Table of Contents
Overview
-
- What you need to know
- Covered in this Report
Executive Summary
-
- The market
- Big events dominate TV sport viewing
- Rights migration to pay-TV could be a concern
- The Sky v BT battle continues
- Football clubs and stars amass major social media followings
- Key players
- Social media networks start streaming live sport
- World’s biggest football clubs launch new social network
- VR and sport continues to be explored
- The consumer
- Nearly half of people watch live sport
-
- Figure 1: Viewership of sports content, October 2016
- Younger people watch sport outside of the home
-
- Figure 2: Location people watch live sport, October 2016
- The majority of viewers watch on free services
-
- Figure 3: Services used to watch live sport, October 2016
- Live sport is still primarily watched on a TV screen
-
- Figure 4: Devices used to watch live sport, October 2016
- Nearly three in four sports fans watch live football
-
- Figure 5: Sports watched live, October 2016
- Younger people interact with sport via social media
-
- Figure 6: Use of sports media, October 2016
- Broadcasters may want to explore more payment models
-
- Figure 7: Attitudes towards sport and the media, October 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
-
- Sports fans struggle with the current cost of content
- The facts
- The implications
- Engaging with younger sports fans
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Ownership of mobile devices continues to increase
- Millennials are heavy users of social and media networks
- Football clubs and stars amass major social media followings
- Big events dominate TV sport viewing
- Rights migration to pay-TV could be a concern
- The BBC fights to keep sports content on free-to-air
- The Sky v BT battle continues
Market Drivers
-
- Ownership of mobile devices continues to increase
-
- Figure 8: Trends in household ownership of selected digital devices, June 2015 and July 2016
- Millennials are heavy users of social and media networks
-
- Figure 9: Use of social networks in the last three months, by age, March 2016
-
- Figure 10: Use of media networks in the last three months, by age, March 2016
- Football clubs and stars amass major social media followings
-
- Figure 11: Top five Premier League football clubs on social media, as of 3 January 2017
- Figure 12: Top five Premier League footballers on social media, as of 3 January 2017
- Figure 13: Top five footballers globally on social media, as of 3 January 2017
- Big events dominate TV sport viewing
- Rights migration to pay-TV could be a concern
-
- Figure 14: Genre shares of UK television audience, 2015
- The BBC fights to keep sports content on free-to-air
- The Sky v BT battle continues
- Encouraging signs for women’s sport as Sky signs biggest ever rights deal for UK netball
Key Players – What You Need to Know
-
- Social media networks start streaming live sport
- World’s biggest football clubs launch new social network
- Copa90 creates weekly Snapchat TV show
- VR and sport continues to be explored
- Sky introduces new sports channels
- BT and Sky explore UHD further
- BT Sport App available for free to EE customers
Launch Activity and Innovation
-
- Social media networks start streaming live sport
- Livestreaming is also being used to boost fan engagement
- World’s biggest football clubs launch new social network
- Copa90 creates weekly Snapchat TV show
- VR and sport continues to be explored
- ‘Netflix for Sport’ offers alternative viewing model
- BT Sport App available for free to EE customers
- Sky Sports makes new channel available for free
- BT and Sky explore Ultra HD sports further
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- Nearly half of people watch live sport
- The majority of viewers watch on free services
- Live sport is still primarily watched on a TV screen
- Football is the UK’s most popular live sport
- Three in 10 read journalists’ sports reports
- Younger people interact with sport via social media
- People can’t afford all the content they want
- High interest in VR sport among young viewers
Viewership of Sports Content
-
- Nearly half of people watch live sport
-
- Figure 15: Viewership of sports content, October 2016
- Men are more likely to watch sport
-
- Figure 16: Viewership of sports content, by gender, October 2016
- Younger people are more likely to watch online sports content
-
- Figure 17: Viewership of sports content, by age, October 2016
- Younger people watch sport outside of the home
-
- Figure 18: Location people watch live sport, October 2016
Devices and Services Used to Watch Live Sport
-
- The majority of viewers watch on free services
-
- Figure 19: Services used to watch live sport, October 2016
- Younger people more likely to use paid streaming services
-
- Figure 20: Used a paid streaming service to watch live sport in last 12 months, by age, October 2016
- Live sport is still primarily watched on a TV screen
-
- Figure 21: Devices used to watch live sport, October 2016
- Younger people are more likely to watch on mobile devices
-
- Figure 22: Devices used to watch live sport, by age, October 2016
Sports Watched Live
-
- Nearly three in four watch live football
- American Football has potential in UK market
-
- Figure 23: Sports watched live, October 2016
- Athletics and tennis are particularly popular among women
-
- Figure 24: Sports watched live, by gender, October 2016
Use of Sports Media
-
- Three in 10 read journalists’ sports reports
- Social media has changed the role of the sports journalist
-
- Figure 25: Use of sports media, October 2016
- Men interact more with sport but social media appeals to women
-
- Figure 26: Use of sports media, by gender, October 2016
- Younger people also interact with sport via social media
- Livestreaming offers a new way of engaging fans
-
- Figure 27: Use of sports media, by age, October 2016
Attitudes towards Sport and the Media
-
- People can’t afford all the content they want
- Broadcasters may need to explore more payment models
-
- Figure 28: Attitudes towards sport and the media, October 2016
- Sport has more influence on men’s TV purchasing habits
-
- Figure 29: Attitudes towards sport and the media – Agree with statement, by gender, October 2016
- Foreign sport is worth investing in
-
- Figure 30: Agreement with statement ‘Watching more sport from other countries would interest me’. by age, October 2016
- Many feel women’s sports don’t get enough coverage
- Interest in VR higher among younger viewers
-
- Figure 31: Agreement with statement ‘Using virtual reality to watch sport interests me’, by age, October 2016
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
-
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Back to top