Burson, which claims to be a global leader in communications, has compiled a 2024 Sports Cities Ranking, which identifies the 100 cities around the world most associated with sport.

The ranking is based on a quantitative analysis of the digital footprint of the association between sport and a city (50% weighting), combined with perception-based opinions from leaders of international sports federations (25%) and major international sports media (25%).

Burson released its anticipated 2024 Sports Cities Ranking, which shows that Paris is the world's number one sports city for the second year running, overtaking Los Angeles in second place.

New York has dropped to third place, while London is outside the top three for the first time and Madrid has joined the club of the world's top five sports cities.

The annual ranking identifies the 100 cities around the world most associated with sport. It is based on both perception and in-depth quantitative analysis, including feedback from international sports leaders, sports media and industry figures, as well as social media analysis.

The 2024 ranking highlights a number of interesting trends, one of which is the high but quickly fading profile that hosting mega-events such as the Olympic Games brings to a city's sporting reputation; while these events provide a significant initial boost, the impact tends to wane in subsequent years.

This is illustrated by Tokyo's fall from first place in 2022, a year after hosting the Games, to its current 13th position. The same has happened to Rio de Janeiro, which is currently ranked 61st in the world, despite hosting the 31st modern Olympic Games eight years ago.

The American approach to sport is powerful: US cities use the power of franchises with a strong focus on entertainment to create a significant sporting presence. New York (3rd), Miami (9th) and Las Vegas (15th) exemplify this trend. This also demonstrates the power of high-profile stars and their impact on a city's global marketing.

Cities that have been vocal about their sporting ambitions have risen quickly in the rankings, even if their activities have not been extensive. Salt Lake City (33rd), Riyadh (42nd) and New Delhi (75th) have all seen significant improvements in their rankings.

Salt Lake City's impressive jump of 30 places following its strong bid to host the 2034 WinterGames in Paris on 24 July illustrates this phenomenon.

"Over the years at Burson, we have been amazed by the impact of communications on a city's reputation as a strong sports city. It's not just about tangible activities, but more about communicating a city's current and future plans," said Lars Haue-Pedersen, managing director of Burson's sports practice. "For cities looking to build their sports reputation, investing in effective communications can bring significant benefits, sometimes even more than infrastructure development."

The full Burson 2024 Sports Cities ranking:

1. Paris (FRA)

2. Los Angeles (USA)

3. New York (USA)

4. London (GBR)

5. Madrid (ESP)

6. Lausanne (SUI)

7. Manchester (GBR)

8. Barcelona (ESP)

9. Miami (USA)

10. Washington (USA)

11. Beijing (CHN)

12. Chicago (USA)

13. Tokyo (JPN)

14. Budapest (HUN)

15. Las Vegas (USA)

16. Munich (GER)

17. Rome (ITA)

18. Sydney (AUS)

19. Vancouver (CAN)

20. Toronto (CAN)

21. Dubai (UAE)

22. Liverpool (GBR)

23. Dallas (USA)

24. Houston (USA)

25. Brisbane (AUS)

26. Boston (USA)

27. Milan (ITA)

28. Philadelphia (USA)

29. Atlanta (USA)

30. Mexico City (MEX)

31. Birmingham (GBR)

32. Melbourne (AUS)

33. Salt Lake City (USA)

34. Doha (QAT)

35. Edmonton (CAN)

36. Denver (USA)

37. Copenhagen (DEN)

38. Berlin (GER)

39. Detroit (USA)

40. Baku (AZE)

41. San Francisco (USA)

42. Riyadh (KSA)

43. Innsbruck (AUT)

44. Chengdu (CHN)

45. Colorado Springs (USA)

46. Abu Dhabi (UAE)

47. Singapore (SIN)

48. Indianapolis (USA)

49. Glasgow (GBR)

50. Cleveland (USA)

51. Lillehammer (NOR)

52. Stockholm (SWE)

53. Amsterdam (NED)

54. Athens (GRC)

55. Lima (PER)

56. Jeddah (KSA)

57. Gold Coast (AUS)

58. Montreal (CAN)

59. Belgrade (SRB)

60. Shanghai (CHN)

61. Rio de Janeiro (BRA)

62. Antalya (TUR)

63. Gothenburg (SWE)

64. Mumbai (IND)

65. Istanbul (TUR)

66. Oslo (NOR)

67. Seoul (KOR)

68. Turin (ITA)

69. Lisbon (POR)

70. Zurich (SUI)

71. Buenos Aires (ARG)

72. Calgary (CAN)

73. Dakar (SEN)

74. Bangkok (THA)

75. New Delhi (IND)

76. Marseille (FRA)

77. Hong Kong (HKG)

78. Lagos (NGR)

79. Guangzhou (CHN)

80. Cali (COL)

81. Cape Town (RSA)

82. Cortina d'Ampezzo (ITA)

83. Ottawa (CAN)

84. Hamburg (GER)

85. Jakarta (INA)

86. Quebec City (CAN)

87. Santiago de Chile (CHL)

88. Auckland (NZL)

89. Sapporo (JPN)

90. Guadalajara (MEX)

91. Edinburgh (SCT)

92. Rabat (MAR)

93. Rotterdam (NED)

94. Johannesburg (RSA)

95. Cairo (EGY)

96. Warsaw (POL)

97. Helsinki (FIN)

98. Kuala Lumpur (MYS)

99. Tampere (FIN)

100. Pyeongchang (KOR)