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28 June 2010
Hong Kong
The World Cup football competition is famous for attracting the biggest global television audience of any single sporting event – but this year, viewers are watching the action on personal computers and mobiles like never before. Although live television broadcast is still the most popular medium fans use to follow the games around the world, a Nielsen survey reveals that one in three football fans globally are also following the tournament from their personal computer or mobile phones.
This is the first truly mainstream multi-media World Cup where high speed internet and mobile connectivity is widely available. Most fans will use at least two or three methods to keep informed and updated on the games. In particular, mobile technology is allowing fans to have easy access to updated scores, games and news anytime, anywhere.
The Nielsen global online survey, which polled over 27,000 respondents in 55 markets, found that 64 percent of people continue to use live television as their primary means of watching the World Cup. This number increased in regions where football has the strongest following; up to 77 percent of Latin American and 73 percent of European respondents said live broadcasts were the top choice when it came to watching the action.
In Hong Kong, almost half of FIFA followers (48%) claimed live television as their main way to following the South Africa World Cup.
While live television remains as the primary means of watching the World Cup, online video streaming has also emerged as a popular way to watch the World Cup in South Africa.
After television and newspapers, a significant number of survey respondents said online news (35%) and online video streaming (34%) would be a way they chose to access the games.
Watching the World Cup via PC’s and keeping updated on developments via mobile phones is expected to be particularly appealing to Asian viewers who are at work when some of the games are being played in South Africa.
Chinese sports fans in particular, are emerging as the most eager to embrace World Cup action via online video. While only 19 percent of China’s internet-connected population consider themselves to be football fans, 65 percent of survey respondents said they would follow the World Cup. According to the Nielsen survey, fifty-eight percent of Chinese internet users said they planned to watch at least some of the World Cup via online streaming, and 17 percent of Chinese said online streaming would be their main method of viewing.
“The World Cup clearly demonstrates how China is quickly becoming one of the world’s leading nations in three screen media (television, mobile and PC.) Chinese football fans are using all available mediums to stay on top of what is happening in South Africa now. It’s clear that the simultaneous use of television, mobile and PC’s will have a big impact on media consumption,” said Jed Meyer, Managing Director, Media Services, The Nielsen Company, Greater China.
In Hong Kong, a respective 37 percent and 46 percent of internet users said they planned to follow the at least some of the World Cup via online streaming and online articles. With the ever-expanding trend of smartphones, 23 percent of Hong Kong World Cup followers said they will follow the World Cup via internet on their mobile phones while 16 percent claiming that video clips on mobile phone would be a way for them to follow the world cup, ranking the third across Asia Pacific region.
While the “three screens” – TV, Internet and mobile – will dominate much of World Cup media consumption, newspapers also have a strong role to play. Half of the survey respondents globally (48%) said they would include newspapers as part of the way they followed the World Cup. The greatest use of newspapers is expected to be in Asia Pacific (53%), but high percentages of fans in other regions are also expected to read newspapers to follow events – Latin America (46^), Middle East (45%), Europe (42%) and North America (40%).
In Hong Kong, 61 percent of internet users claimed that newspaper will be part of the way they followed the World Cup.
Who will win the World Cup?
One in three people globally (34 percent) think Brazil will be the winners of this year’s tournament. In Latin America, that figure rises to a super-confident 57 percent, with 86 percent of Brazilians confident their national team will bring home the coveted trophy. 45 percent of Hong Kongers are also expecting Brazil to win in the 2010 FIFA.
And depending on where you live, opinions on who will be the ultimate winner, varies significantly. Although, soccer pundits may be surprised that Euro 2008 champions Spain are only fancied to win by eight percent of people globally. Nine percent of people think three-times world champions Germany will win again and a further nine percent point to Argentina will triumph.
In many countries especially in Europe and Latin America, World Cup fever is escalating. For football-loving nations in particular, the World Cup ushers in a social and festive atmosphere whether you’re a football fan or not. People of all ages all over the world, and not forgetting the retailers, from manufacturers of televisions to beer and soft drink companies, the World Cup in South Africa is already gearing up to be one big party.
About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related assets. The privately held company is active in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.
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