2014 FOOTBALL CONSUMPTION HABIT IN NIGERIA: How Fans Now Use Mobile Device to Access Football Online

 TV was still the first choice for football consumers in Nigeria, but online media is fast closing up the gap after it overtook Prints in 2014.

Football fans in Nigeria still troop to sport bars and viewing centers to watch live match. Satellite TV remains the most popular channel for the distribution of live matches around Nigeria.

There was substantial growth in the subscription of satellite decoders being a world cup year and the most popular was the combination of DSTV – GOTV – Super Sports.

Multi-Choice retail decoder GOTV grabbed over 30% of the new market segment. Multi-Choice market penetration strategy paid off over NGN 1 Billion in 2014. Their GOTV succeeded in penetrating the lower-middle class homes in major cities of Nigeria. And being a world cup year, there were an overwhelming growth rate in the viewership of Super Sports Channels.

The consumption pattern has begun to shift as 0.05% of the fans in Nigeria accessed the world cup through online TV channels. The new media have been evolving over the past 5 years but 2014 was a landmark shift in the consumption habit, especially during the world cup in Brazil. It was easier and cheaper to consume football online real-time and the general awareness this year adversely affected the Print media.

How in Nigeria, football consumption online has overtaken Print media, as the second most popular channel behind TV.

• 62% of the fans in Nigeria now access football online via mobile devices (Smartphone, Tablet).

• 34% of the fans spend an average of an hour 30 minutes daily consuming football online.

• 25% increase in the number of fans who now consume football online,

• 70% of the Print media brands in Nigeria has started an online version of its publications over the past 5years.

The reason may be that most active fans consume nearly all the information and breaking news online ahead of the Print publications. The real-time news and commentaries online makes the Prints a little out dated before it gets to the news stand – so fans may have no need for them anymore.

Beyond the real-time, the interactive nature of online social networking platform has brought yet another dimension to it.

Why fans in Nigeria take along their mobile devices to stadium or viewing centers to watch live match.

• 25% of the fans uses second screen online to access live text commentaries, while watching the game on TV.

• 9.8% of the fans uses second screen online to play live fantasy games or football betting online while watching the game on TV.

Indeed, this is a shift from the previous consumption habit, where fans listen to Radio commentaries while watching the same game on TV.

The most popular media platform Nigerians used in consuming football in 2014

• Satellite TV Used for access live matches: DSTV – GOTV – Super Sports.

• Apps used to access football online for live text commentaries: Scores FC, Live Football

• Social networking platform used for comments and interactions during live match: Twitter, Google+

• Online football News and analysis: Goal.com, BBC Sports.

• Online Football Betting: 1960Bet, Bet365.

• Match Highlights and Replays: YouTube, Vibes.