The 2024 UEFA European Championship not only captivated football fans across the globe but also provided intriguing insights into mobile app usage patterns.

AppsFlyer’s analysis revealed how these matches events influenced app engagement, particularly in the countries of the final matches: the United Kingdom and Spain for Euro 2024.

The data revealed significant national changes in-app engagement as the games kicked off.

In Spain, there was a substantial 24% drop in overall app usage, while the United Kingdom saw a 12% decrease.

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Meanwhile, as the games intensified, app usage plummeted, and viewers were focused on the unfolding drama on the pitch, leaving little room for mobile distractions.

The data revealed that this pattern was consistent across all four finalist countries.

As a result, Spain’s victory reported a 164% surge in social media engagement, continuing through the medal ceremony before stabilising.

In contrast, the United Kingdom saw an 18% drop in social media app engagement after the awards ceremony.

However, the UK witnessed a 200% spike in transportation app usage following the final whistle, indicating a rush of fans travelling post-match.

Sports betting apps also showed a unique engagement pattern, remaining consistently active throughout the European final.

Spain experienced significant spikes during the match, with a 343% increase in betting activity when Spain scored, while England saw a 160% spike.

When the UK scored, both nations showed increased betting activity: 120% in England and 90% in Spain, respectively.

Notably, following a missed goal by England, there was a 175% spike in sports betting in Spain, likely influenced by England’s scoring patterns in the final minutes of their matches.

AppsFlyer, Director of Market Insights, Shani Rosenfelder said: “In the midst of a gripping night of global football, app usage across multiple nations came to a standstill, reflecting national fervour and undivided attention towards the game.

“When looking at this data, it’s clear that for marketers, their advertising strategy for second-screen engagement needs to be different for football than other sports, as there are no TV timeouts for in-game advertisers.”

Image credit: “Streaming a Live Football Match on Mobile Phone” by Footy.com Images is licensed under CC BY 2.0