Data: Record streaming for Champions League, Roland Garros
June 14, 2023
Millions of football and tennis fans turned to streaming platforms this past weekend to follow the Champions League final and Roland Garros, reports NPAW.
As it is becoming the norm with major sporting events, NPAW customer data reveals that both competitions broke records for streaming consumption when compared to previous years and regular seasonal patterns. This shows the high-engagement potential of sports content vs other types of content, as well as a change in consumer preferences. More and more people now opt for streaming platforms over traditional TV services when it comes to accessing live sports content, and this change can be clearly seen in the year-over-year comparison between editions of annual sports events.
Champions League Final
Data from a selection of NPAW customers that streamed the June 10th final shows significant spikes in streaming consumption compared to the previous 90 days and the 2022 final. In comparison to the average for the previous three months, the game garnered 14 per cent more plays and 18 per cent more unique users, whereas playtime increased by 4 per cent.
The 2023 final provided a big boost to streaming adoption compared to last year’s, attracting 39 per cent more plays and 45 per cent more unique users. Even though the total playtime increased by 14 per cent year over year, the average playtime per user and per service both decreased compared to 2022, suggesting viewers tuned in for shorter sessions.
Connected TVs were the devices that captured the most playtime (34 per cent), followed by smartphones (26 per cent), set-top-boxes (18 per cent) and PCs (15 per cent).
Roland Garros
An analysis of NPAW customer data indicates an increase in plays, playtime, and unique users compared to both the previous 90 days and 2022’s edition. When compared to the previous 90 days — i.e. regular seasonal consumption — NPAW customers experienced a 11 per cent increase in plays and unique users during the length of the tournament, while total playtime surged by 8 per cent.
The surge in streaming consumption was much stronger when compared to last year’s tournament, which points at the growing popularity of streaming platforms among tennis fans. Roland Garros 2023 garnered 68 per cent more plays than the previous edition, attracting 57 per cent more unique users and registering a 37 per cent higher playtime. However, the average playtime and average playtime per user decreased by 27 per cent and 32 per cent respectively, indicating that users might be watching in shorter bursts or being less engaged per session.
The men’s semi-finals attracted the most playtime, while TVs were the device of choice for most viewers with almost a 47 per cent share. PCs came in second with 19 per cent of the share, with smartphones following with 16 per cent.