When on Thursday the FIFA World Cup 2018 When it kicks off in Russia, hundreds of millions of football fans across the globe will be glued to their television screens, watching the opening match of arguably the biggest TV event in the world.
In the age of smartphones, video streaming and binge watching, sporting events are one of the last bastions of linear live television. According to a recent Ipsos survey plan 62 per cent of people aware of the football World Cup in 27 countries to watch parts of the tournament on television, while only one in four respondents plan to watch the games online, and even fewer (13 per cent) plan to use a mobile device.
Football is played and watched all over the world, and the World Cup, held every four years, is the sport's pinnacle. According to FIFA The 2014 World Cup in Brazil reached a global TV audience of 3.2 billion people, with the final match between Germany and Argentina alone attracting over 1 billion viewers (795 million in front of their screens).
Further infographics can be found at Statista