Temps de lecture : 4min 17s

Watching television, listening to the radio and audio content, or browsing online on the go – away from home or on mobile devices – has become a common practice with the advent of digital technology and smartphones. Young people are the most avid participants, and when it comes to content, live sports programming is the reigning king of mobile consumption.

Radio and Internet: Preferred Media for Mobility

In France, over a third of audio consumption (39%) – including music streaming, radio, podcasts, and personal music – occurs away from home[1].Radio is the quintessential mobile medium. In terms of radio listening volume, which takes into account the number of listeners and the duration of their listening, out-of-home listening represents 51,7%[2] during the week. In terms of mobility, the car is the primary location for radio listening in terms of audience numbers, linked to professional activities: from Monday to Friday, 41.6% of French people listen to the radio in the car, for an average duration of about 1 hour and 33 minutes. This is followed by the home and the workplace. Radio listening at the workplace is highest at 10:30am, and in the car at 5:00pm.

Television is generally a more sedentary media. Between January and October 2023, 9% of total television viewership occurred away from home^[3],  – at relatives' or friends' houses, in second homes, hotels or vacation rentals, bars, stations, airports, or while on the move (by train or car). This is the case regardless of the device used: TV, computer, mobile phone, or tablet. Television away from home shows seasonality, being more significant during school holidays, especially in the summer months (July-August) due to increased use in hotels, vacation rentals, bars, airports, and restaurants. In July-August 2023, out-of-home television viewing reached 12%.

As for internet usage, Global Internet Audience measurement does not provide location details. However, the mobile phone is the primary channel, with 9 out of 10 internet users (90,5%)[4] using it. In September 2023, 50.3 million people used their mobile phones to browse the internet. 9.9 million of them (17.7%) exclusively used their mobiles for web surfing. On average, the French spent 1 hour and 56 minutes per day on the internet with their mobiles in September 2023.

Young People More Inclined to Consume Media on the Move

Young people are the most avid consumers of mobile media. Those aged 25-49 spend just over half (51%) of their audio program listening away from home, while those aged 50-80 spend just over a quarter (27%).

Regarding radio, it's primarily men, working individuals, and those aged 25-59 who listen away from home. On weekdays, 60% of out-of-home radio listeners are under 50.

Out-of-home television viewership is more significant among young adults aged 15 to 24. On average, they spend 30% of their TV-watching time outside their main residence. For the age group 25-34, this duration represents 14% of their TV consumption, for those aged 35-49, 11%, and for those aged 50 and over, 7%.

Regarding the internet, almost all those aged 15-49 (98.7%) browse the internet on their mobile phones. Those aged 65 and over, and especially those under 15, are less diligent: 68.9% and 25% of them, respectively, connected to the internet via their mobiles in the last month.

Sports, Driving Force Behind Mobile Audiovisual Consumption

Live sports programs stimulate the use of mobile media. The audience wants to be as close as possible to live events. The Rugby World Cup in September and October 2023 is the most recent example.

In September 2023, 60.1% of internet users used their mobile phones to browse a sports-related website or application, totaling 33.5 million people. Mobile sports content attracts a mixed audience: 54.8% of French men and 50.3% of French women accessed this category on their mobiles in September. In terms of age, those aged 25-49 are particularly dedicated to mobile sports sites and applications, with over two-thirds (69.2%) visiting this category on their mobiles. Sports also attract an older audience, with nearly half (46.2%) of those aged 65 and over consulting sports on mobile. Finally, nearly three-quarters of higher socio-economic groups consult sports on their mobiles (72.2%).

On television, sports are among the most unifying content outside the home. Between January and October 2023, viewers spent 14% of their time watching sports programs on television away from home. Those aged 15-24 accounted for 40% of this.

This phenomenon is illustrated by the three major sports events of 2023. 15% of viewers watched the Tour de France (broadcast from July 1st to July 23rd, 2023) outside their homes, averaging 507,000 viewers (out of a total audience of 3,350,000). The out-of-home audience for the Women's Football World Cup (broadcast from July 20th to August 20th, 2023) represented 17% of its total audience. Finally, the out-of-home audience for the Rugby World Cup averaged 17% for those aged 4 and over and 42% for those aged 15-24. Some matches were particularly popular outside the home: the opening match between France and New Zealand was watched by 23% outside the home, and the final between South Africa and New Zealand was watched on the move by 25% of viewers aged 4 and over.