More fans than ever will be using mobile and social media to check scores

The FIFA World Cup began in Brazil last night and new research reveals that more football fans than ever will be watching games this time via “non-traditional” means.

A total of 85 per cent of fans will watch the matches online in some form, while half will use their mobile phone and 40 per cent their tablets, according to a survey by out-of-home advertising company Exterion Media.

Football fans of a certain vintage will remember the days of waiting for Ceefax to refresh for score updates, but the TV itself has been replaced by online for those wanting to stay in touch. Just 38 per cent plan to use the TV to check scores, with two thirds (67 per cent) using the internet. Almost a quarter (24 per cent) will rely on social media to check latest scores.

“For the first time, internet and mobile are going to play key roles in how we digest news and follow coverage of the World Cup,” said Exterion Media marketing director Simon Harrington. “Crucially for the Out of Home sector, consumers will be looking to follow the news while on the move.”