There has been a significant increase in the amount of time British sports fans spend consuming sport in an average week, according to a report produced by digital sports media company Perform in conjunction with media and market research specialist Kantar Media Sport and TV Sports Markets.
According to Perform’s Global Sports Media Consumption Report 2013, the amount of time British fans spent consuming sport increased from 6.2 hours to 8.1 hours year-on-year.
The report also found that television remains the most popular way to consume sport in Great Britain with 97 per cent of fans choosing the platform, while online secured its position as the second most popular platform with 61 per cent.
There has been continued growth in the consumption of sport via mobile with 33 per cent of fans now using smartphones or tablets to access content.
Despite the increase in online consumption, only four per cent of sports fans in Britain have begun following sport on an internet-connected device at the same time as watching sport on television in the last two years and few believe it will have a big impact on how they will consume sport in the next two years.
One in 10 fans now consume sport via connected televisions, with many believing these devices, alongside 3D viewing at home, will have the biggest impact on the way they consume sport in the next two years.
“The Global Sports Media Consumption Report has become an important reference tool for anyone involved in understanding the behaviours of global sports fans and provides a great snapshot of where the industry is as a whole,” Perform joint-chief executive Oliver Slipper said. “The fragmentation of media is providing some really exciting opportunities for rights holders, publishers and brands and judging by the results from this report, the importance of a device and platform neutral strategy to engage with fans is becoming more and more important.”
The Global Sports Media Consumption Report 2013 is the third annual survey into how fans in 14 major media markets consume sports content.