Mobile is main channel for seeking World Cup info for almost a quarter of viewers

While only one per cent of British football fans will be treating their mobile phone as their primary viewing screen for the upcoming World Cup, 23 per cent will use their phones as their main way of seeking out additional information during the tournament.

The stats come from Oath, which found that many British fans are only interested in seeing their own team prosper, with 26 per cent saying they will not support any other team should their own be knocked out. The Oath figures, which surveyed football fans in eight different countries, found that Brazilians are the most enthusiastic about the World Cup in general, with 48 per cent of fans saying they are passionate about watching both their own team and other competitors.

While traditional broadcast TV remains that dominant method of watching games in the UK, there is a big opportunity in advertising against supplementary material and content in new formats outside of the main schedule. 33 per cent of UK fans are interested in on-demand replays, while 18 per cent would like to see 360° virtual reality stadium tours.

“Brands only have a small window where they can grab consumers attention while games are on, so they need to look beyond matches and engage fans seeking out supplementary information including stats, replays and interactive experiences,” said Stuart Flint, vice president for EMEA at Oath. “While some British fans will switch off from TV once their team is out of the running, theyre still likely to be keeping tabs on contextually relevant content throughout the competition.”