The global eFitness industry surged in 2020, with millions of people using online workout courses and sports apps amid the COVID-19 lockdown. As one of the largest eFitness markets globally, China has also witnessed the increasing popularity of home fitness this year.
According to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, the three most popular sports apps in China hit 25.9 million monthly active users as of October. With 13.1 million active users or more than half of that figure, Keep represents China’s leading sports app.
Number of Sports Apps Users Almost Doubled in Q1 2020
The eFitness industry in China has thrived in 2020, driven by the increasing number of Chinese pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle even amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The QuestMobile data revealed that as of February, the number of monthly active users of sports and fitness apps hit almost 90 million, a 93% jump compared to the same month a year ago.
The BigData Research showed around 64% of Chinese used these apps at least once a week. About 13% of respondents stated they used them two to three times a week, and another 3% used them four times or more.
Decline In Interest in Sports Reflected In Viewing Habits
50% of MIllennials and 42% of all adults surveyed indicated that they watched live sports at least once a week, while only 24% of Gen Zers indicated the same. Gen Zers are also twice as likely to never watch sports as millennials, with 39% of respondents indicating that they never watch sports compared to only 20% of millennials.
Another survey also showed that Gen Zers were less likely to identify as fans of specific sports and sports leagues compared to the rest of the population. In 24 sports or competitions out of the 27 included in the survey, the general adult population were more likely to identify as sports fans in 24 of them.
The NBA and Esports are the only two competitions where Gen Zers had more fans than the general population while the interest level was the same for the UFC. Notably, both Esports and the UFC are relatively young in its history and are two of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
