94% of consumers who will watch the Summer 2012 London Olympics will do so on a TV, but many will also watch on computers and mobile devices, according to survey results released in July by TechBargains.com. Fully 46% of viewers will watch on laptops, 39% on desktops, 31% on tablets, and 27% on smartphones. The 30-39 and 40-49 age groups are most likely to watch on tablets (each at 36%), while the 40-49 set are most likely to view the Games on a smartphone (30%).
In fact, 4 in 10 viewers plan to follow the Games on 2 or more devices, according to a separate study by Velti. 35% of US adults will turn to their tablets for Olympics news and coverage, which is 4% points higher than the TechBargains survey found; but at 27%, the smartphone results were identical.
16% Will Buy Devices To Watch
A slightly greater proportion of consumers plan to buy devices to watch the 2012 London Summer Olympics Games than did for the 2008 Beijing Games (16% vs. 13%), per the TechBargains.com survey. Of those who will buy a device, 55% will buy a TV; 40% will buy a tablet; 31% will buy a laptop; 18% a smartphone; and 17% a desktop computer.
Breaking the responses down by age group, the under-30 set are most likely to purchase a new device with which to watch the Games, with 21% saying they will do so. 13% of this age group will buy a TV, while 8% will buy a tablet.
Social Media Will Enhance Viewing
Respondents claim they will not use social media any more than usual during their Olympics viewing, but, the Olympics will certainly figure prominently, with 87% reporting they will engage in some social media activity or text friends about events. 77% of this group plans to interact through Facebook most while watching the Olympics, followed by Twitter (31%), texting friends (29%), YouTube (28%), Google+ (20%), and Pinterest (6%). The majority will use their laptops for their social media interactions, citing ease of use as the primary reason.
Other Findings:
- 53% of respondents plan to use social media and/or texting to cheer on their teams or athletes. Other information that respondents plan to share include: final results and medal ceremonies (21%); opening and closing ceremonies (11%); personal athlete stories (10%); and information about London (5%).
- Swimming is men’s favorite Olympic event, and equestrian their least favorite; while gymnastics is women’s favorite event, and wrestling their least.
- According to the Velti study, among those using a smartphone who follow the Olympics, 77% will tune in using a browser, compared to 63% who will use an application. This preference also exists among tablet viewers, who are 38% more likely to tune in using a browser than via an app (80% vs. 58%).
About The Data: The TechBargains survey was conducted online at TechBargains.com, with 1,330 respondents. The Velti study was conducted online by Harris Interactive in June among 2,088 US adults.
