U.S. study shows increase in mobile sport consumption habits but no good news for radio.

On June 17 the Sporting News Media company released its third survey into U.S. sport media consumption habits. Each year, the company releases figures on how Americans are viewing and consuming sport. The survey was conducted in February of this year with over 1000 American adult (18+) participants recording responses. It is estimated that there is over 170 million sports fans in the U.S.

Surprisingly, the proportion of U.S. sports fans that follow games and teams on smartphones and tablets has grown from 21% to 35% since 2011. TV was still considered the number one way to follow sport and there was an 14% increase in the following of sports via social media, from 11% in 2011 to 25% in 2013. Facebook was considered the number one social platform for following sport.

These figures may not seem problematic but it was recorded that 23% of American sports fans now consume sport via internet streams on mobile devices and another 29% consume sport via streaming on a computer. These figures show less room for radio and print media in the following of sport. What was more alarming was that radio and print media have both recorded declines over the past few years since the first survey in 2011. This then shows a significant shift from radio to mobile forms of media and indicates that the growth of mobile media is coming at the expense of radio and print media.

For graphic display of these and other figures in the study, visit the Sporting News Media website.