How the COVID-19 pandemic changed viewers’ watching motives and behaviour in Germany: a comparison of the 2016 and 2020 UEFA European Championships

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 UEFA European Championship to be postponed by a year. However, 2021 saw continued severe contact restrictions in daily life, and fans at home had to decide whether it was acceptable to watch the games together with other people. This study examines the extent to which the pandemic influenced television viewers’ watching motives and behaviour, i.e. their preferences for where and with whom they watched the games. An online survey was conducted during the 2020 UEFA European Championship, and its results were compared with data from the 2016 UEFA European Championship. The results indicate three main findings: compared to EURO 2016, TV viewers watched the EURO 2020 matches more often: (1) at home rather than in public places, (2) in small groups rather than alone, and (3) less for social motives. Thus, the unifying character of the EURO 2020 was lost due to COVID-19.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Other declarations

This is a non-interventional study (survey) for which no ethical approval is required (due to national laws). Survey participants agreed to participate voluntarily in the study and agreed that the results are used for scientific purposes (e.g. publications). Participants were informed about the aim of the study.

Notes

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