Last week’s Champions League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan and Roland Garros tennis tournament in Paris broke records for streaming consumption when compared to previous years and regular seasonal patterns.
In a blog, the video analytics company NPAW says that data from a selection of its customers that streamed the match shows significant spikes in streaming consumption compared to the previous 90 days and the 2022 final. In comparison to the average for the previous three months, last Saturday’s game garnered 14% more plays and 18% more unique users, whereas playtime increased by 4%.
The 2023 final provided a big boost to streaming adoption compared to last year’s, attracting 39% more plays and 45% more unique users. Even though the total playtime increased by 14% year over year, the average playtime per user and per service both decreased compared to 2022, suggesting viewers tuned in for shorter sessions.
NPAW notes that connected TVs were the devices that captured the most playtime (34%), followed by smartphones (26%), set-top-boxes (18%) and PCs (15%).
Meanwhile, NPAW data on Roland Garros, also known as the French Open, show an increase in plays, playtime, and unique users compared to both the previous 90 days and 2022’s edition. When compared to the previous 90 days — i.e. regular seasonal consumption — NPAW customers experienced a 11% increase in plays and unique users during the length of the tournament, while total playtime surged by 8%.
The surge in streaming consumption was much stronger when compared to last year’s tournament, which points at the growing popularity of streaming platforms among tennis fans. Roland Garros 2023 garnered 68% more plays than the previous edition, attracting 57% more unique users and registering a 37% higher playtime. However, the average playtime and average playtime per user decreased by 27% and 32% respectively, indicating that users might be watching in shorter bursts or being less engaged per session.
The men’s semi-finals attracted the most playtime, while TVs were the device of choice for most viewers with almost a 47% share.
PCs came in second with 19% of the share, with smartphones following with 16%.
