INTRODUCTION
This chapter provides data on the number and characteristics of people who attend sporting events as a spectator. The information draws on a number of data sources that are briefly discussed below. The economic benefits of staging sporting events is discussed in later chapters.
The most recent ABS Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS) collected information about the attendance of people aged 15 years and over at sporting events and venues from July 2009 to June 2010. Attendance data from the MPHS has been published in ABS (2010c) Spectator Attendance at Sporting Events, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4174.0). Information on this topic was also previously collected in the 2005-06 MPHS.
The 2009 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers collected information about whether people with a disability had attended a sporting event away from home in the previous 12 months. Data from this survey have been published in ABS (2010a) Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2009 (cat. no. 4430.0). The 2009 survey was largely a repeat of the 2003 survey, allowing for some comparisons over time.
When comparing data from different sources it is important to take into consideration the differing scope and methodology of the surveys.