s and women’s interests in Olympic sports. Of the 4,556 people from the Asia Pacific region who were asked which Olympic sporting events most interested them, swimming, football and gymnastics were the clear overall winners, but scratch the surface and differences between men and women became more apparent. It appears the biggest battle will be over football, with a 19 percentage point difference between men’s interest (53 percent) and women’s interest (34 percent). Men said they were also more interested in baseball and boxing than women, while women were more interested in watching gymnastics and swimming — particularly synchronized swimming. Somboon Krobteeranon, country manager, Thailand, Visa said: “While the findings show that men and women are interested in different events, it is heartening to see a strong interest in the Olympic Games overall and the spirit of faster, higher, stronger that runs through every Olympic event.” It may be more than a battle of the sexes: the family lounge room may also see generational disparity over which sports to watch. According to the Visa survey findings, people over 45 are twice as interested in athletics and baseball as those aged 18-24, while younger people are far more likely to watch hockey, boxing and tennis. Somboon continued: “What is interesting is that the passion for sport is the unifying factor amid the diversity of views and interests of the supporters. This passion is what helps create the colour and excitement at the Games, and is why the Olympic Games are such an important event in the global sporting calendar.” Greatest Interest Gaps by Gender Sport Men (% interest) Women (% interest) Percentage Point Difference Baseball 35 23 12 Boxing 22 12 10 Football 53 34 19 Gymnastics 35 44 9 Swimming 45 53 8 Synchronized Swimming 10 23 13 Source: Visa/Nielsen survey Interest Gaps by Age GroupSport 18-24 Year Olds (% interest) 25-34 Year Olds (% interest) 35-44 Year Olds (% interest) 45 Years and Above (% interest) Athletics 21 31 30 42 Baseball 19 25 26 36 Boxing 28 19 18 12 Gymnastics 28 33 40 47 Hockey 31 27 30 13 Tennis 37 29 30 22 Source: Visa/Nielsen survey Visa has been the exclusive payment card and the official payment service of the Olympic Games since 1986 and will continue its category sponsorship through 2012, including the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Visa will be the only card accepted at all Olympic Games venues for official Olympic related transactions. About Visa: Visa operates the world’s largest retail electronic payments network providing processing services and payment product platforms. This includes consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payments, which are offered under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS brands. Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world and Visa/PLUS is one of the world's largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com. Contact: Mark Thomson / Kasama Vidhayasai, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Tel: +662 205 6609, +662 205 6625, [email protected] / [email protected]