M:Metrics says that football may indeed be the "killer application" for mobile media in the UK. According to the measurement firm, over the past two years, the audience for those accessing sports information on their mobile devices increases significantly around major football events.
M:Metrics reports that more UK mobile users access sports information via their browser, from SMS alerts or through downloads to their handsets throughout major football championships. For instance, when the FA Premier League started in mid-August 2006, the number of users accessing sports information leapt to 4.1 million from 3.6 million the month before the League commenced. The audience size fluctuates throughout the season, reaching a high of 4.7 million in April 2006, when Chelsea were poised to win their second title in the FA Premier League, and a low of 3 million in June, the month after the premiership's conclusion.
Consumption of sports information surged across Europe during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in June and July 2006. In Germany, the venue for the tournament, the amount of users who received sports information on their phones doubled from May 06 to June 06, when the World Cup started. The Spanish audience increased by 32 percent, France by 23 percent and the UK by 19 percent.
Eighty-one percent of UK mobile users who access sports information do so via their browser, 20.9 percent receive text alerts and only 6.1 percent use downloaded applications.
"This is fascinating data, as it clearly demonstrates the impact the combination of compelling content, context and convenience has on mobile media usage," said Paul Goode, senior analyst, M:Metrics. "While British operators may be disappointed in their football teams, who failed to advance to the European Cup, they should be encouraged by their performance attracting consumers to mobile content."
Posted to the site on 19th December 2007
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