Examining Evidence of a Trickle-Down Effect in Multiple Host Country Contexts: UEFA Euro 2020

This paper examines the trickle-down effect (TDE) phenomena in relation to the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 2020). The co-hosting format of this event; together with the availability of consistent data from the Eurobarometer (population-level data per country) on sport and physical activity participation across multiple jurisdictions presented a unique research opportunity. Using pre-event (2017) and post-event (2022) Eurobarometer surveys, we tested the main mechanisms by which TDEs are theorised to occur through quantitative secondary data analysis. The findings from our study provide tentative evidence in support of a TDE in some Euro 2020 co-host countries, but a direct cause and effect relationship is difficult to establish. We contend that the combination of hosting and success can contribute to protecting against declines in participation at population-level. Our findings highlight the most predominant wicked problem for TDE research – the best available data is not always sufficient to evaluate TDEs.