Almost a quarter of UK football fans (22%) plan to watch the World Cup final on their smartphones and tablet computers this Sunday.
That’s according to new research from Experience Analytics firm Clicktale, which examines the types of content that most appeal to mobile users.
The research, that surveyed over 1000 consumers, found that only half of UK fans will be watching the World Cup final on television (52%), while only 7% will be watching on a laptop or desktop computer. 6% of Brits will also be tuning into the final on their radios.
Clicktale announced the findings alongside a wider research project with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Using the Clicktale platform, the Wharton School analysed the anonymised browsing behaviours of over one million digital consumers to find out what types of content most appeal on mobile devices vs desktop computers.
In keeping with the World Cup statistics, the academic research found that smartphone use fosters a preference for sports-related, pop culture and ‘guilty pleasures’ content, rather than hard facts or news. In fact, mobile browsers are 35% more likely to engage with content that is entertaining and sports-related.
Commenting on the findings, Geoff Galat, CMO at Clicktale says: “This has been the first ever truly omnichannel World Cup, highlighting many fans are now looking to consume sports content on a wide variety of devices. Despite this fact, many brands are still creating one-size fits all content to distribute across multiple channels.”
“Our research with the Wharton School has shown that when using a smartphone, consumers have a distinct mindset that influences the types of content that they want to consume. It’s only by embracing this ‘mobile mindset’, and tailoring their approaches accordingly, that brands can create genuinely impactful content and digital experience.”
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