World Cup drives content consumption on Mobile apps, study reveals

By : Guardian sports

Date: 2 July 2018 12:56pm WAT

(FILES) In this file photo taken on January 08, 2018 a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system pitch-side, is pictured prior to its use during the English FA Cup third round football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on January 8, 2018. The controversial Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system looks set to be used at the World Cup in Russia after international rules body IFAB gave it their backing on March 3, 2018. "The International Football Association Board unanimously approved the use of video assistant referees at its 132nd Annual general meeting," IFAB said in a statement. / AFP PHOTO / Glyn KIRK / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. /

The stadium is pictured prior to the Russia 2018 World Cup Group E football match between Brazil and Switzerland at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don on June 17, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / KHALED DESOUKI

While TV remains king, mobile apps have a major surge in its use as a medium to watch the World Cup.

According to a study conducted by CampsBay Media and TWOREPORT, 28 per cent of Nigerian football fans will track and consume information related to the 2018 World Cup through the use of mobile applications on their smart devices. The research indicates that device users – smartphones and tablets – are certain to spend more on mobile data subscription during the period of the World Cup..

With different broadcasters with rights to show the World Cup further pushing their contents via their different apps, and at a low cost, even more people are embracing mobile viewing of their content. Especially because of it is unaffected by weather condition which often affects the signal quality of Cable TV.

It is not unthinkable to see people switch to their preferred streaming service and mobile app when there is a thunderstorm or power outage.

Kwesé iflix launched just before the World Cup as a digital entertainment platform offering various content including the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. StarTimes also launched its video streaming app before the World Cup with the streaming of the Mundial its major draw. Multichoice already had its live TV streaming service DStv now available for users.

The penetration, and ubiquity, of mobile devices, makes it easier to have a content preference, when and where to watch such content. The multi-screen universe is fast making television to lose our full attention. Nigeria viewers watch content on an average of 2 devices at home – on TV and/or on a smart device.

The research, based on an extensive online survey, reveals that while Nigerians ages 18-50+ are still largely consumers of content on TV (96%), 31 per cent, across the age range, view content using their smartphones.

“We conducted the research along with our partners at CampsBay Media, with a goal among a few in mind to establish data on the media consumption habits of Nigerians particularly since this is the year of a World Cup, said TWOREPORT Head of Product Innovation and Principal Partner, Telema Davies. “What we found is insightful, and captures the need to engage with fans, from a business perspective, as consumers of sports media content. Nigerians may not have transited into the cord-cutting era yet, but we want to have more power on what we view and how we view this content.”

Lolade Adewuyi, Chief Strategist at CampsBay, said, that the research is necessary in a fast evolving market with many options.

“Nigerians are quick adopters of technology and it shows by the number of fans that will watch this year’s biggest sports event on their mobile phones and tablets. This study also reflects on the influence of pay TV service providers on the market, giving us a concrete understanding of their impact on consumption habits,” Adewuyi said.

Among other findings, 55 percent of respondents said microblogging site Twitter, will be their preferred social media channel for engagement and live action experience in relation to the World Cup while 21 percent will make it an obligation to visit the website of global football governing body FIFA, and the digital media asset of the Nigeria Football Federation to stay updated.

The full report can be downloaded here: https://bit.ly/2MlKgnC