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Mobile access to sports information surges during major football championships in the United Kingdom
SEATTLE, Wash December 19, 2007 — M:Metrics, the mobile media authority, today reveals that football may indeed be the “killer application” for mobile media in the UK. According to the measurement firm, over the past two years, the audience for those accessing sports information on their mobile devices increases significantly around major football events.
M:Metrics reports that more UK mobile users access sports information via their browser, from SMS alerts or through downloads to their handsets throughout major football championships. For instance, when the FA Premier League started in mid-August 2006, the number of users accessing sports information leapt to 4.1 million from 3.6 million the month before the League commenced. The audience size fluctuates throughout the season, reaching a high of 4.7 million in April 2006, when Chelsea were poised to win their second title in the FA Premier League, and a low of 3 million in June, the month after the premiership’s conclusion.
UK Audience for Sports-Related News and Information: FA Premier League 2006-’07
April 2006
4.7 m
May 2006
3.9 m
June 2006
4.6 m
July 2006
3.6 m
August 2006 (the UK FA Premier League begins)
4.1 m
September 2006
4.4 m
October 2006
4.2 m
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
4.0 m
February 2007
March 2007
4.3 m
April 2007
May 2007 (FA Premier League concludes)
June 2007
3.0 m
July 2007
3.2 m
August 2007 (FA Premier League begins)
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of UK mobile subscribers.Data based on a one month snap shot period ending month shown.
Consumption of sports information surged across Europe during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in June and July 2006. In Germany, the venue for the tournament, the amount of users who received sports information on their phones doubled from May 06 to June 06, when the World Cup started. The Spanish audience increased by 32 percent, France by 23 percent and the UK by 19 percent.
European Audience for Football-Related News and Information: FIFA World Cup, 9th June – 9th July 06
EU 5
France
Germany
Italy
Spain
UK
N/A
2.5 m
1.6 m
1.3 m
17.2 m
3.1 m
2.4 m
5.5 m
1.7 m
14.5 m
2.9 m
4.8 m
1.4 m
August 2006
13.7 m
2.6 m
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of French, German, Italian, Spanish and UK data. Data based on a one month snap shot period ending month shown
Eighty-one percent of UK mobile users who access sports information do so via their browser, 20.9 percent receive text alerts and only 6.1 percent use downloaded applications.
“This is fascinating data, as it clearly demonstrates the impact the combination of compelling content, context and convenience has on mobile media usage,” said Paul Goode, senior analyst, M:Metrics. “While British operators may be disappointed in their football teams, who failed to advance to the European Cup, they should be encouraged by their performance attracting consumers to mobile content.”
M:Metrics applies trusted media measurement methodologies to assess the audience for mobile content and applications. As the world’s most authoritative mobile media measurement firm, M:Metrics delivers the most accurate mobile market metrics through the world’s largest monthly survey of mobile subscribers as well as automated data collection methodologies. Below are the findings of its October Benchmark Survey.
French Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and ApplicationsM:Metrics Benchmark Survey: October 2007
Activity
Subscribers (1000s)
Percentage
Percentage Change
Sent Text Message
33,382
74.2%
-0.3%
Used Photo Messaging
11,149
24.8%
4.4%
Used Personal E-Mail
2,914
6.5%
2.8%
Purchased Ringtone
1,908
4.2%
4.9%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger
1,408
3.1%
0.8%
Used Work E-Mail
955
2.1%
10.2%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver
784
1.7%
7.5%
Downloaded Mobile Game
726
1.6%
3.9%
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of French mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 October, 2007, n= 12,902
German Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and ApplicationsM:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
38,105
80.2%
-0.2%
10,623
22.4%
1.8%
2,911
6.1%
2.2%
2,042
4.3%
-2.8%
1,472
-4.4%
1,421
3.0%
-1.0%
1,161
2.4%
-0.4%
881
1.9%
-7.5%
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of German mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 October, 2007, n= 15,751
Spanish Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and ApplicationsM:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
27,483
84.6%
0.6%
10,454
32.2%
-0.5%
2,497
7.7%
-3.8%
2,055
6.3%
1,599
-3.4%
1,577
-5.4%
1,494
4.6%
-3.5%
549
-14.1%
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of Spanish mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 October, 2007, n= 12,956
Italian Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and ApplicationsM:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
39,545
86.9%
14,414
31.7%
-0.1%
3,918
8.6%
-0.6%
2,856
7.1%
2,131
4.7%
2.3%
1,941
8.1%
1,339
2.9%
4.1%
1,035
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of Italian mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 October, 2007, n= 13,375
U.K. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and ApplicationsM:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
39,612
87.1%
0.5%
13,638
30.0%
-1.1%
3,492
0.7%
2,343
5.1%
2,134
-1.7%
2,062
4.5%
10.1%
1,563
3.4%
3.7%
741
6.7%
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of U.K. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 October, 2007, n= 15,812
U.S. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and ApplicationsM:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
97,025
45.1%
42,889
19.9%
2.0%
21,601
10.0%
5.8%
19,904
9.3%
-0.7%
15,808
7.4%
13,149
7,069
3.3%
6,738
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of U.S. mobile subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 31 October, 2007, n= 33,432
About M:Metrics
M:Metrics is the mobile media authority. As the only research firm to measure the audience for mobile media, M:Metrics provides the most accurate metrics on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the mobile market. M:Metrics’ monthly syndicated data service gives clients the critical insights and intelligence required to inform smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics is a private, venture-funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, with offices in San Francisco and London.
About M:Metrics Data
Based on continually refreshed samples of nationally representative mobile phone consumers, M:Metrics reports summarise market size, device reach, and key demographic and mobile phone usage characteristics. The data presented here is drawn from an extensive survey questionnaire that collects specific device model and carrier subscription information from each month’s sample of mobile phone subscribers, and also drills down into specific details related to current and past usage of various mobile phone applications and content. Data collected from each sample are statistically balanced and projected to the total national population of mobile phone subscribers.
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