Despite the Serie A season being over and club teams having already taken stock of the recently concluded season, the passion for football continues to be in full swing throughout Europe. In fact, the 2024 European Championships are about to begin, where the best national teams from our continent will compete. Among them is Italy, which will try to replicate the success achieved three years ago and will be supported by the entire population. But how will Italians follow the competition? Does television still prevail, or is streaming taking over? Are full matches still watched, or are highlights preferred? YouGov interviewed Italians to find out these and other details.
Three out of four Italians will watch the European Championship, but it depends on the type of match.
Starting from a fact, namely that the European Championship is a topic of extreme interest in Italy. Indeed, 3 out of 4 Italians confirm that they will watch the event (58% who will watch it “very or quite probably” plus an additional 17% who do not exclude it).
However, the data change significantly when asking which matches attract the most interest. Among those who stated they will follow the European Championship, 94% confirmed they will watch Italy’s matches. A very similar figure (90%) for the final stages of the tournament, whereas significantly lower for matches between top teams in the early stages of the tournament (77%) and for other types of matches (64%).
The most important matches are watched on television
In addition to knowing which matches will be followed, it is also interesting to understand the methods of consumption. Streaming has now permeated our habits, especially when it comes to football, given that for years the rights to Serie A matches have been held by DAZN. However, when it comes to the upcoming European Championship, the evidence does not confirm this trend: those who will watch the competition will do so primarily on television, especially for the most significant matches. In fact, while 87% will use the most traditional means to watch Italy, and 82% for the final stages, only 67% will do so for matches between top teams, and 54% for other matches. At the same time, the use of streaming is not only in the minority but also consistently stable, as it will be utilized by approximately 10-12% regardless of the type of match. Therefore, the trade-off does not seem to be between television and streaming, but between television and not watching at all, because those who watch do so primarily on TV, and the most-watched matches will be those of Italy and the final stages.
This same evidence also seems to be confirmed among young people, who often prefer online platforms. Dividing respondents into two segments (Under 40 and 40+), it’s noticeable how the use of streaming increases significantly to around 18% for almost all types of matches among those Under 40. However, the trade-off remains between not watching or using television, which is still preferred even by young people (78% for Italy, 70% for the final stages, 56% for big matches, and 42% for other types of matches).
Highlights are used to follow the less important matches
Similar data concerns the timing when the tournament matches will be followed. A very similar portion to those who confirmed they will watch the matches on television adds that they will do so live, while a minority says they will catch up on them later in delayed/on-demand mode. However, another interesting insight emerges, as a share around 20% (16% for big matches, 22% for other matches) states they will watch highlights, a figure that increases further among the Under 40s (23% for big matches, 26% for other matches). This mode of consumption is considered relevant for those who will watch the tournament, allowing them to stay updated without watching every match in full.
Social media: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are the most used, alongside TikTok among young people.
Among those who stated they will use social media to follow match updates, YouGov also asked them to specify the platforms used, and a trio firmly stands at the top of this ranking: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, utilized by 52-53%.
However, there are significant age-related differences: among those aged 40 and above, the preferred social platform by far is Facebook (64%), followed by YouTube (58%), and then Instagram (45%). Among those under 40, however, the ranking is different, with Instagram in first place (61%), followed by YouTube (45%), while Facebook slips to third place (39%). Also relevant for the younger target are TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), ranking fourth and fifth in both rankings, but with significantly different usage frequencies (34% and 23% among those under 40, 22% and 16% among those aged 40 and above).
Methodological note: Surveys were conducted between May 21 and May 22, 2024, using an ad-hoc questionnaire on YouGov’s proprietary panel, through the CAWI method, with a sample of 2029 individuals in Italy, representative of the adult population by age group, gender, and geographical area.
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UEFA EURO 2024: how to watch the matches in Italy
Despite the Serie A season being over and club teams having already taken stock of the recently concluded season, the passion for football continues to be in full swing throughout Europe. In fact, the 2024 European Championships are about to begin, where the best national teams from our continent will compete. Among them is Italy, which will try to replicate the success achieved three years ago and will be supported by the entire population. But how will Italians follow the