My Friend Alan Knitowski, the CEO of Phunware, a Mobile App Development company, pointed out that 70 percent of US consumers intend to get their information on the Olympics primarily from via mobile.
Now, there are factors of this Olympics that are not the subject of this story. The problems Brazil is facing with hosting the games and the hazards the athletes face in Rio are not pretty but live up to the name Olympian.
However, Phunware is pointing out a trend that needs to be recognized and discussed specifically in how we experience video and gather information. At the base level should we even call it “TV” anymore? Video is pervading in apps and sites in ways that make broadcasting rights almost irrelevant. The idea that the phone is the second screen is old. For the younger generation it is the primary screen.
“Mobile can no longer be an afterthought or an add-on, but must now be at the center of every media company’s content and engagement strategy,” said Knitowski. “Brands have to think long-term. How do you create an experience that’s compelling enough to get and keep consumer attention? More importantly, how do you take the incredible amount of data every mobile interaction provides, and use those insights to better understand your audience and ensure you’re delivering the most relevant, impactful experience possible?”
In my humble opinion, another key component is the implied role of search in the consumption of the Olympics. According to the survey “only 14 percent of respondents actually prefer pre-taped, primetime coverage.” This has tremendous implications for broadcasting rights and suggests that NBC / Universal is going to find it harder to find the value in future Olympics.
More stats from the Phunware survey can be found here.
While the survey is US centric when combined with the Mary Meeker’s reports, we can see the whole world is mobile.
Edited by
Ken Briodagh
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