Canadians Expect Hockey Gold at Vancouver Olympics

Calgary, AB - A majority (56%) of Canadians expect that Canada's women's hockey team will win gold at the upcoming Vancouver Olympics. Similarly, half of (49%) online Canadians believe that the men's team will also win gold. Men are significantly more likely than women to believe that Canada's men team will win gold (55% compared to 43%). Men are also more likely to believe that Canada's women's team will win gold (59% compared to 53%).

The results are featured in a new syndicated study by Ipsos Reid about Online Sports (available mid-January 2010). This report covers the prevalence of watching sports online at various types of websites, frequency of watching sports online, weekly time spent doing these activities, prevalence and frequency of visiting various sports related websites, activities done at these sites, various online sports related activities ever done, preference of sports and advertising online, willingness to pay for commercial free sports online, attitudes and opinions about online sports, likelihood of following the Winter Olympics online, preferred site for following the Winter Olympics.

Perceptions of how the teams will finish vary by geographic region. More than six-in-ten (62%) British Columbians believe that the men's team will win gold, compared to just four in ten (39%) Quebec residents. British Columbians (63%), along with Ontarians (61%) and Albertans (59%), are also the most confident that the women will win gold. The lowest levels of support for the women's team occur in Quebec and Saskatchewan/Manitoba where 45% of respondents believe that the team will win gold.

An additional one-quarter (24%) of online Canadians believe that the men's team will win silver, 4% expect bronze and 2% expect the team will finish out of the medals (21% have no opinion). For the women, 16% expect a silver medal, 5% bronze and 2% no medal at all (21% have no opinion).

Study author Mark Laver notes that "It's not surprising that expectations for Canada's hockey teams are high, since it's the national game. You can see in the data that excitement is building among people in the home province of British Columbians where they are most solidly behind the national team's quest for gold."

This release is based on the findings of an Ipsos Reid syndicated study, the Inter@ctive Reid Report, fielded in December, 2009. This online survey of 879 Canadian adults was conducted via the Ipsos Online Panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.31 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Mark Laver
Associate Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(403) 294-7393
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey- based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.com/en-ca .

About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2008, Ipsos generated global revenues of e979.3 million.

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