With the delayed football tournament set to kick off in a matter of days, the Euros is set to draw unprecedented TV, online and social engagement says a study from Mediaocean.
For its study, the mission-critical platform for omnichannel advertising, partnered with GWI to launch to show how changes in engagement are set to give fans of the Euros the full experience, even without in-person attendance. The study took the views of 23,073 sports fans across 15 markets.
Overall, the research showed that 19% of globally internet users, and 40% of those in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK) follow the Euros. While this is a lower audience share than the Olympics, which draws 64% of users globally, Mediaocean stressed that the Euros tournament stands apart in the level of commitment and passion shown by its fans. Compared with the average sports fan, they’re 61% more likely to watch sports online every day. Olympics watchers, for comparison, are 21% more likely to do so.
Moreover, said Mediaocean, the intensity which football attracts extends to the ways that fans interact with the sport. It found that global Euros followers were 44% more likely than the average sports fan to follow teams and players on social media, and 54% more likely to listen to sports radio and podcasts. By contrast, sports fans who watch the Olympics were just 16% and 18% more likely to engage with sports teams/players on social media and through radio or podcasts, respectively.
Globally, 74% of Euros fans watch highlights or recaps on TV at least once a week, and 68% do so online at least once a week, showing the ways in which the tournament will spread its influence well beyond the time allotted for the matches themselves. While 49% of Euros fans say that they attend professional sports events, the 87% who watch sports on TV or online is closely followed by the 78% who watch recaps.
In the UK, nearly a quarter (23%) of Euros fans watch sports on TV at least once a day, around twice the rate of sports fans in general. At 35%, Euros fans were twice as likely to place bets on sports while they watched while a fifth watched online recaps or highlights online on a daily basis.
Globally, 61% of Euros fans say that they both browse the internet and use social media while watching games. In the UK alone, people planning to follow the Euros are around 20% more likely than general sports fans to browse social media during games. Numbers from the UK also highlight the strong community basis that football enjoys, with Euros fans being 40% more likely than the average sports fan to message people during matches.
When it comes to social media, the data shows that Euros fans in Europe were only slightly more likely than average to use platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube and just as likely to use TikTok. In February 2021, the service signed a deal with European football governing body UEFA to become the first digital entertainment platform to partner with the EURO tournament.
Assessing the results of the survey, Mediaocean CMO Aaron Goldman said there were many reasons why the Euros will be a competition unlike any seen before, and the race to attract the attention of football fans will be hotly-contested. “While the Euros explores a new format, taking place across Europe and with much reduced crowds, fans at home will be turning to digital and social media, both enriching their experience of live games and keeping up-to-date through always-on content,” he said.
“Seeing all the different ways in which people will interact with the tournament, and the breadth of activities they pursue while watching, confirms that broadcasters now need a really dynamic multichannel offering to give fans what they want. TV is more than just TV – it’s the conversations, the interactions, the catch-ups and the bonus content, everything that drums up the passion and excitement of people who love football. It was a savvy move on TikTok’s part to sponsor the Euros and reach out in a way that can really expand its base and help cement its position after a meteoric rise over the last year. For marketers, this is the kind of detail that can really make a campaign sing. Every detail of this research shows how the opportunity goes well beyond mid-game advertising to everywhere that consumers consume.”
Overall, the research showed that 19% of globally internet users, and 40% of those in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK) follow the Euros. While this is a lower audience share than the Olympics, which draws 64% of users globally, Mediaocean stressed that the Euros tournament stands apart in the level of commitment and passion shown by its fans. Compared with the average sports fan, they’re 61% more likely to watch sports online every day. Olympics watchers, for comparison, are 21% more likely to do so.
Moreover, said Mediaocean, the intensity which football attracts extends to the ways that fans interact with the sport. It found that global Euros followers were 44% more likely than the average sports fan to follow teams and players on social media, and 54% more likely to listen to sports radio and podcasts. By contrast, sports fans who watch the Olympics were just 16% and 18% more likely to engage with sports teams/players on social media and through radio or podcasts, respectively.
Globally, 74% of Euros fans watch highlights or recaps on TV at least once a week, and 68% do so online at least once a week, showing the ways in which the tournament will spread its influence well beyond the time allotted for the matches themselves. While 49% of Euros fans say that they attend professional sports events, the 87% who watch sports on TV or online is closely followed by the 78% who watch recaps.
In the UK, nearly a quarter (23%) of Euros fans watch sports on TV at least once a day, around twice the rate of sports fans in general. At 35%, Euros fans were twice as likely to place bets on sports while they watched while a fifth watched online recaps or highlights online on a daily basis.
Globally, 61% of Euros fans say that they both browse the internet and use social media while watching games. In the UK alone, people planning to follow the Euros are around 20% more likely than general sports fans to browse social media during games. Numbers from the UK also highlight the strong community basis that football enjoys, with Euros fans being 40% more likely than the average sports fan to message people during matches.
When it comes to social media, the data shows that Euros fans in Europe were only slightly more likely than average to use platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube and just as likely to use TikTok. In February 2021, the service signed a deal with European football governing body UEFA to become the first digital entertainment platform to partner with the EURO tournament.
Assessing the results of the survey, Mediaocean CMO Aaron Goldman said there were many reasons why the Euros will be a competition unlike any seen before, and the race to attract the attention of football fans will be hotly-contested. “While the Euros explores a new format, taking place across Europe and with much reduced crowds, fans at home will be turning to digital and social media, both enriching their experience of live games and keeping up-to-date through always-on content,” he said.
“Seeing all the different ways in which people will interact with the tournament, and the breadth of activities they pursue while watching, confirms that broadcasters now need a really dynamic multichannel offering to give fans what they want. TV is more than just TV – it’s the conversations, the interactions, the catch-ups and the bonus content, everything that drums up the passion and excitement of people who love football. It was a savvy move on TikTok’s part to sponsor the Euros and reach out in a way that can really expand its base and help cement its position after a meteoric rise over the last year. For marketers, this is the kind of detail that can really make a campaign sing. Every detail of this research shows how the opportunity goes well beyond mid-game advertising to everywhere that consumers consume.”
