Report: UK is a nation of split-screeners
December 18, 2024
The UK has become a nation of split-screeners, secret streamers and event schemers according to research commissioned by BT Group.
Network Wrapped is a new annual study that combines mobile and broadband data with consumer insights to reveal the latest trends around how the British public engaged with the biggest cultural moments of the year, both in-person and online.
Era of split-screeners
Whereas once families were more likely to gather around a TV for major events like football matches or Christmas TV specials, the nation’s view of quality time now looks very different with more than a third (35 per cent) of the UK admitting to regularly splitting their attention between multiple screens or devices at the same time. This rises to 58 per cent among Gen Z who have been credited with giving rise to the split-screening habit.
The top reasons Brits are using secondary screens during major events include scrolling social media (47 per cent), messaging friends and family (39 per cent), shopping online (33 per cent) and playing video games (30 per cent).
Rise of secret streamers
When it comes to the most significant cultural moments of 2024, more than half of the UK population (56 per cent) believe live sport is the most important for the nation’s psyche, more than the UK general election (55 per cent), live music (29 per cent), film and TV releases (15 per cent) and gaming launches (11 per cent).
With more connected devices in the household, this year has also seen a greater rise in ‘secret streaming’ with 46 per cent of multi-tasking men having been caught watching a live event covertly; while one in 16 people admit to having watched live events on their smartphone while attending a wedding, funeral, or christening.
The growing desire to be part of the biggest cultural moments in real-time has led to an increase in livestreaming across the nation, with more than a quarter (27 per cent) of Millennials now livestreaming their attendance at major events to share the experience with others, while 35 per cent of Gen Z attendees admit to video calling friends or family members from an event venue.
Celebrating event schemers
Nearly two thirds of the population (61 per cent) spend up to two hours preparing to attend live events, with 14 per cent of ultra-organised Brits spending more than three hours researching travel routes, setting up group chats, buying new outfits online, and chatting to fellow event goers on social media.
This means Brits often spend more time planning to attend an event than the duration of the event itself; none more so than those in the East Midlands where people spend the most time preparing to attend a live event – an average of 2 hours and 4 minutes.
This national obsession with planning is in part caused by a desire to make the most of the biggest cultural moments because of the high cost associated with attending in person. Network Wrapped found:
- Despite ongoing cost pressures, people spent more than £155 on average, in addition to their ticket, to attend major events in 2024
- One in ten Brits admit they splash the cash to make the most of the experience by spending an additional £300 per event
- Fans in the Northeast of England are some of the most likely to spend on additional experiences such as VIP access and merchandise, splashing out 66 per cent more than those in Norfolk and Suffolk who spend the least on average (£114.38 vs £68.51).
The biggest frustrations with attending the UK’s biggest cultural moments include queuing to get into the venue, for the toilets, or for food and drink (47 per cent), managing parking and travel (27 per cent), trying to find the right seats (15 per cent), and people recording entire shows on their phones (13 per cent).
Those frustrations aren’t doing much to dampen spirits though, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) of Brits planning to attend or engage with even more major events in 2025.
Howard Watson, Chief Security and Networks Officer at BT Group, commented: “This year has seen the British public connect, stream, and split-screen their way through some truly iconic moments – from the final of Euro 2024 to Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour. But with more people using more connected devices than ever before, there is a growing desire – among all generations – to be part of the biggest cultural moments as they happen, and this is reshaping how we all use connectivity.”