Sports Marketing Surveys USA

What Sports Marketing Surveys USA does

Sports Marketing Surveys USA (SMS USA) is a Jupiter, Florida-based specialist sports market research agency founded in 1985 and operating as a subsidiary of Buffalo Groupe, LLC since its 2022 acquisition. The company provides quantitative and qualitative research services across more than 100 sports, serving sports brands and manufacturers, retailers, events and venues, governing bodies, and facility operators. Core products include syndicated Participation Trends Reports and Sales Trends Reports (covering 100+ sports with 6-year trend data and demographic breakdowns), Professional Trends surveys of elite athletes, and bespoke Custom Research projects.

The underlying technology stack comprises proprietary survey methodologies, monthly retail point-of-sale panels, and interactive dashboards (Sports Participation Dashboard, ActionWatch portal, Cycling Market Data Service dashboard). Notable specialized services include ActionWatch — a monthly surf and skate retail data service operating in partnership with SIMA across the USA and Australia — and the UK Cycling Market Data Service, run on behalf of the Bicycle Association, tracking c.70% of UK cycling product sales across nearly 2,000 retail outlets and 1M+ products. The company also offers Geotargeting, which applies participation data at the zip-code level for hyperlocal analysis.

Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time syndicated report sales (from $295 per sport), recurring subscription data services (e.g., $10,489 for three waves of Cycling MDS), and bespoke professional services engagements. Distribution is supported by exclusive or core partnerships with SFIA, the Bicycle Association, SIMA, HFA, TIA, and the Running Industry Association. SMS USA is a privately held entity, does not publicly disclose revenue, and has no disclosed funding activity beyond its parent-group ownership.

Name

Sports Marketing Surveys USA

Legal name

Sports Marketing Surveys USA

Website

https://sportsmarketingsurveysusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Market Research

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Data, Analytics & CRM Services (Fan Data, Insights, Audience Development) (MPAKAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports Business Consulting & Advisory (Strategy, Valuation, Due Diligence) (MPAKAKAL)

Keywords

• Sports market research
• Participation trend reports
• Retail sales tracking
• Custom sports research
• Athletic industry data

Headquarters

HQ city

Jupiter

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sports Participation Reports: Sale of single sport and fitness participation reports with 6-year trend data, demographic breakdowns and cross-participation analysis. Reports sold via SFIA website and SMS store starting at $295 per report.
2. Cycling Market Data Service Subscription: Subscription-based access to cycling retail data dashboard and market tables providing brand, category and sector market share information for UK cycling industry.
3. ActionWatch Data Portal: Monthly surf and skate market data subscription accessed via portal by brands and retailers, tracking product-level sales and stock metrics.
4. Custom Research Projects: Bespoke quantitative and qualitative research programs tailored to specific client needs including marketing testing, dealer studies and perception research. Results owned by client.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sports Marketing Surveys USA is a specialist B2B research agency that sells syndicated reports and bespoke research services covering sports participation, retail and wholesale sales, and professional athlete feedback across 100+ sports. It also operates dedicated data subscription services including ActionWatch (surf and skate point-of-sale tracking) and the UK Cycling Market Data Service, delivered through interactive dashboards and downloadable reports.

Product overview

Sports Marketing Surveys USA is a specialist research agency with over 35 years of experience providing comprehensive sports market intelligence. The company operates as a portfolio of research products and services including: Participation Trends Reports and Sales Trends Reports (their core syndicated research offerings providing regular trend monitoring across 100+ sports); Professional Trends Research for elite player surveys; Custom Research Projects for bespoke client needs; and specialized data services including ActionWatch (surf and skate industry market data) and the Cycling Market Data Service (UK cycling retail audit). Key technology products include interactive Sports Participation Dashboards for immediate data access and Geotargeting for hyper-local participation analysis. Reports are delivered as downloadable digital products with license terms governing use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ActionWatch: Surf and skate retail market data service providing detailed market data for the specialty surf and skate industry in USA and Australia, covering hardgoods, apparel, footwear, wetsuits and accessories. Official partner of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA).

Products and services

• Participation Trends Reports Industry-leading participation research products providing demographic and historical breakdowns across 100+ sports, delivered as immediately accessible downloadable reports with interactive dashboard access for sports brands, retailers, federations and governing bodies.
• Sales Trends Reports Regular, near real-time syndicated reporting on wholesale and retail sales trends in sports products, enabling up-to-date merchandising, competitive benchmarking and market opportunity identification for brands and retailers.
• Professional Trends Research Survey research service for professional sportspeople that generates independent feedback on events and Tours, leveraging SMS USA's industry sensitivity to survey elite players for tournament organizers and federations.
• Custom Research Projects Bespoke quantitative and qualitative research programs tailored to specific client business needs, including marketing and advertising testing, dealer studies and perception research; deliverables are owned by the commissioning client.
• ActionWatch Monthly market data service for the specialty surf and skate industry in USA and Australia, tracking hardgoods, apparel, footwear, wetsuits and accessories at product level, including average value/volume sales, selling prices, wholesale costs and distribution penetration.
• Cycling Market Data Service (MDS) Monthly sales and inventory data monitoring service for the UK cycling industry covering bicycles, e-bikes, parts, accessories, clothing and servicing, delivered through interactive dashboards and downloadable market tables for brand, category and sector benchmarking.
• US Bicycle Market Research Three-Wave Study Multi-wave consumer research study for the US bicycle market covering new bicycles, used bicycles, e-bikes, bike share and indoor cycling, sold as a three-wave subscription totaling $10,489 for category benchmarking.
• Geotargeting Analytics Hyper-local participation analytics product that maps US sports participation activity down to zip code level, producing hot/cold maps used for targeted merchandising, recreational facility site selection and localized revenue projections.
• 2026 US Health & Fitness Consumer Report Annual national health and fitness consumer report based on an 18,000-respondent US survey commissioned by the Health & Fitness Association, providing trend and demographic data on 24 fitness activities.
• SFIA Tracking the Fitness Movement Report Annual SFIA report covering participation levels, trends, purchase behaviour and demographic profiles across 24 fitness activities, distributed via the SFIA report shop.

Quantifiable outcome

• Golf tourism estimated to benefit Northern Ireland economy by £42.6m per year based on SMS research (2018)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Buffalo GroupecoreOthers · 1 January 2023Buffalo Groupe acquired Sports Marketing Surveys USA, expanding its research offerings. SMS USA operates as a Buffalo Groupe company while maintaining its sports industry focus and brand identity.
• Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActionWatch is an official partner of SIMA, providing market data services to the specialty surf and skate industry in USA and Australia. SIMA represents surf industry manufacturers and the partnership enables industry-wide data collection.
• The Bicycle Association (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bicycle Association works with SMS to provide the Market Data Service (MDS) monitoring monthly cycling sales and inventory from nearly 2,000 UK retail outlets tracking over 1 million products. Service tracks c.70% of UK cycling product sales.
• Human Powered SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Human Powered Solutions founders Jay Townley and Brad Hughes for US bicycle market research mapping post-Covid supply and demand trends. Three-wave consumer research study launched in 2020.
• Health & Fitness Association (HFA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSMS conducts national survey of 18,000 US residents for HFA's annual 2026 US Health & Fitness Consumer Report, providing demographic breakdowns and trend analysis. Report available to HFA members or $299 for non-members.
• Tennis Industry Association (TIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with TIA for tennis industry recovery research tracking progress towards reopening during Covid-19 pandemic. SMS conducted surveys across 200+ venues and retailers in 40 states.
• Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSFIA partners with SMS for distribution of single sport participation reports. SMS operates the research and SFIA provides access to reports starting at $295 per sport. 90+ sports covered with 6-year trend data.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Circana: Formed by the merger of NPD Group and IRI, Circana is the leading global retail tracking and consumer intelligence firm covering sports, hardgoods, apparel and footwear — directly overlapping with SMS USA's Sales Trends and ActionWatch retail tracking offerings for sports categories.
• YouGov: YouGov operates a global consumer panel with a dedicated sports practice delivering participation, fandom and sponsorship research. It is a direct peer to SMS USA's Custom Projects and Participation Trends offerings for brands, federations and media buyers.
• The Sports Consultancy: The Sports Consultancy provides sports-specific research, strategy and advisory services to federations, leagues and brands, comparable to SMS USA's Custom Projects and Professional Trends offerings for governing bodies and event organizers.
• NielsenIQ: NielsenIQ provides retail measurement, consumer panels and sports/leisure category insights globally. It competes with SMS USA in syndicated retail sales tracking, sports category share data, and consumer behavior analytics for brand and retail clients.

Broad incumbents

• Statista: Statista is a global data and statistics platform covering sports participation, revenues and consumer behavior. It competes with SMS USA for trend-monitoring and syndicated sports intelligence buyers, particularly for accessible, lower-priced sports data needs.
• Mintel: Mintel publishes consumer research including sports, fitness and leisure categories, with subscription reports comparable to SMS USA's Participation Trends Reports. It is broader in scope but competes for the same brand and retailer research budgets.
• Ipsos: Ipsos is a global market research company with sports and fandom research capabilities serving federations, sponsors and broadcasters. It is comparable to SMS USA's Custom Projects work for governing bodies, though it is not a sports specialist.
• Kantar: Kantar is a global insights and consulting firm with a sports practice covering sponsorship evaluation, fan engagement and brand tracking. It overlaps with SMS USA's sports brand and federation research but as part of a broader portfolio rather than a sports specialist.
• GfK (now NIQ): GfK/NIQ provides consumer and retail market intelligence including sports and leisure categories. It competes with SMS USA in retail tracking and consumer demand analytics but as a generalist rather than a sports-dedicated firm.

Emerging players

• Sports Innovation Lab: Sports Innovation Lab is a US-based sports consumer intelligence firm focused on fan segmentation, lifestyle data and sponsorable audience analytics for leagues, brands and media companies — overlapping with SMS USA's sports consumer research but with a more digital/fandom lens.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sports-marketing-surveys-usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sports Marketing Surveys USA