Research: World Cup fans want more than just streaming

The World Cup 2022 Viewing Report, conducted by Dynata and commissioned by Amdocs, surveyed sports fans who plan to watch this year’s World Cup.

Viewers are largely ready for a new era of amazing interactive entertainment offerings and are willing to pay for digital products and services that make their experience more enjoyable. However, not having access to viewing the World Cup, coupled with questions around network reliability, could hinder this evolution.

Findings include:

• When asked if they would be willing to pay extra for an unlimited World Cup-specific mobile data package to stream matches at 5G speeds with no delays or loss of connectivity, almost half were interested.
• Social is playing a key role in how viewers, especially younger generations, plan to watch this year’s tournament.
• While most fans are confident in their home connectivity to support their World Cup viewing, confidence drops when it comes to their mobile network. Accessibility is also a concern, with some respondents stating they don’t have access to all games from their TV provider.
• Viewers expressed interest in using the metaverse to be part of a virtual stadium where they could watch sporting events with other fans as if they were there. Gen-Z and millennials are the most interested.
• Beyond the metaverse, viewers have a growing desire for more interactive experiences like 360-degree live video of the game, interactive in-game challenges and AR/VR experiences.

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