What are preferences of viewers in UAE during FIFA World Cup?

While 61 per cent stated they will watch the World Cup on TV, 49 per cent of fans said they will follow the games on their smartphones

There are only a few days left until the FIFA World Cup in Qatar; Football fans around the world are eagerly waiting to watch the participating 32 countries to be the best in the world. While the audience can’t wait to watch the matches from different screens, brands are making plans on how to capture their target audiences through certain channels. Digital Turbine, an independent mobile growth platform conducted World Cup Research to understand and analyse the behaviour and preferences of viewers in UAE during the World Cup, as well as how brands can interact with consumers. The results once again demonstrate the unstoppable power of mobile.

While 61 per cent of the respondents stated that they will watch the World Cup on TV, the rate of those who say that they will follow the games on their smartphones is 49 per cent. Even though UAE was unfortunately eliminated from the tournament, the audience is ready to experience the enthusiasm of global football. While 44 per cent of the respondents said that they will follow the tournament from their home, 24 per cent report that they will follow the tournament live from stadiums in Qatar. In addition, 66 per cent of the respondents stated that they watch soccer broadcasts at least a couple of times a month, proving once again that football is one of the most popular sports in the UAE.

While 55 per cent of the respondents stated that they spend more time on sports applications during the World Cup and similar tournaments, the majority of users say that they use sports applications before or during the match. In terms of apps, 28 per cent of the participants stated that they will spend most of their time on sports news apps while watching the World Cup, 24 per cent say they will spend more time on sports mobile game apps, 24 per cent on social media apps and 13 per cent on messaging apps. In addition, 80 per cent of users state that it is important to follow the World Cup from more than one device.

During such a large and global tournament, it is more important than ever for brands to capture their target audience. While 62 per cent of the respondents stated that they are likely to look up an ad that aired during the World Cup. 93 per cent stated that they would consider purchasing the product they saw in the advertisement. 34 per cent of them said that they can buy the product within two to three days after seeing the advertisement.

One of the most important issues that brands should pay attention to here is to meet the expectations of users from advertisements. 53 per cent of respondents think it’s important for ads they see during the World Cup to be funny, while 51 per cent think it is important to be emotional or heartwarming. As a result, the research seems to be creating huge targeting options for advertisers and brands of the World Cup era on mobile channels, which could also increase their product sales or brand awareness. If the ad is funny and creative, it raises viewers’ interest in a product they have seen advertised and brings them closer to purchasing.