What is the UKs gaming and streaming usage?
In the UK, the video gaming market is the biggest in Europe, ahead of both Germany and France in terms of annual revenue. There has been significant growth over the last few years, with no sign of gaming and streaming popularity slowing down.
The worldwide gaming industry is now worth over $27.97 billion.
There are an estimated 10.84 million gamers in the UK, with a predicted 6.64% increase by 2027.
Here's an overview of usage trends:
Video Games:
Video gaming is extremely popular across all age groups in the UK, with a large proportion of the population regularly engaging in gaming. According to a recent report, around 86% of the UK population aged 16-64 plays video games in some form.
On average, UK gamers spend approx. 8-12 hours per week playing video games. This time will vary depending on the type of game, with multiplayer online games often consuming more time due to their immersive and social nature.
Fun Fact:
Question: What is the most popular online game in the world?
Answer: Fortnite, released in 2017, has a combined 13,356,451 Twitch and YouTube weekly viewer hours. 
Different Platforms:
Console Gaming: Consoles like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch remain popular, with most households owning at least one gaming console.
PC Gaming: PC gaming continues to become more popular, especially with the rise of competitive esports and the availability of high-performance gaming PCs which often have better graphics than consoles.
Mobile Gaming: Mobile gaming is the most accessible and widely played, with a significant percentage of UK gamers playing on their smartphones or tablets. Pokémon Go, Candy Crush, Andry Birds are some of the titles which have elevated the popularity of mobile gaming.
Fun Fact:
Question: What is the most popular gaming console?
Answer: PlayStation 2 is the best-selling game system overall with over 155 million units worldwide. 
Esports and Streaming
Esports: The esports industry is rapidly growing in the UK, with more players and audiences engaging in competitive gaming. People play against each other online and at spectator events in indoor arenas, usually for a cash prize. Major esports events and tournaments such as PUBG Mobile Global Championship, attract large viewership both online and in person.
Game Streaming: Platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming are popular among UK gamers for both streaming and watching gameplay. Influencers and professional gamers like Vikkstar123 have built large followings, contributing to the gaming culture.
Streaming Services
Video Streaming
The UK has a high number of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer offering viewers a vast selection of content, from movies and TV series to original programming (only viewable on certain platforms).
On average, UK adults spend about 2-3 hours per day on video streaming services. This figure can be higher among younger demographics, who often prefer streaming over traditional TV. Streaming has also led to a high level of binge-watching, with many users watching multiple episodes of a series in one sitting. Shows tend to be much shorter now, with many only 6 – 10 episodes per season making them much easier to watch in a couple of days. The availability of entire seasons at once encourages this behaviour. This is a vast change from just a few years ago, when a series would be 22 episodes and only available once a week on terrestrial TV.
Fun Fact:
The Big Bang Theory, The Gentlemen, and Friends are the 3 most streamed shows on Netflix so far in 2024.
Music Streaming
Music streaming is also extremely popular, with services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music leading the market. Spotify, in particular, is the most widely used, offering extensive music libraries and personal playlists.
UK users typically spend about 1-2 hours per day listening to music on streaming platforms. This includes both passive listening during other activities and active engagement with music.
Fun Fact
As of August 2024, Taylor Swift is the most-followed artist on Spotify. 
Impact of Streaming
The rise in video game usage and streaming has led to increased demand for bandwidth in the UK. This trend is particularly evident during peak hours, such as evenings and weekends, when many users are online at the same time leading to buffering and intermittent service.
The rollout of 5G and the expansion of fibre broadband are key developments aimed at meeting this growing demand, ensuring faster and more reliable internet connections across the country to cope with increasing demand.
As the online game and streaming expands and engagement increases, it highlights the importance of a fast and scalable internet infrastructure to manage the demand of the ever-growing digital entertainment sector.
If you would like to discuss the internet services VFast offer to home users, please contact us on 01227 668901 / sales@vfast.co.uk. We offer connections to the most rural of locations, so you can be confident that we can find you the perfect connection for your requirements.