Mobile rivals TV for football fans

37% of global mobile media users follow the English Premier League, and it’s even more popular in South Africa and some of the Arab states, than in the UK, according to new research.

To understand the global popularity of Premier League football, On Device surveyed more than 7,000 respondents in 11 countries via the mobile Internet in an attempt to establish how global fans watch football, how they access football news and which brands they associate with the sponsorship of the Premier League.

The findings reveal that 71% of UK mobile media users who follow the Premier League use their mobile to access football news – equal to TV usage. And although TV remains the most popular device to watch football on, currently 24% of UK mobile media users who follow the Premier League, watch football on their mobile.

In the UK, Premier League fans correctly identified Barclays as the Premiership sponsor, however affiliation declined outside the UK, even in countries where it’s actively followed.

Instead, sponsorship was associated with other global brands or there was no association at all – presenting opportunities for global brands who want to be affiliated with football, the report concludes.

Click here to view the full report via SlideShare.