YouTube is the most popular social app for 75 million U.S. sports fans viewing sports highlights, according to Ring Digital’s Fall 2020 #FutureOfTV Survey. The survey shows 53 percent of respondents used YouTube on a regular basis versus 45 percent who used Facebook, a dramatic shift from a 2017 survey.
The August 2020 survey of 1,400 sports video highlights viewers represents a decline of eighteen points for Facebook from June 2017, when Facebook was the most popular app for highlights and used by 63 percent of respondents. YouTube saw a ten-point rise in the same period, from 43 percent previously.
“This data shows that social media is still king for sports videos highlights. But the popular destinations have shifted dramatically. YouTube and Instagram rose, Facebook declined,” said Brian Ring, principal analyst of Ring Digital llc and producer of the FutureOfTV.Live series of research reports and live webinars on changing media behaviors.
The survey also looked at the “go-to” app category for sports highlights. Social media gathered steam as the number one destination selected by 44 percent of respondents — a gain of ten points over 2017. TV Network Apps gained four points to 28 percent.
Other data in the report include:
- 24 percent of these fans want to watch funny, unusual moments in games, up 4 percent;
- 27 percent of these fans want highlights and replays of game action, down 10 percent;
- 33 percent want augmented reality (AR) overlay features; and
- 53 percent want advanced video UX similar to Intel’s True View video format.
Download the full report here.
