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Summary of our market study
In 2020, the global boxing market continues to show promising growth, with an estimated value of $905.3 million and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%. This booming market is driven by the increasing organization of boxing competitions worldwide and the growing number of boxing clubs, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, which is expected to see the strongest growth.
In France, the market enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, with licenses within the French Boxing Federation (FFB) up 44% and boxing clubs up 13%. The number of licensed boxers reached 59,874. The market was boosted by innovations such as connected boxing equipment, new variants like aeroboxing, and growing media coverage.
Growing popularity and feminization of the French boxing market
The French boxing market has undergone an impressive revival and expansion in recent years, with a considerable increase in demand for the sport. The rejuvenation of interest in boxing, particularly following the Rio Olympics, has led to a dramatic increase in the number of licensed boxers in the country.
In addition to this increase in the number of licensed boxers, there is also a significant number of unlicensed boxing enthusiasts - estimated at between between 10,000 and 15,000 - who train in private clubs, indicating a wider reach of the sport beyond the regulated federation. Notably, the youth segment - particularly those aged 15 to 19 - accounts for over 20% of boxing licensees, while another considerable portion of the boxing community is in the 10-14 age bracket.
The French boxing scene is also marked by regional disparities, with regions such as Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Hauts-de-France leading the way in terms of number of licenses issued and proliferation of boxing clubs. Île-de-France, in particular, stands out with over 9,000 licenses, which may be correlated with the significant increase in the number of boxing clubs.
The market is also undergoing a significant trend towards feminization, with more and more women taking up boxing both professionally and recreationally. The percentage of licensed female boxers has risen sharply, with a 61% increase in female participation in five years. This development could be attributed to changing perceptions of the sport and the introduction of new training variants adapted to women, such as aeroboxing.
Another notable trend is the corporate adoption of boxing as a stress-relieving, productivity-enhancing and team-building tool. given that around 50% of combat sports enthusiasts are white-collar workers, companies are increasingly integrating boxing into their wellness programs and even setting up boxing facilities within their infrastructure.
The overall market for boxing equipment also reflects the sport's burgeoning appeal, with the boxing gloves segment accounting for almost half the market share. This growth is also underpinned by the expansion of equipment manufacturers, who are adapting their offerings to meet the needs of a diversified audience.
Key players in the French boxing market:
The boxing market includes a variety of players, from local clubs to international federations, all of whom contribute to the sport's growth and innovation. This dynamic market is a symphony of action, with each participant playing a crucial role. Let's take a look at the profiles of some of the key players in this sector.
- French Boxing Federation (FF Boxe)
Created in 1903 as an Olympic federation, the FF Boxe is the mainstay of boxing in France, orchestrating the sport's various forms, from leisure to professional. With 923 affiliated clubs and almost 60,000 members, the FF Boxe embodies the spirit and passion of boxing throughout the country. It seeks to modernize and improve the sport's image through strategic partnerships with communications agencies such as Lafourmi-Leroy Tremblot. The federation is striving to foster a sense of community and pride among boxing enthusiasts by launching a state-of-the-art digital platform and rebranding for greater resonance and relevance.
- Equipment manufacturers
At the heart of the boxing experience is the equipment, and manufacturers play a vital role in equipping fighters for the ring. While France imports much of its boxing gear, Pakistan's Sialkot is a global heavyweight, producing around 75% of the world's boxing gloves. Brands such as Adidas and Metal Boxing stand out in the glove sector, while other notable names such as Venum and Boxing Shop also mark their territory in this niche. These OEMs navigate complex supply chains and strive to bridge the gap between production challenges and market demands, responding to trends such as the growing demographic of women's boxing by adapting their products to a more diverse audience.
- Media coverage
The media is the prism through which millions of people discover the thrill of boxing. The Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel reports a significant number of sports programs devoted to boxing, illustrating its popularity and the growing interest it arouses among viewers. Kickboxing, in particular, received increased exposure, reflecting a growing appetite for combat sports on mainstream channels.
- Boxing clubs
The increase in the number of boxing clubs reflects the growing interest in the sport at local level. These gyms are the training grounds where novices and seasoned pros hone their skills. The increase in the number of these establishments, particularly in regions such as Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Hauts-de-France, underlines the growing demand for boxing as a physical and recreational activity.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Market overview and definition
The boxing market encompasses a wide range of players, from boxing clubs (professional and amateur) to equipment manufacturers and specialist media.
Boxing is a combat sport pitting two opponents in the same weight category against each other. ( English boxing), or with punches and kicks (French boxing), according to precise rules.although English boxing is the most widespread form of boxing today, there are specific forms of boxing in almost every country in the world. The main types of boxing include English boxing, French boxing, American boxing and Thai boxing.
Boxing originated in the 6th century BC and was practised in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire in two forms of combat sports ( pugilism and pancrax).boxing came back into fashion in the 17th century, in a very violent form. From 1743 onwards, boxing was progressively codified in order to avoid the many deaths caused by its practice, with the London Prize Ring Rules (the first universal rules of English boxing). The wearing of boxing gloves became compulsory in 1866, and the practice of English boxing became legal in 1891.
The great boxers of the 20th century - such as Mohamed Ali, the late world heavyweight boxing champion - contributed to the development and popularization of boxing as a combat sport, which until then had been closely associated with violence and corruption.
In France, boxing enjoyed a boom in 2016, as evidenced by theincrease in the number of licenses issued by the French Boxing Federation, before being severely impacted by the health crisis. The sport is now back on the rise in France, and with 64,237 licensees in 2023, has even surpassed its pre-covid level and the 2018 peak of 59,874.
1.2 Global market: growth opportunities
In the absence of figures concerning the size of the global boxing market, we can nevertheless give the value of boxing equipment sales, and in particular boxing gloves, which gives an insight into the market's growth opportunities.
The global boxing gloves market is valued at *.** billion US dollars in **** and is ...
1.3 Boxing has become a trend in France since 2016
long sidelined and little publicized in France, notably due to the lack of results at the London **** Olympic Games, boxing has recently regained with the emergence of "Team Solide", the nickname given to the French team that returned from the **** Rio Olympics with six medals.
This success has rekindled French enthusiasm ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Demand on the rise again after the health crisis
A general increase in the number of licensees up to ****
According to FFB figures, there will be **,*** members of the French Boxing Federation in France in **** , compared with **,*** in **** and **,*** in ****. before dropping drastically in the ****/**** season, impacted by the health crisis that led to the closure of sports clubs. The ...
2.2 Feminization of demand
In ****, there were still more than twice as many men as women among boxing licensees.
Number of FFB licenses issued by gender France, ****, in units Source: ****
At amateur level, the proportion of women practicing boxing regularly (***) remains very low compared to other sports: according to an Ipsos survey conducted in **** among ...
2.3 Companies are also getting into boxing
There's a noticeable trend towards boxing among executives and within companies. In fact, the benefits of boxing are numerous: in addition to sculpting the body's shape, the sport is seen as a motivational tool, helping to relieve stress and boost productivity for the rest of the day after a session. It's ...
3 Market structure
3.1 A multiplicity of players
The French Boxing Federation (***)
The Fédération Française de Boxe is an Olympic federation created in ****, whose role is to organize and promote the practice of boxing in France. It offers a range of boxing styles to suit every age, gender and motivation: professional boxing, amateur boxing, educational boxing, ...
3.2 An increase in the number of boxing clubs in France
According to figures from the French Boxing Federation, there will be *** boxing clubs in ****, compared with *** boxing clubs in ****, a figure which, like the number of licenses, is again up slightly but is not catching up with its pre-Covid level and the **** peak that followed the **** Olympic Games. Number of boxing ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 The different types of boxing
The main types of boxing include :
English boxing: nicknamed the " noble art " and one of the Olympic disciplines, this is the most popular professional boxing. It requires basic equipment (***) and consists of an exchange of punches to the face and chest of the opponent. French boxing: nicknamed "savate", it is very ...
4.2 Boxing, an expensive activity
Price of the FF Boxe license
The FF Boxe license entitles the holder to practice boxing. It consists of an annual investment that varies according to the type of boxing practiced and the level (***). The price of an FF Boxe license is considerably lower than that of other sports such as ...
4.3 Overview of weight categories
As the choice of boxing equipment depends not only on the boxer's level, but also on his weight and height, here's a table summarizing the different weight categories in amateur boxing (***).
Source: ****
Source: ****
4.4 A market in the throes of innovation
New products: connected boxing Digital innovation is also affecting the boxing market. In ****, for example, Swiss start-up PIQ teamed up with American combat sports equipment manufacturer Everlast to offer a sensor that measures boxers' performance and progress during training. Positioned in a bandage on the wrist, the PIQ Robot™ sensor records ...
5 Regulations
5.1 General sports regulations
A federal organization
The FF Boxe has been delegated for the following disciplines:
- English boxing
- Olympic boxing
- Assault educational boxing
- Women's boxing
Savate boxe française is organized by the FF savate; American and Thai boxing are organized by the FF de sports de contact.
Five delegated ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- Temple Noble Art
- Apollo Sporting Club
- Adidas
- Metal Boxe Attitude Fight
- Intersport France
- Go Sport France
- Décathlon France
- Ymaa france
- U-Percute, Art Boxing club
- Sweat boxing
- Skarbowsky GYM
- Savate Club Paris 15
- Phenix Boxing
- Paris Taekwondo Elite
- La Française Athletic Club
- Kickers Team
- Ecole française de jujitsu
- District Training Zone Montreuil
- Battling club Paris 17
- ASMBF Paris Boxing
- Planet Fitness Equipements
- Aero Fit Boxing
- Shogun center
- Venum
- Sportcom
List of charts presented in this market study
- Size of the global boxing gloves market
- Number of boxing members and Olympic medals won
- Number of FFB licenses issued
- Age distribution of FFB members
- Boxing licenses by region
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Latest news
Intersport and Go Sport hot on Decathlon's heels in France - 11/04/2024
- Stabilization of like-for-like sales last year at Intersport.
- Increase in sales following the acquisition of Go Sport: 3.65 billion euros, i.e. **an increase of 11.2% compared with 2022.
- Projected openings: Between 15 and 20 new stores planned each year
Sportcom enters the arena of the Paris Olympics - 31/01/2024
- Sportcom was founded in 2003. Supplier of boxing rings
- The company has already supplied rings for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
- The contract covers two competition rings for the Paris Olympic Games.
- Sportcom will also be the supplier for qualifying tournaments in Milan and Bangkok.
- Sportcom employs 22 people.
- The company generated sales of 6 million euros last year.
- Exports account for 30% of the company's sales, with the UK and Germany the main destinations.
Adidas still going strong despite the Kanye West scandal. - 20/11/2023
- Adidas had a colossal stock of Yeezy sneakers, estimated at over a billion euros.
- Yeezy sneaker sales accounted for 7% of Adidas sales.
- Adidas organized two massive destocking operations, generating 400 million euros in the first online sale and almost the same amount in the second.
- Resale prices for Yeezy sneakers vary between 100 and 300 euros.
Intersport plans to sell around thirty of its stores - 07/11/2023
- Around thirty Intersport stores could be sold to Schiever.
- Intersport is France's second-largest sporting goods retailer.
- Intersport is a cooperative of nearly 300 entrepreneurs.
- The Intersport network comprises some 800 specialist stores.
- Jacky Rihouet, CEO of Intersport, may sell 20 Intersport stores and five Intersport outlets that he owns.
- Four Blackstore ready-to-wear stores and two Go Sport stores could also be sold to Schiever.
Sportswear: how French SME Venum became an MMA champion - 15/10/2023
- venum, the French brand of combat sports clothing and accessories, has become a world leader in mixed martial arts (MMA) in just a few years.
- Products distributed internationally via major retailers specializing in combat sports (such as Made4Fighters or Khun Pon), as well as general retailers (JD Sports, Decathlon, Intersport...)
- Company with 80 employees
- Sales up from 14 million euros to 100 million euros in ten years
- Official equipment supplier to the Ultimate Fighting Champions (UFC), the world's largest free martial arts league, asubsidiary of artist agency Endeavor, which acquired it in 2016 for $4 billion
- The league boasts a stable of 650 athletes, and organizes over 40 matches a year
Jacky Rihouet, CEO France: Intersport will soon be flirting with sales of 4 billion euros - 29/06/2023
- Number of Intersport stores: 885
- Number of Go Sport stores acquired: 72
- Number of stores to be rebranded to Intersport in the coming year: 50
- 2013: Year of acquisition of the cycle assembly plant, France's leading bicycle assembler
- Number of employees: 15,000
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The boxing market | France
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