This time last year, the research team at Nexa conducted a study using social media targeting capabilities to see (a) how many fans there were in the UAE of English Premier League teams and (b) the breakdown of the suuport per team. The results were hugely interesting with Manchester United, after two trophy-less seasons at that time, still comfortably topping the supporters premier league with over 30% of the overall support. The study was based on an audience of 752,860 supporters residing in the UAE at the time. 12 months on, we thought it would be interesting to see if the 2015/2016 season had an impact on the current supporter statistics. Would there be any change? Would Manchester United still hold the title as the best supported team in the UAE? Did Leicester City's remarkable season generate more fans in the UAE?
The 2015/2016 season was probably the most remarkable season in Premier League history mainly due to the success of Leicester City. From being relegation favourites at the start of the season to finishing ten points clear at the top of the table is an achievement that will live long in our minds and go down in football folklore. This unlikely triumph may also be responsible for the increase in English Premier League football fans in the UAE. A year ago, there were 752,860 fans in the UAE and 12 months on, this figure has increased by over 44% with close to 1.1million fans associating themselves as supporters of a English Premier League club. While there may be other reasons for this growth, an increase as substantial as this may also come down to changes in population and increased media coverage. Either way, we'll continue to monitor this now and in the future.
| UAE Supporters Table | Team | Facebook Fans (2015/2016 Season) | Facebook Fans (2016/2017 Season) | Percentage of Support (2015/2016 Season) | Percentage of Support (2016/2017 Season) |
| 1 | Manchester United | 230,000 | 290,000 | 30.55% | 26.61% |
| 2 | Chelsea | 150,000 | 190,000 | 19.92% | 17.43% |
| 3 | Arsenal | 75,000 | 160,000 | 9.96% | 14.68% |
| 4 | Liverpool | 76,000 | 99,000 | 10.09% | 9.08% |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 66,000 | 97,000 | 8.77% | 8.90% |
| 6 | Manchester City | 67,000 | 93,000 | 8.90% | 8.53% |
| 7 | Southampton | 12,000 | 40,000 | 1.59% | 3.67% |
| 8 | Everton | 20,000 | 22,000 | 2.66% | 2.02% |
| 9 | West Ham United | 13,000 | 18,000 | 1.73% | 1.65% |
| 10 | Leicester City | 1,700 | 18,000 | 0.23% | 1.65% |
| 11 | Swansea City | 12,000 | 17,000 | 1.59% | 1.56% |
| 12 | West Bromwich Albion | 6,700 | 8,600 | 0.89% | 0.79% |
| 13 | Stoke City | 2,500 | 6,700 | 0.33% | 0.61% |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 3,800 | 5,900 | 0.50% | 0.54% |
| 15 | Hull City | n/a | 5,800 | n/a | 0.53% |
| 16 | Sunderland | 2,500 | 4,900 | 0.33% | 0.45% |
| 17 | Middlesborough | n/a | 4,500 | n/a | 0.41% |
| 18 | Burnley | n/a | 3,800 | n/a | 0.35% |
| 19 | Watford | 1,600 | 3,700 | 0.21% | 0.34% |
| 20 | Bournemouth | 960 | 2,000 | 0.13% | 0.18% |
Source: Facebook Ad Platform. All supporter numbers are from people located in the UAE. Data count: 1,089,900 as at 13 August 2016
As digital marketers we very rarely get a chance to use the powerful tools available to us for anything other than client work, so when the opportunity to have some fun and produce reports such as the one above comes along, we're happy to grasp it!
The above is a simple example of the targeting capabilities available to businesses in the UAE looking to reach highly specific segments of their market. No matter what type of consumer or individual your business targets, there's a great chance that we can present and market your brand to them.
For more information on how we can help your business target new customers, please complete the contact form on this page or download our Marketing in 2016 E-Book - available to you absolutely free!