23 August 2010 | Author: J. Morton News Editor

Footie fans fail to pick up on streaming matches

Internet streaming of football matches has not become the phenomenon that broadcasters and football associations once hoped for, judging from recent research conducted by YouGov and SMG Insight.

Conducting a survey of over 2,000 adults in Britain, the poll found that just two per cent of respondents were likely to stream football matches online, with moat preferring to either stay at home or watch the games at a pub or a friend's house.

However, sporting broadcasters are hoping the burgeoning mobile phone market will present a way to maximise viewers over the internet. ESPN recently launched an application for Barclays Premier League highlights, and BSkyB is planning to stream 115 matches on its Mobile TV service.

"Mobile is an increasingly important technology as hand-held devices become more sophisticated," said Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier League.

"Therefore a good service with a strong partner is important to us both in terms of accessibility and complementing live coverage."

Football clubs themselves have been getting in on the action as well, with Leeds United introducing a programme for overseas fans to stream matches for a fee.

Big players such Yahoo! have also staked their claims, as the web portal won rights to host exclusive highlights of Premier League matches for the next three seasons. Brands such as Sony Pictures, BT, Adidas and Heineken have been lining up for advertising space centred on the videos.

The draw of streaming matches and other television shows could stem from an increasing tendency for viewers to multitask with watching television.

"The ability of people to surf the web on their laptop while also watching TV has given people a licence to roam while staying connected," explained Peter Phillips, strategy and market developments partner at Ofcom.

Home | Careers | RSS | Contact Us | Newsletter

International sites: