Ahead of the Olympics this summer, new research from Ipsos Mori and Flamingo shows people are turning to online video platforms such as YouTube for content related to big sporting events.
Key findings from the study of more than 5,000 Brits include:
• 75% will look for online video content related to the Olympics during the event
• 44% watch sports or fitness videos online at the same time as watching live sports on TV
• 78% say YouTube is home to content they can’t find anywhere else
• 72% say YouTube is the best place to learn something new related to sports and fitness
• Contrary to the male stereotype, 2 in 5 sports fans on YouTube are female
• There are 8.5m sports-related videos on YouTube, which have amassed 280bn views
Commenting on the findings, Debbie Weinstein, Managing Director, Brand Sales & Product Strategy/Operations, Google, said: “The phrase, ‘football is not a matter of life and death, it’s more important than that’ – may not be entirely true – but when it comes to sports fans, passion is certainly not lacking. Sports fans are fanatical about their teams and sports, and always interested in learning more – and one of the places they regularly go for this content is YouTube. To reach this passionate audience brands should consider placing ads around content that offers sports advice, information and inspiration.”