Sports fans amongst Internet’s biggest users

The study, conducted by the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA), indicates that twice as many sports fans use the internet whilst watching TV compared with the average user (32% vs. 16%).

TV and internet now far outstrip other media at peak viewing times, and twice as many sports fans watch video via mobile compared with the average mobile user (12% vs. 6%).

The ‘Sport and the Shift to Interactive Media’ Report, the latest in the EIAA Mediascope Europe series, shows just how much sport affects media consumption.

Over a third (36%) of all European internet users currently visit sports websites and these sports site users spend over 13 hours online each week, 10% more time than the average European and an increase of 27% since 2004.

These figures are set to ramp up as we approach a summer full of hot-to-watch events such as Euro 2008 and the Olympics.

Events such as these can act as catalysts for media change as fans adopt new habits and technology in order to follow their favourite sports.

Brands need to work out how best to reach and interact with this sports-driven audience as it develops and it is vital that marketers create strategies to take advantage of the media opportunities surrounding key sporting events . 

‘Play’ On       

Watching sports online via video is proving a primary draw. According to EIAA data, nearly 40% of sports site users watch TV, film or video clips online, much more so than the average European internet user (39% vs. 30%).

Interestingly, this activity has grown in popularity amongst sports site users by 144% since 2006. ComScore figures also show that from January to December 2007, time spent on sites with video streaming and downloads has increased by 72%, from 53 to 91 minutes. In March 2008 alone, nearly 154 million people visited these sites, an increase of 22% when compared to the same month in 2007.

Video Hosting Sites

Sport Sites Insight

According to comScore, from January to December 2007 an average of 76 million Europeans visited sports sites each month - and further analysis of sports sites shows that visitors significantly peak during the big sporting spectaculars.

For example, the number of European sport site users increased by around 5 million in September and October 2007 when the Rugby World Cup was on and when the Six Nations Rugby tournament took place in March this year, European sports site users rocketed to 84.7 million  (up from 77.4 million in February). 

EIAA research shows that from 5.30-9pm 73% of sports site users watch television and 68% use the internet, making them by far the most used media during this peak consumption time. The internet is also proving a medium for round-the-clock consumption and with 87% of sports site users having broadband, global events such as the Olympics in China this year, present additional high-impact opportunities for marketers to target this audience as they look to follow the action in real-time online.

Sporting Lifestyles

This need for information and updates on the go is highlighted by the fact that 93% of sports site users own a mobile/PDA/Blackberry (vs. 83% of all Europeans) and are heavy users of mobile internet. Interestingly, they are twice as likely as the average European mobile/PDA/Blackberry user to watch video/film clips via their mobile (12% vs. 6%) and are more likely to perform other online activities on their mobile.

Sports fans and mobile usage

Additionally, almost half (48%) of all sports site users communicate via social networking sites and they are also more likely to have technology in their home.

Nine out of ten sports site users (91%) own a DVD player (compared to 75% of all Europeans) and 86% have a PC in their home (vs. 64%). This demonstrates a greater technological uptake by those that view sports online and points to a heavy consumption in technological products which could be translated online in the future.

Ultimately, sports site users are more engaged and receptive than the average internet user - sports fans have positive attitudes to online advertising with 57% rating internet advertising high on creativity, compared to 51% of all European internet users and 71% of sports site users find that the internet provides them with what they want quickly.

Alison Fennah, Executive Director of the EIAA says, “With a definite correlation between the increase of users of sports sites and the key sporting events over the past year, sports fans are becoming a targeted demographic this year.  

“ Looking at their online habits and activities, sport site users are likely to increasingly move their sports consumption online partly due to its ease of use and accessibility, and but also its real-time availability and technological capabilities. Ultimately this highlights how marketers can target and benefit from this captive and engaged audience online, especially when the big sporting events demand attention. Marketers must look to tap into this trend and media mindset when creating and developing their advertising campaigns.”

The study involved 7,008 random telephone interviews with over 1,000 respondents in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the Nordics respectively and 500 respondents in Belgium and the Netherlands respectively. Interviews were conducted throughout September 2007.

Source: www.eiaa.net