Ovum: 2014 World Cup is the Most Accessible in the Tournament’s History

LONDON: This summer's World Cup has a combined reach of broadcast and streaming options available on up to 5.9 billion screens globally, according to the research group Ovum.

According to Ovum, PCs, tablets and smartphones account for 57 percent of those screens. However, the firm finds that football fans are seeking out the largest screen and in the highest resolution possible, stressing the importance of traditional broadcasting for attracting the largest audience and generating the most value for World Cup rights holders.

Connected devices are playing a crucial role in evolving viewing habits for big-event TV. However, the reliability of online streams compared with traditional broadcasts remains a concern.

“Devices capable of streaming live and on-demand video—of which there now 4.7 billion—are providing additional viewing opportunities outside the appointment viewing taking place in people’s living rooms,” said Ted Hall, senior analyst at Ovum. “With the likes of tablets providing the convenience and flexibility to consume content whenever and wherever, fans are able to watch more of the tournament than ever before.”

“For broadcasters and operators providing multiplatform World Cup services, supplying demand with minimal technical hiccups should be of paramount concern,” added Hall. “Having set consumer expectations for TV Everywhere, providers must now deliver on the promise of their offerings, as failure to do so can result in bad press and, more importantly, frustrated fans. While viewing live events online is improving, there is some way to go before it can compare with the reliability traditional TV distribution offers for the largest audiences.”

“4K technology is far from ready for home viewing, with holes in the transmission part of the ecosystem meaning that it will be some time before audiences of any significant scale will be watching UHDTV content in their living rooms,” continued Hall. “And with FIFA abandoning its support of 3DTV for Brazil 2014—in light of the format’s spectacular failure to capture the public’s imagination—the less-glamorous HDTV will be the preferred format of many World Cup viewers, with up to 260 million homes watching matches in high definition.”