1. The document reports on a survey of over 10,000 fans of 4 major college football programs about their smartphone usage and expectations. 2. The survey found that the vast majority of fans own smartphones and expect to be able to use them everywhere, including during college football games. 3. Younger fans and current students have even stronger expectations about smartphone access and are more likely to say that a lack of access would deter them from attending games in person.

1. PHONES, FANS & THE
FUTURE OF COLLEGE
SPORTS ATTENDANCE
KEY FINDINGS FROM SURVEY OF
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ATTENDEES
JANUARY 2014

2. This analysis is based on a survey of more
than 10,000 fans of 4 major football schools
• InStadium designed and
administered an online survey
• Surveys were delivered and
responses were captured via social
media & E mail channels, and
weighted to equalize responses
across the four schools
• InStadium worked with Hub
Research to analyze the data and
produce this summary report.
• The sample included current
students (grad and
undergrad), alumni, season ticket
holders, and fans without a formal
connection to the school
• Contact: Pat Coyle, Vice President
Audience Platforms:
pcoyle@instadium.com
InStadium, Inc.
2

3. Summary
1. Phones play a central role in
the lives of these fans
2. They have high expectations
about where they’ll be able to
use their phone
3. They play a big part in the fan
experience
Almost all of them have a
smartphone, and the great majority don’t
leave home without it
Ninety percent expect it to work
everywhere they go
The majority of fans use, or would like to
use, their smartphone for a wide variety
of activities during game-day
4. Having smartphone access in
the stadium matters
Smartphone access in the stadium is
highly correlated with likelihood to
attend—more so even than the weather
or the quality of the teams playing
5. Some of these trends are more
pronounced among younger
fans (i.e. current students)
Suggesting that new technology is
creating habits and expectations that
may become the norm for sports fans in
the future
InStadium, Inc.

4. The great majority of these fans own smartphones.
Q8: Do you own a smartphone?
88%: Yes
86% among alumni and 89% of
current students (despite their greater
sensitivity to cost in other questions)
Q8: Do you own a smartphone?

5. Smartphone owners are almost never without them
and expect them to work everywhere.
I never leave home without my smart
phone
86% 96%
I expect my phone to work (i.e. have
a strong signal) everywhere I go
62%
I get annoyed when “free” Wi-fi
doesn't work
49%
I feel more addicted to my smart
phone today than a year ago
29%
I often text friends even as I'm face to
face and interacting with other people
24%
I would be willing to pay for better Wifi at university football games 6%
91%
74%
52%
12%
48%
Totally agree
Agree
(Top Box)
(Top 2 Boxes)
Q11: To what extent do you agree with these statements?

6. In particular—smartphone access in the stadium
impacts interest in attending games
AMONG GAME ATTENDEES:
% likely to attend university
football games, EVEN IF…
You could stay home and watch
game on TV with friends
54%
University team had a losing
record
53%
Your best friends were not
attending the game
51%
Attending required traveling
more than 50 miles
51%
Weather was poor
50%
Game opponent was not
interesting
50%
Smart phones would not work
in stadium
50%
Ticket prices were a stretch to
afford
Among those who have
attended college
games, smartphone access
has a similar level of impact to
fundamental parts of the
game experience—like the
weather or the quality of the
teams themselves.
25%
Q4: How likely would you be to attend university football games if you faced these challenges?

7. The importance is even more pronounced among
heavier smartphone users
% LIKELY TO ATTEND
Even if they faced these
challenges…
SMARTPHONE SEGMENTS: TOP 2
BOX
Never
Expect it to
Use it at
leave home
work
pregame
without it everywhere
Use it at
sports
events
POWER
USER*
You could stay home and watch
game on TV with friends
54%
55%
56%
55%
55%
49%
University team had a losing
record
53%
54%
54%
54%
54%
52%
Your best friends were not
attending the game
51%
53%
53%
53%
52%
50%
Attending required traveling
more than 50 miles
51%
52%
53%
54%
53%
50%
Weather was poor
50%
51%
51%
52%
51%
54%
Game opponent was not
interesting
50%
51%
51%
51%
50%
53%
Smart phones would not work
in stadium
50%
50%
49%
48%
46%
39%
Ticket prices were a stretch to
afford
25%
26%
26%
26%
26%
31%
Q4: How likely would you be to attend university football games if you faced these challenges?
*want to use for all 9
scenarios in Q14

8. The importance is even more pronounced among
heavier smartphone users
SMARTPHONE SEGMENTS: TOP 2
BOX
% LIKELY TO ATTEND
Even if they faced these
challenges…
You could stay home and watch
54%
game Among these segments,
on TV with friends
Never
Expect it to
Use it at
leave home
work
pregame
without it everywhere
lack
of smartphone access
University team had a losing
53%
record correlated with the lowest
Your best friends were not attendance—
levels of likely
51%
attending the game
lower than anything except
Attending required traveling
51%
more than 50 the price of tickets
miles
Use it at
sports
events
POWER
USER*
55%
56%
55%
55%
49%
54%
54%
54%
54%
52%
53%
53%
53%
52%
50%
52%
53%
54%
53%
50%
Weather was poor
50%
51%
51%
52%
51%
54%
Game opponent was not
interesting
50%
51%
51%
51%
50%
53%
Smart phones would not work
in stadium
50%
50%
49%
48%
46%
39%
Ticket prices were a stretch to
afford
25%
26%
26%
26%
26%
31%
Q4: How likely would you be to attend university football games if you faced these challenges?
*want to use for all 9
scenarios

9. The importance is even more pronounced among
heavier smartphone users
% LIKELY TO ATTEND
Even if they faced these
challenges…
SMARTPHONE SEGMENTS: TOP 2
BOX
Never
Expect it to
Use it at
leave home
work
pregame
without it everywhere
Use it at
sports
events
POWER
USER*
You could stayAmong power users—those
home and watch
54%
55%
game on TV with friends
56%
55%
55%
49%
University team had a losing
statements
record
54%
54%
54%
52%
53%
53%
52%
50%
53%
54%
53%
50%
who agree with all 9
53%
54%
in Q14—less than
40% not
Your best friends were say they’d be likely to
51%
53%
attending the gameattend a game if their
Attending required traveling
51%
52%
more than 50smartphone didn’t work in the
miles
stadium.
Weather was poor
50%
51%
51%
52%
51%
54%
Game opponent was not
interesting
50%
51%
51%
51%
50%
53%
Smart phones would not work
in stadium
50%
50%
49%
48%
46%
39%
Ticket prices were a stretch to
afford
25%
26%
26%
26%
26%
31%
Q4: How likely would you be to attend university football games if you faced these challenges?
*want to use for all 9
scenarios

10. Fans who are current students are more
susceptible to all of these challenges
If you could stay home and watch
game on TV friends
game on TV with with friends
48%
If university team had a losing
record
record
If attending required traveling more
than
than 50 miles 50 miles
54%
46%
51%
20%
60%
If your best friends were not
attending the game
attending the game
37%
51%
If weather was poor
42%
If smart phones would not work in
stadium
stadium
42%
If game opponent was not
interesting
interesting
If ticket prices were a stretch to
afford
afford
49%
52%
51%
21%
25%
Current
Students
Q4: How likely would you be to attend university football games if you faced these challenges?
47%
Alumni

11. Only 42% of current students (vs. 52% of alumni)
say they’d be likely to attend if their smartphone
didn’t work
If you could stay home and watch
game on TV friends
game on TV with with friends
48%
If university team had a losing
record
record
If attending required traveling more
than
than 50 miles 50 miles
54%
46%
51%
20%
60%
If your best friends were not
attending the game
attending the game
37%
51%
If weather was poor
42%
If smart phones would not work in
stadium
stadium
42%
If game opponent was not
interesting
interesting
If ticket prices were a stretch to
afford
afford
49%
52%
51%
21%
47%
25%
Q4: How likely would you be to attend university football games if you faced these challenges?

12. A majority of fans use their phones for a variety of
activities while they’re at the game.
82%
Capture and share photos
78%
Text with my friends
Read sports news from other games I'm
not attending
63%
55%
Update my social media accounts
52%
Check in at event
51%
As my ticket to the game (via scan code)
Earn points and rewards from the
university
48%
33%
View game replays on demand
To play games
% AGREE:
Top 2 box
20%
Q14: When you attend university football games, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following? I WANT TO USE
MY SMARTPHONE TO…

13. 8-out-of-10 respondents want to use their phones
to capture the experience with photos and texts
82%
Capture and share photos
78%
Text with my friends
Read sports news from other games I'm
not attending
63%
55%
Update my social media accounts
52%
Check in at event
51%
As my ticket to the game (via scan code)
Earn points and rewards from the
university
48%
33%
View game replays on demand
To play games
% AGREE:
Top 2 box
20%
Q14: When you attend university football games, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following? I WANT TO USE
MY SMARTPHONE TO…

14. Nearly two-thirds use their phone to read sports
news from other games that are going on
82%
Capture and share photos
78%
Text with my friends
Read sports news from other games I'm
not attending
63%
55%
Update my social media accounts
52%
Check in at event
51%
As my ticket to the game (via scan code)
Earn points and rewards from the
university
48%
33%
View game replays on demand
To play games
% AGREE:
Top 2 box
20%
Q14: When you attend university football games, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following? I WANT TO USE
MY SMARTPHONE TO…

15. About half want to use their phone to manage the
process: tickets, check-in, and loyalty programs
82%
Capture and share photos
78%
Text with my friends
Read sports news from other games I'm
not attending
63%
55%
Update my social media accounts
52%
Check in at event
51%
As my ticket to the game (via scan code)
Earn points and rewards from the
university
48%
33%
View game replays on demand
To play games
% AGREE:
Top 2 box
20%
Q14: When you attend university football games, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following? I WANT TO USE
MY SMARTPHONE TO…

16. 1-in-3 are interested in using their phone to watch
replay videos on demand
82%
Capture and share photos
78%
Text with my friends
Read sports news from other games I'm
not attending
63%
55%
Update my social media accounts
52%
Check in at event
51%
As my ticket to the game (via scan code)
Earn points and rewards from the
university
48%
33%
View game replays on demand
To play games
% AGREE:
Top 2 box
20%
Q14: When you attend university football games, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following? I WANT TO USE
MY SMARTPHONE TO…

17. 1-in-3 are interested in using their phone to watch
replay videos on demand
82%
Capture and share photos
Seven percent of
Read sports news from other games I'm
63%
not attending
people with smartphones
Update my social media accounts
said that they wanted55%
to
Check in at eventtheir phone to do
52%
use
As my ticket to the game (via scan code) of these things
51%
ALL
Text with my friends
Earn points and rewards from the
university
% AGREE:
Top 2 box
48%
33%
View game replays on demand
To play games
78%
20%
Q14: When you attend university football games, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following? I WANT TO USE
MY SMARTPHONE TO…

18. Compared to alumni, current students are more
invested in the social aspects of game day
•
They are more likely to attend games in person (not surprising). But
when not there in person, they’re more likely to want to watch in public
with others (and less likely to want to watch in a private place)
I would attend every university football
game if I could
78%
80%
I attend all (or most) university home
football games (at stadium)
65%
45%
I prefer to watch university football on TV in
a private place (i.e. home, dorm, friend's
home)
I would pay to access live streaming of
university football games on my mobile
device
17%
26%
13%
20%
I prefer to watch university football on TV in
a public place (i.e. sports bar, viewing party)
I have no interest in watching or attending
university football games
Current
25%
18%
5%
1%
Alumni
Q7: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
% AGREE:
Top 2 box

19. Students are also more likely to want to use their
phones for social media, checking in, and loyalty
programs
86%
80%
Capture and share photos
82%
77%
Text with my friends
Read sports news from other games I'm
not attending
52%
69%
Update my social media accounts
51%
50%
50%
Check in at event
61%
As my ticket to the game (via scan code)
% AGREE:
Top 2 box
49%
Earn points and rewards from the
university
62%
43%
View game replays on demand
To play games
64%
14%
29%
33%
25%
Current Student
Alumni
Q14: When you attend university football games, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following? I WANT TO USE
MY SMARTPHONE TO…