Tech Wins a Key Position at the 2014 World Cup

By Dennis McCafferty | Posted 2014-06-13

The 2014 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup may go down in history as the most tech-friendly one to date, according to a number of published reports. Matches are currently under way, wrapping up with the championship in Brazil on July 13, as a total of 32 teams qualified for the final tournament. Given all of the intense global excitement, demand will remain extremely high to access World Cup-related content online—especially on mobile devices. And the sport's fans are much more tech-savvy than average U.S. adults, according to recent research from Experian Marketing Services. So with the "fùtbol frenzy" well under way, we're presenting sample findings from Experian, along with other intriguing tech-related facts about this year's events. The following slides cover everything from anticipated online traffic to IT security to a highly anticipated innovation that promises to settle any arguments about whether a goal was scored. Our facts were compiled from Experian's research, as well as from online reports and company announcements.

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Well-Connected

On average, World Cup fans are 31% more likely than the average U.S. adult to watch online video on multiple devices.
Device-Driven

Compared to the average U.S. adult, cup fans are 60% more likely to use their phone to keep up with sports, and 37% more likely to use a digital tablet.
Social Dominance

According to a recent search, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo had more Twitter followers (26.7 million) than the NBA's LeBron James (13.1 million).
SCOOORE!

The tech wrinkle getting the biggest buzz is the new goal-line technology (GLT), which will deploy high-speed video advancements to determine whether the ball has crossed the goal line.
Must-See TV, Part I

Sony has installed more than 224 HD cameras to cover a record 2,500 hours of play.
Must-See TV, Part II

For the first time, some matches will be captured in ultra-high-definition 4K, which has four times the resolution of current HD TV. It's supported by a satellite network with 100-megabit-per-second speed.
Traffic Spike

Akamai predicts it will oversee up to 2.5 million live content streams at any one time throughout its network during matches. That compares to 1.6 million during the 2010 World Cup.
Insecure State

The hacktivist group Anonymous has warned that World Cup sponsors will be its next target.
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