[mkdf_dropcaps type=”normal” color=”#f55549″ background_color=””]N[/mkdf_dropcaps]
ew York has retained its first placed position on the annual Burson Cohn & Wolfe Sports (BCW Sports) Ranking of Sports Cities, identifying the cities most associated with sports.

Following behind New York was London in second place, Los Angeles in third place, Barcelona in fourth place, and Paris rounding out the top five.

The annual report ranks the top 50 sports cities from around the world, with the ranking focusing on the views of International Federations (IFs) and sports industry experts, combined with analysis of the association between sport and a city in the digital space.

The analysis of the digital space sees the report consider the total number of mentions of the word ‘sport’ associated with the name of the city on social media platforms, blogs, and websites.

Speaking of the rankings and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on sport around the world, BCW Sports managing director, Lars Haue-Pedersen, said: “In a year of postponement, rescheduling, relocation and modifications for sporting events, it is more interesting than ever to discover the extent to which cities are associated with sport.”

“The organisation of events became uncertain, tourism was banned, and cities could no longer benefit from the degree of international exposure that is linked to hosting events.

“As a result, cities were forced to make different strategic choices when it came to sports.

“This year’s results confirm the trends we have been observing for some time in sports and cities.

“The cities whose image are largely associated with sports are either hosting major international sporting events or are home to renowned professional sports teams that promote the city’s name week after week – as in the case of New York.

“Sport has a powerful ability to attract, engage and move people, and through an integrated, audience-centric approach, sporting events and professional teams can become excellent vehicles for promoting a city internationally and creating economic impact,” Haue-Pedersen said.

Interesting highlights from the 2021 report include the first instance in the nine-year history of the ranking two American cities rank in the top three, Barcelona jumping up three places, Tokyo dropped to ninth position after the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to 2021, and Munich jumping from 22nd to eighth place.

Three Australian cities made the top 50 list, with Melbourne rising from 20th position in 2020 to 11th in 2021, Sydney moving up one spot to 16th, and the Gold Coast moving from 46th to 35th.