Broadband and telecoms giant BT (EE) has used a mix of UK network stats and a consumer survey of 2,000 adults to reveal how the “British public are engaging with the biggest cultural moments of the year“. BT also hit a record peak of broadband traffic on 4th Dec 2024, when streaming of Premier League Football helped push them to 33.7Tbps (Terabits per second).

According to the operator’s new ‘2024 Network Wrapped‘ research, some 56% of people in the UK believe live sport provided the “most significant cultural moments of the year“, deeming it “more important” than the UK general election (55%), live music (29%), film and TV releases (15%) and gaming launches (11%).

BT’s research also found that 58% of Gen Z (i.e. people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s) have now taken up split-screening during major events, using second screens to multi-task online and stay connected to group chats and loved one (falling to 35% for all respondents). Meanwhile, 1 in 16 people admit to having secretly streamed live events on their phone while attending a wedding, funeral, or christening.

Key Highlights from the Study

➤ The top reasons Brits are using secondary screens during major events include scrolling social media (47%), messaging friends and family (39%), shopping online (33%) and playing video games (30%).

➤ This year has also seen a greater rise in ‘secret streaming’ with 46% of multi-tasking men having been caught watching a live event covertly.

➤ Some 27% of Millennials (i.e. people born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s) now livestream their attendance at major events to share the experience with others, while 35% of Gen Z attendees admit to video calling friends or family members from an event venue.

➤ 61% spend up to 2 hours preparing to attend live events, with 14% of ultra-organised Brits spending more than 3 hours researching travel routes, setting up group chats, buying new outfits online, and chatting to fellow event goers on social media. This suggests Brits often spend more time planning to attend an event than the duration of the event itself; none more so than those in the East Midlands, where people spend the most time preparing to attend a live event – an average of 2 hours and 4 minutes.

➤ People spent more than £155 on average, in addition to their ticket, to attend major events in 2024, while 1 in 10 admit they to spending an additional £300 per event. Fans in the Northeast of England are some of the most likely to spend on additional experiences such as VIP access and merchandise, splashing out 66% more than those in Norfolk and Suffolk, who spend the least on average (£114.38 vs £68.51).

➤ The biggest frustrations with attending the UK’s biggest cultural moments include queuing to get into the venue, for the toilets, or for food and drink (47%), managing parking and travel (27%), trying to find the right seats (15%), and people recording entire shows on their phones (13%).

➤ 24% of Brits are planning to attend or engage with even more major events in 2025.

➤ Over the next five years, mobile broadband (data) usage is forecast to grow between 15% and 28% as venues, event organisers and consumers take advantage of improved connectivity provided by 5G Standalone technology to deliver better live experiences.

Howard Watson, BT’s Chief Security and Networks Officer, said: “This year has seen the British public connect, stream, and split-screen their way through some truly iconic moments – from the final of Euro 2024 to Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour. But with more people using more connected devices than ever before, there is a growing desire – among all generations – to be part of the biggest cultural moments as they happen, and this is reshaping how we all use connectivity.”