Advanced Television

Research: UK homes at war over who gets big screen for football

June 24, 2021

More than two million UK households are at war over who gets to watch the big screen when the Euro 2020 football tournament is on, according to research by Uswitch, the comparison and switching service.

Close to one million unlucky fans have been relegated to watching the football on a secondary screen after a family member won the battle to watch their home’s main television. Meanwhile, nearly one million homes are being torn apart by family members who support different teams.

More than 21 million people are avoiding the summer of football, and say they will not watch a single game. Over four million people plan to go shopping when the football is on, while more than two million say they’ll walk the dog instead of watching a match.

For football supporters, watching with a non-fan in the same room can be a frustrating experience. People talking loudly over a game (30 per cent) is ranked the most annoying behaviour, followed by someone constantly asking when a match will end (16 per cent). Another common annoyance was a family member deciding to vacuum the floor in the middle of a game (15 per cent).

For people who aren’t tuning into the football this year, many intend to spend some time binge-watching classic TV series, with the most popular being Friends, followed by Only Fools And Horses and Game of Thrones.

Catherine Hiley, streaming expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Tournaments are hugely exciting times for football fans, but spare a thought for those who groan at the thought of three matches a day for weeks on end. The good news is that there’s plenty of ways to escape the football if you’re not a fan, and you can always stream something different on a laptop or tablet instead. If several people are planning to stream different programmes at the same time, make sure your broadband connection is up to the job by running a speed test. Should you find your stream is buffering, you can try turning off other internet-enabled devices or reducing the quality of the broadcast you’re watching.”

Categories: Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Research

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