With the World Cup just around the corner, and with Wales set to be part of the action, we decided to take a look at how most people are intending to tune in to the tournament. It was once the case where your only option was the one TV channel that had the rights to show a match, but now more and more sports fans are turning to streaming.
When you look at this infographic done by ExpressVPN on UK sports streaming trends, it’s clear that interest instreaming sports is only growing in popularity and this is something that’s likely to continue.
A look at Google Trends
Google Trends is a nifty little tool that allows us all to take a look at what people are searching for. What this has revealed, while we were exploring the popularity of sports streaming, is that it’s Liverpool fans who have really taken to this. It’s not just Liverpool fans who like to stream: those who follow Man City, Chelsea and Spurs are all keen to do the same.
It perhaps makes sense that searches for streaming fell to a low in 2020. This was when we experienced the full impact of Covid-19 and the majority of sporting events had been put on hold. The pandemic aside, searches for streaming have declined even though streaming itself has become increasingly popular. The suggestion is that this is because fans are easily able to visit exact sites now rather than carrying out a Google search for sports streaming.
How results impact search behaviour
Prior to the recent win by the England women’s team in the Euros, how many of us would have known who Chloe Kelly was? It’s fair to say that she probably wasn’t a household name and we can say as a fact that hers wasn’t a name that many of us were searching for. As the tournament progressed, and as she scored the winning goal, the number of searches for her name exploded.
As we approach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, it’ll be interesting to see how our search behaviour changes depending on the results that we witness. The ultimate in football tournaments has the potential to create new household names.
It goes beyond football
Of course, football is one of the most popular sports in the world and that’s why there is such an interest in streaming it. However, sports streaming isn’t limited to football. Other popular sports that are streamed include:
- Golf
- Rugby
- Cricket
- F1
- Tennis
These sports are all frequently searched for alongside the term ‘streaming’.
Final thoughts
So, with sports streaming being the current trend, how will you be watching Wales as they take to the world stage in November? Will you be part of the new phenomenon or will you be looking to more traditional ways to enjoy the World Cup?
Regardless of the choices you make, it’s clear that Wales has a tough road ahead. Could 2022 be the year that sees them go further than ever before? Only time will tell.
