Research: 52% of UK will stream Euro 2024
March 6, 2024
LG Ad Solutions, the specialist in connected TV (CTV) and cross-screen advertising, has released a sports study revealing that 72 per cent of UK consumers are increasingly comfortable streaming live sports. Over a third use three or more streaming apps to watch live sports, with Sky Sports (57 per cent), BBC (55 per cent) and Prime Video (53 per cent) being the most popular.
“With digital viewing already on the agenda for half of UK UEFA fans, and increasingly popular among wider consumers, it’s clear that the UK CTV audience has grown to a critical mass, warranting further investment. On top of this, as competition increases amongst brands to get in front of these valuable, addressable streaming audiences, innovations in the CTV space like first-screen ads, or CTV Native formats, offer a way for brands to cut through the noise and stand out against the typical 30-second ad slot,” commented Edward Wale, VP, International, LG Ad Solutions.
Findings from the study Stadium to Screen: Streaming Live Sports in 2024 include:
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The Biggest Screen in the Room is Primary for Sports Watching: Most (92 per cent) of UK CTV viewers watch live sports on TV, indicating the powerful pull of sports on the big screen, and over half (52 per cent) already plan to stream Euro 2024.
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2024 Summer Sports Line Up Is Prime for Opportunity: The combination of 2024’s summer sporting events, including the Olympics (which 39 per cent will watch via streaming), the UEFA Euro Cup finals (52 per cent will stream), and the Six Nations Rugby Tournament (39 per cent will stream), which presents an array of opportunities for brand engagement.
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Sports Fans are Turning to Streaming Apps:
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The popularity of streaming apps for live sports is increasing: 14 per cent more plan to stream the UEFA Euro Cup finals this year vs. the 2020 Euro Cup, and 16 per cent more plan to stream the Olympics this year vs. the 2022 Winter Olympics.
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While football dominates as the most watched sport (84 per cent watch men’s football and 51 per cent watch women’s), audiences hold a varied range of sports interests, following five different sports on average, with 44 per cent watching more than five hours of live sport per week.
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Sports Fans Are Open to Ads While Tuning In:
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Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of UK viewers pay attention to ads as they watch sports content — 7 per cent higher for LG TV owners. while 72 per cent are more likely to recall brands featured in such ads.
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Eight in ten (79 per cent) UK viewers wish ads during sports events were more relevant, and nearly as many (72 per cent) would like ads to include game scores and updates.
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The study surveyed more than 500 UK adults in January 2024 to understand behaviour and preferences around watching live sports on TV. All respondents have an internet-connected TV (CTV) and watched live sporting events on TV at least once in the past 12 months.