Football fans enhance their Euros experience with VR and AR

Amdocs commissioned Censuswide to survey over 1,000 UK football fans ahead of the tournament, which will be held at venues across Germany from 14th June to 14th July 2024. With home nations England and Scotland participating, over 70% of respondents indicated they plan to watch at least one match live on terrestrial TV, while 42% preferred to live stream a match.

Live streaming is particularly popular among younger fans, with 70% of 16-24 year olds opting to live stream a match compared to just 21% of those aged 55 or above. This suggests that streaming may overtake TV as the preferred method of viewing major sporting events in the coming years.

The survey also uncovered insights into the technology which football fans are most likely to invest in to enhance their match experience, as well as issues concerning connectivity and roaming services when attending sporting events:  

Closer to the match

• Almost a third (29%) of UK football fans said that they would like to watch a Euro 2024 match using virtual reality (VR) tech, with 16–34-year-olds more likely to use the tech (38%) compared to those aged 55 and above (21%)
• Other tech that UK fans would like to try to enhance the matchday experience include a 360-degree, user-controlled view of the match (24%), and augmented reality (AR) experiences, such as adding another layer of information like player profiles (18%)

Enhanced entertainment, but not at any cost

• A majority of UK fans (71%) said they would be interested in an app that provides enhanced match experiences such as player stats and in-game replays, with 30% saying they would pay a fee for the full experience. 42% said that although they liked the idea of such an app, they would only use a basic, free-to-use version

Roaming to victory

• When asked which data roaming services they would use if travelling to the tournament in Germany, 39% said they would opt for Wi-Fi and almost a third (32%) said their current mobile plan already includes data roaming
• 21% said they would purchase a roaming package from their current service provider, while just 13% would purchase an eSIM package. The same number (13%) said they would buy a local pre-paid/pay-as-you-go SIM in Germany

Connection concerns

• Almost a third (32%) of UK football fans said they would be concerned that the quality of their mobile connectivity while roaming would prevent them from doing things like using apps/social media, calling/texting or sharing photos/videos when attending crowded events such as the Euro 2024 tournament

Boost for UK pubs and bars

• Despite the growing popularity of live streaming, many football fans still like to watch a match with other supporters. Over a third (34%) of respondents said they plan to watch a Euro 2024 match at a public event, such as in a pub or bar. A public screening is most popular among 25–34-year-olds (46%) as opposed to those aged 55 and above (26%)

“Excitement is growing among football fans ahead of Euro 2024,” said Gil Rosen, Chief Marketing Officer at Amdocs. “Fans unable to attend in person want to feel closer to the action. With ground-breaking technology like virtual reality, augmented reality and other features improving all the time, service providers have the opportunity to provide subscribers with an unrivalled sporting experience as viewers (some 30% of our poll) are increasingly willing to pay a premium as they seek to enrich their match-day viewing.”