CEA’s 5th Annual Sports and Technology Study Reveals Online is the New Traditional Media as Fans Increasingly Choose the Internet for Information, Stats and Coverage of Their Favorite Sports

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the 5^th annual sports and technology study from the Consumer Electronics Association, online has become a major component of fan enjoyment events such as the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics and in many cases has eclipsed traditional media such as radio and print in popularity.

In fact, 18% of those who plan to follow the Winter Olympics will watch events live online.

25% will watch clips or highlights online while just 30% will follow the Games in a printed source such as a newspaper or magazine.

In other survey findings, high definition will continue to be the preferred way of consuming sports rather than attending actual events. 83% of sports viewers who have watched sports in HD in the past year say they MOST prefer to watch sports on television in HD. Additionally, for those surveyed who have attended a game in the past year, 42% say watching in high definition is the way they most prefer to watch sports. Finally, in regards to the Winter Olympics this year, 12% of HDTV owners purchased their set with the specific purpose of watching the Winter Olympics.

Another trend confirmed from the survey is that sports fans follow multiple events at once and like to customize their viewing experience using technology. In fact, nearly 1 in 4 sports fans follow statistics from other live games while watching a game. Additionally, 16% watch games on multiple sets positioned in the same room, while 14% have used split screen, picture in picture or screen quadrants to watch multiple games on the same screen.

In the accompanying video, Megan Pollock, “The Digital Answer Girl” and spokesperson for the CEA, talks more in depth about the survey results and gives an inside look at some of the latest gadgets consumers are using to watch and follow the games they love.

For more information on the CEA’s 5^th Annual Sports and Technology Survey, please visit www.digitaltips.org

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