65% OF US FANS WILL DO ANYTHING TO WATCH OUR FAVORITE TEAMS. EVEN ON THANKSGIVING.
With more sports being streamed than ever before, ‘Sports Sneak’ Reaches New Heights – New Data From Peacock Finds Our love of the game is superseding work, family gatherings, our kids’ sporting events and especially Thanksgiving dinner.
THE ANGELS, November 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Streamers give a whole new meaning to “keep your eye on the ball.” According to a new survey by Peacock, 65% of sports fans in the US have done “sports sneaking” — streaming sports content incognito in non-traditional spaces. With sports more widely available on streaming services and mobile devices than ever before, it’s no wonder that “sports hacking” is becoming par for the course.
Sports Sneak Infographic
More than half of Peacock users have watched live sports in the past year, especially on mobile devices. In fact, watching live sports is 50% more likely to happen on a mobile device than non-sports content. This is especially true for football, with the Premier League seeing the streamer’s highest rate of mobile consumption. But it’s football that reigns as the Peacock’s most-watched sport thanks to the Big Ten and the NFL (and it wasn’t just because of that Chiefs game).
This rings true for “sneakers” as well. Soccer displaced the number one position as the most “sneaked” sport by nearly 20%. The popularity of football may also explain why Thanksgiving ranks so high on the “places to sneak” list (under #3) – food, family, football and sneaking may be the new holiday tradition.
“Live sports is just another example of how streaming continues to both serve and influence consumer behavior,” said Kelly Campbell, President, Peacock and Direct-to-Consumer. “For years, fans have been glued to the big screen, but now we’re able to deliver the game on the go – and with live sport on the Peacock more than 300 days a year, we’re proud to play our part in creating opportunities for our customers to engage in ‘sport sneaking’ no matter where they are.’
To find out why the “athletic sneak” is on the rise, Peacock asked the sneakers themselves and found some interesting trends:
Who does it and where?
- 65% of sports fans admit to “sports sneaking” and do it at family gatherings (48%), at work (37%), at Thanksgiving dinner (36%) and in bed while partner sleeping (32%), to name a few.
- Peacock fans are particularly guilty, with those who stream sport on the service almost 16% more likely to ‘sneak’ than those who don’t.
- The most frequently sneaked sport is soccer.
- Men are 23% more likely than women to indulge in ‘sport sneaking’, but…
- Women are better “sneakers” as they are 27% less likely to be caught in a crime than men.
- Believe it or not, sports fans who are parents are the biggest culprits. Three-quarters admitted to ‘sports sneaking in’ – 32% more likely than non-parents – and do so at their children’s concerts (21%), children’s birthday parties (26%) and even of their own children ” sports games (30%).
How are they doing…or They?
- Over half (58%) of those surveyed were NOT caught.
- The most common strategies for successful “sports sneaking” are moving a chair or device to watch without anyone knowing (44%), hiding the device under a table, inside a jacket, behind a napkin, etc. (42%) and hide in the bathroom (37%).
- And apparently sneaking loves company – nearly a quarter of people who caught them sneaking joined in to watch. This is what we call a double play.
Down, set, sneak.
As we head into the holiday season, when events and social gatherings are bound to put a damper on our sports viewing pleasure, here’s a playbook for what’s headed to the Peacock to help sneakerheads prepare accordingly. Just remember to keep the cheering low, hide hard, and if all else fails, huddle in the toilet.
- Peacock will continue simulcasting Sunday night football and will hold its first outstanding game of the NFL regular season December 23, 2023 with the participation of the bills at the chargers. Additional upcoming games include:
- Vikings vs. Broncos on November 19, 2023
- 49ers vs. Seahawks on Thanksgiving November 23, 2023
- The Peacock will be home to the first-ever exclusive live NFL Playoff game, presenting the NFL Wild Card Playoff in prime time on Saturday, January 13, 2024.
- The Peacock will also continue to be the streaming home for the Big Ten and Our lady football, as well as men’s and women’s basketball. Upcoming games include:
- USC Upstate vs. Minnesota (Men’s Basketball) on November 18, 2023
- State of Oregon vs. Nebraska (Men’s Basketball) on November 18, 2023
- Illinois vs. Our lady (Women’s Basketball) of November 18, 2023
- Wake Forest vs. Our lady (Football) on November 18, 2023
- And because the sport comes in all shapes, sizes and species — don’t miss the Peacock National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day (November 23, 2023)
Methodology:
We asked self-reported sports fans United States to participate in an online survey between June 23-29, 2023, by receiving 1,000 complete responses. Respondents came from a wide range of backgrounds and we ensured that we collected data from a representative sample of sports fans of different ages, genders and geographical regions. This study was conducted by a third party research organization, Sage Outcomes, on behalf of Peacock.
SOURCE Peacock