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- 1. UK DIGITAL USERSThe eMarketer Forecast for 2017 FEBRUARY 2017 Corey McNair Contributors: Jaimie Chung, Cindy Liu, Monica Peart Read this on eMarketer for iPad
- 2. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2 UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 The UK is one of the world’s top-ranked markets for internet penetration: Over 80% of the population will go online regularly in 2017. Mobile phones will be a key driver of usage, with nearly four out of every five internet users going online via the device. ■■ The number of internet users will increase only slightly in 2017, rising 2.1% to total 54.4 million. eMarketer has raised the overall number of users, based partly on recent data showing higher-than-expected usage among young children. ■■ There will be 42.7 million UK smartphone users this year. While growth will slow through 2021, over two-thirds of the population will use smartphones by 2019. Remaining increases will be driven primarily by children 11 and younger and 55- to 64-year-olds, who will see double-digit growth in 2017 and 2018. ■■ As overall internet and mobile usage grow, so will social network usage—up 3.4% to 36.6 million users in 2017. The biggest growth will come from users ages 65 and older, rising 17.9%. By 2021, this oldest age group will account for one in 10 social network users. ■■ For the first time, the forecast includes estimates for Instagram and Snapchat users in the UK. Each platform will have higher penetration thanTwitter— among both internet and social network users—for the entire forecast. WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT?This report includes eMarketer’s forecast for UK internet users, mobile phone users, smartphone and tablet users, including digital activities conducted on each device, such as social networking, digital video viewing, and—for the first time—metrics on email, gaming and digital audio.The projections, which run through 2021, include breakouts by age and gender. The full data set for this forecast can be found in this report’s accompanying spreadsheet. % of population Select UK Digital Usage Metrics, 2017 Internet users 82.0% Digital video viewers 65.1% Smartphone users 64.3% Tablet users 56.7% Social network users 55.1% Digital audio listeners 52.0% Facebook users 49.3% Digital gamers 39.9% Tablet video viewers 36.0% Instagram users 21.7% Snapchat users 20.4% Twitter users 18.9% Source: eMarketer, Feb 2017 222718 www.eMarketer.com KEY STAT: More than 80% of the population will go online regularly in 2017. Nearly two-thirds will watch digital video and use smartphones, and over half will use tablets, access social networks and listen to digital audio. CONTENTS 2 UK Digital Users: The eMarketer Forecast for 2017 3 Internet Users 4 Mobile Phone and Smartphone Users 5 Tablet Users 6 Social Network Users 10 Digital Video Viewers 11 Digital Audio Listeners 11 Digital Gamers 12 Email Users 12 Editorial and Production Contributors
- 3. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3 INTERNET USERS The UK is among the highest-ranked countries in the world for internet usage. Four out of every five, or 54.4 million, people will access the internet at least once per month in 2017. millions, % change and % of population UK Internet Users and Penetration, 2015-2021 2015 52.0 3.0% 79.7% 2016 53.3 2.5% 81.0% 2017 54.4 2.1% 82.0% 2018 55.4 1.7% 82.7% 2019 56.0 1.2% 83.0% 2020 56.6 1.1% 83.2% 2021 57.1 1.0% 83.4% Internet users % change % of population Note: individuals of any age who use the internet from any location via any device at least once per month Source: eMarketer, Feb 2017 222720 www.eMarketer.com eMarketer’s complete estimates for UK digital users can be found in this report’s accompanying spreadsheet. Growth in the number of internet users will slow from 2.1% in 2017 to 1.0% by 2021. A majority of this growth will come from children ages 11 and younger and adults ages 65 and older, who will regularly connect to the internet for the first time—especially via mobile devices. INTERNET USER DEMOGRAPHICS ■■ The 25-to-34-year-old age group will account for the largest number of internet users this year, at 8.7 million people.Those ages 45 to 54 will be just behind, with 8.4 million users, followed by 35- to 44-year-olds, who will contribute 7.8 million internet users. While these three groups combined will account for nearly 46% of the UK’s online population, the most heavily penetrated groups will be teens ages 12 to 17 and young adults ages 18 to 24. More than nine in 10 people in both groups—98.4% and 97.9%, respectively—will go online on a regular basis. ■■ Children ages 11 and younger account for a larger share of the population than teens ages 12 to 17, and thus will contribute more internet users—5.3 million vs. 4.2 million. Because of recent Office of Communications (Ofcom) - UK data showing higher-than-expected internet usage among those ages 3 and 4, eMarketer has increased its estimates for those under 12 years old. Access to tablets enables internet usage at an increasingly young age, with video viewing being the most popular digital activity among children. ■■ Adults ages 65 and older will see the fastest growth in internet usage this year, at 5.5%, reaching 7.7 million users.This cohort, which spans a larger number of birth years in general, will account for more users than the 35-to-44-year-old group in 2018—8.1 million vs. 7.9 million, respectively. But there will be a wide gap in penetration between these two groups, at 66.0% for people ages 65 and older, and 95.0% for 35- to 44-year-olds. ■■ There are more females than males in the UK overall, and females will account for 50.5% of total internet users. But penetration will be higher among males this year—82.2%, compared with 81.8% for females. However, these rates will even out by 2021, at 83.4% for both genders. Behind the Numbers eMarketer’s forecasts and estimates are based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from research firms, government agencies, media firms and public companies, plus interviews with top executives at publishers, ad buyers and agencies. Data is weighted based on methodology and soundness. Each eMarketer forecast fits within the larger matrix of all its forecasts, with the same assumptions and general framework used to project figures in a wide variety of areas. Regular re-evaluation of available data means the forecasts reflect the latest business developments, technology trends and economic changes.
- 4. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4 MOBILE PHONE AND SMARTPHONE USERS Mobile phone usage in the UK is as pervasive as internet usage: More than four out of every five people will regularly use a mobile phone in 2017, with over 80% of those being smartphone users. Mobile phone user growth will be nearly flat throughout the forecast period, with increases of around 1 percentage point each year. millions, % of population and % change UK Mobile Phone Users and Penetration, 2015-2021 2015 52.2 1.8% 80.0% 2016 53.0 1.6% 80.6% 2017 53.8 1.4% 81.0% 2018 54.5 1.3% 81.4% 2019 55.1 1.2% 81.7% 2020 55.7 1.0% 81.9% 2021 56.2 0.9% 82.0% Mobile phone users % change % of population Note: individuals of any age who own at least one mobile phone and use the phone(s) at least once per month Source: eMarketer, Feb 2017 222721 www.eMarketer.com Smartphones will still see a more substantial growth rate of 5.4% in 2017, to equal 42.7 million users. By 2019, over two-thirds of the UK population will use a smartphone. Increases will primarily come from older age cohorts—who are upgrading from feature phones to smartphones—and the rise of more affordable data plans, encouraging smartphone adoption more generally. eMarketer has lowered its estimates for the total number of smartphone users for each year of the forecast, following April 2016 Ofcom data showing that growth among adults ages 65 and older is slowing. UK Smartphone Users and Penetration, 2015-2021 Smartphone users (millions) —% change —% of mobile phone users —% of population 2015 37.8 8.2% 72.3% 57.9% 2016 40.5 7.2% 76.3% 61.5% 2017 42.7 5.4% 79.3% 64.3% 2018 44.0 3.2% 80.8% 65.7% 2019 45.0 2.3% 81.6% 66.7% 2020 45.8 1.8% 82.3% 67.4% 2021 46.5 1.5% 82.8% 67.9% Note: individuals of any age who own at least one smartphone and use the smartphone(s) at least once per month Source: eMarketer, Feb 2017 222727 www.eMarketer.com A majority of smartphone users will use Android-based devices, accounting for 57.2% of total users this year. iOS smartphones will be the device of choice for more than one-third (34.2%) of UK smartphone users. Both Android and iOS devices will see user growth rates of at least 6% this year, aided by a lack of serious competition from Windows Phone, RIM and other smartphone operating systems. SMARTPHONE USER DEMOGRAPHICS ■■ Smartphone penetration among all individuals between the ages of 18 and 44 will be above 90% in 2017. Penetration will also be high among teens ages 12 to 17 and adults ages 45 to 54, exceeding 85% for both groups. ■■ Given that older age groups currently have lower penetration, eMarketer expects them to exhibit the fastest growth throughout the forecast period. Specifically, adults ages 55 to 64 will see an increase of 15.5% in 2017, and those ages 65 and older will see a growth rate of 8.9%. ■■ Children ages 11 and younger will have the lowest smartphone penetration of any age group this year, at 11.2%. However, growth will be strong, at 13.7%, as phablets (which are counted as smartphones) are increasingly used for video viewing and gaming by UK children. ■■ Smartphone penetration will be nearly equal among males (64.4%) and females (64.1%) in 2017.
- 5. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 5 MOBILE PHONE INTERNET USERS ■■ Strong adoption of smartphones has fueled mobile phone internet usage in the UK: Four in five mobile phone users will access the internet on their devices this year. Growth will be similar to that of overall smartphone usage, slowing from a 5.3% gain in 2017 to just 1.5% by 2021. ■■ Because mobile phone internet usage and penetration follow smartphone adoption, these numbers have also been lowered among adults ages 65 and older, to reflect slower uptake on smartphones. ■■ Changes to overall mobile phone internet usage estimates are also reflected across gender groups, resulting in lower estimates for both male and female mobile phone internet users. Females’ share of mobile phone internet users will remain slightly higher than that of males this year, at 50.5%. TABLET USERS Tablet usage will continue to grow in the UK this year, increasing to 37.6 million users—up 4.8% from 2016. Growth will come primarily from new users ages 12 to 17 and 55 and older, while children ages 11 and younger will have the highest tablet penetration of any age group. millions, % of internet users and % of population UK Tablet Users and Penetration, 2015-2021 2015 33.7 2016 35.9 2017 37.6 2018 39.1 2019 40.4 2020 41.3 2021 42.2 Tablet users % of internet users % of population Note: individuals of any age who use a tablet at least once per month Source: eMarketer, Feb 2017 222728 www.eMarketer.com 51.7% 54.5% 56.7% 58.4% 59.9% 60.8% 61.6% 64.8% 67.3% 69.1% 70.6% 72.1% 73.0% 73.8% Nearly seven out of every 10 UK internet users will use a tablet this year. While tablet sales have not risen significantly, usage is being driven by expanding families with young children, who are accessing the device more often for video viewing. eMarketer defines tablet users as individuals of any age who use a tablet at least once per month; a user does not need to own the device. Unlike smartphones, tablets are commonly shared among members of a household, so one device is likely to have multiple users. TABLET USER DEMOGRAPHICS ■■ Internet users in all age groups between 18 and 54 will overindex for tablet usage in 2017, with those ages 35 to 44 having the highest penetration of any adult age group (75.8%). Among these users, tablets tend to be used for video viewing, and occasionally for professional purposes.
- 6. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 6 ■■ Child internet users ages 11 and younger have the highest tablet penetration of any group, at 90.5%. Tablets are a favored device for video viewing, and— among older children—for gaming, as well. In 2017, there will be 4.8 million tablet users in this age group, equating to 12.8% of total tablet users in the country. ■■ Adults ages 65 and older will experience the fastest tablet user growth of any age group during the forecast period. Penetration among internet users in this group is expected to rise from 51.6% in 2017 to 59.3% by 2021. ■■ More than seven in 10 female internet users will use a tablet in 2017—almost 5 percentage points higher than the penetration rate among male internet users (66.7%). IPAD USERS ■■ In 2017, 18.9 million individuals in the UK will use an iPad. Due to increased competition from lower-cost rivals—such as Amazon, Lenovo and Samsung—and a slowing market overall, iPad user growth will fall from 9.1% in 2016 to 3.8% this year. By 2021, there will be only an additional 1.5 million iPad users, totaling 20.4 million. ■■ While eMarketer does not expect a shift in iPad’s share of the UK tablet market, the proportion will outpace Apple’s share of the tablet market in the US. Slightly more than half (50.2%) of tablet users in the UK are iOS-based, vs. 46.7% of US tablet users. Cheaper tablet models have made much more headway in the US, cutting into iPad’s share. SOCIAL NETWORK USERS Over two-thirds of internet users in the UK will access a social network at least once a month in 2017—a rate largely driven by Facebook usage. eMarketer has increased its estimate for social network users in 2017 to 36.6 million, due to Facebook user projections across age groups being higher than previously expected. UK Social Network Users and Penetration, 2015-2021 Social network users (millions) —% change —% of internet users —% of population 2015 34.0 5.5% 65.3% 52.1% 2016 35.4 4.2% 66.4% 53.8% 2017 36.6 3.4% 67.2% 55.1% 2018 37.5 2.5% 67.7% 56.0% 2019 38.3 2.1% 68.3% 56.7% 2020 38.9 1.8% 68.8% 57.2% 2021 39.5 1.5% 69.2% 57.7% Note: internet users of any age who use social networks via any device at least once per month Source: eMarketer, Feb 2017 222731 www.eMarketer.com With more than half of the UK population already accessing social networks, usage will continue to increase slowly, with growth largely attributable to older adults joining social platforms for the first time. Growth will decline from 3.4% this year to 1.5% by 2021. SOCIAL NETWORK USER DEMOGRAPHICS ■■ Nearly all young millennial internet users ages 18 to 24 will use a social network regularly in 2017, registering a penetration rate of 97.7%. Adoption is markedly higher among this segment than any other age group, and also higher than eMarketer’s estimate for US social network users ages 18 to 24 (88.5%). ■■ Usage will also be strong among internet users ages 25 to 34 (89.8%) and ages 35 to 44 (80.5%). For 25- to 34-year-olds, eMarketer has raised its penetration estimates, reflecting recent data showing increased Facebook usage.This has also pushed overall social network user growth for this age group to 2.8% in 2017.
- 7. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 7 ■■ A majority of growth in social network usage will come from children ages 11 and younger and adults ages 65 and older. Each of these groups will account for less than one in 10 of all users this year—3.1% and 8.0%, respectively. However, that also means they have the most room for growth. Social networks are more child-friendly than ever, as their emphasis on video content grows. Growth among the youngest age cohort will reach 6.1% this year, and growth among those ages 65 and older will hit 17.9%. ■■ Females will make up more of the total social network audience than males in 2017, accounting for 55.3% of overall users. Penetration will be higher as well, with 73.6% of female internet users accessing social networks, compared with 60.7% of male internet users. MOBILE PHONE SOCIAL NETWORK USERS ■■ Spurred by growth due to mobile-focused social networks such as Instagram and Snapchat, mobile phone social network usage will grow by 5.4% in 2017—a rate consistent with smartphone user growth. By 2019, more than half of the UK population will access social networks via mobile phone at least once a month. ■■ This year, 32.2 million of the 36.6 million total UK social network users will access social sites via mobile phone.This share will remain consistent throughout the forecast period. ■■ Nearly three-quarters of mobile phone internet users will access a social network on their device this year, making it the most popular mobile phone activity included in the forecast—besting mobile phone video viewing by more than 5 percentage points.This gap will not shrink significantly by 2021. ■■ Millennial mobile phone users ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 are the groups most likely to access social networks on their devices, with penetration rates of 92.0% and 85.1%, respectively.Those ages 12 to 17 and 35 to 44 will also have high penetration, with more than seven out of 10 mobile phone users in each group visiting social networks via their device. ■■ In 2017, 93.5% of male social network users will use a mobile phone to connect, compared with 83.5% of female social network users. However, since social networks remain more popular among females overall, they will still hold a larger share of the mobile phone social network audience, at 52.5%. TABLET SOCIAL NETWORK USERS ■■ eMarketer expects tablet social network users to total 16.9 million in 2017, representing more than a quarter of the UK population. Just under half of all tablet users and social network users will use the device to access their networks this year, a rate that will remain roughly the same through 2021. However, more than 50% of social network users are expected to access them via tablet beginning in 2020. ■■ Tablet social network usage is a less popular activity than tablet video viewing or gaming. Roughly 45% of tablet users will regularly access social networks on the device this year, while 63.5% will watch video and 48.9% will play games. FACEBOOK USERS ■■ With nearly 90% of UK social network users expected to access Facebook in 2017, the platform is the driver of most social networking trends in the country. Nearly half of the population, or three out of every five internet users, will access the platform this year. ■■ The number of total Facebook users will grow 2.8% to 32.7 million this year, fueled primarily by adults ages 55 and older signing up for the first time. However, Facebook’s reach among overall social network users will decline slightly, decreasing to 89.4%.Young users are expected to spend less time on Facebook, due to competing networks like Snapchat and Instagram. However, the broader impact will be minimal, with the platform’s reach among social users dropping only to 88.2% by 2021.
- 8. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 8 ■■ Based on recent data, eMarketer has increased its estimates for the number of Facebook users ages 18 to 24. However, due to a decline in population for this age group (expected to fall 1% in 2017), as well as slowly falling Facebook penetration, Facebook usage among 18- to 24-year-olds will still fall 1.1% this year. Based on the same data, eMarketer has also increased the total number of Facebook users ages 25 to 34. ■■ Facebook penetration among social network users ages 18 to 54, as well as those ages 65 and older, will remain above 90% this year. For adults ages 65 and older, a penetration rate of 90.1% reflects Facebook’s continued status as the most popular social network with this age group. ■■ Nearly 4 million more females will use Facebook than males this year—18.2 million vs. 14.5 million, respectively. TWITTER USERS ■■ The UK is one ofTwitter’s most prominent markets, but company reports from the social network have revealed slowing growth worldwide. As a result, eMarketer has adjusted its UK growth figures downward—to 2.5% in 2017. Growth will be slightly above that of the US (1.9%), but lower than worldwide Twitter user growth (3.4%). ■■ There will be 12.5 million UKTwitter users this year, equating to 34.3% of social network users and under one-quarter of internet users. Penetration rates among both internet and social network users will remain relatively consistent throughout the forecast period. ■■ The share of social network users accessingTwitter will remain largely stagnant across all age groups this year. Social network users ages 18 to 24 will have the highest penetration, at 51.0%. However, this group will experience declines from 2018 through the end of the forecast, reaching 50.6% penetration by 2021. Attention to the platform is waning, with fewer people accessing monthly and instead spending time on other platforms like Instagram. ■■ The percentage of females and males usingTwitter will be nearly even this year. Among social network users, 37.6% of males will use the platform, vs. 31.6% of females—likely due in part to the platform’s popularity with sports fans. Penetration among both male and female social network users will decline by more than 1 percentage point through 2021. MOBILE PHONE FACEBOOKAND TWITTER USERS ■■ In 2017, 45.7% of the UK population will access Facebook via mobile phone; that figure will jump to approximately half of the population by 2021. Over 30 million people, or 92.8% of Facebook users, will use a mobile phone to access the platform this year. ■■ Twitter has a much smaller mobile phone audience than Facebook, at 12.1 million people. However,Twitter’s user base is more mobile overall, with mobile phone Twitter users accounting for 96.4% of all users of the platform. TABLET FACEBOOKANDTWITTER USERS ■■ Facebook will retain a sizable tablet audience of 14.2 million users, or 43.4% of all Facebook users, in 2017.This equates to more than a quarter of internet users and roughly one-fifth of the population. ■■ A similar share ofTwitter’s audience will access the platform on tablets this year—5.6 million people, or 44.6% of allTwitter users.
- 9. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 9 INSTAGRAM USERS millions, % change and % of social network users UK Instagram Users and Penetration, 2015-2021 2015 8.3 114.4% 24.5% 2016 12.2 46.5% 34.4% 2017 14.4 18.2% 39.3% 2018 16.0 11.5% 42.8% 2019 17.2 7.4% 45.1% 2020 18.0 4.2% 46.1% 2021 18.7 3.9% 47.2% Instagram users % change % of social network users Note: mobile phone users of any age who access their Instagram account via mobile phone app at least once per month Source: eMarketer, Feb 2017 222700 www.eMarketer.com ■■ Instagram adoption in the UK has been slower than in the US, perhaps because Facebook has seemed sufficient for the population’s social networking needs. However, the platform has made headway among social network users, and eMarketer estimates there will be 14.4 million mobile phone Instagram users in 2017—reflecting a growth rate of 18.2%.The platform will continue to add users at a fast pace, growing 11.5% in 2018 and reaching 18.7 million users by 2021. ■■ Nearly four out of every 10 social network users will access Instagram this year; by 2021, that share will rise to 47.2%. Over half of mobile phone social network users will be on Instagram by 2019. SNAPCHAT USERS ■■ Snapchat is currently playing catch-up to Instagram, but will nearly match its numbers by the end of the forecast period.This year, the platform’s audience will grow 20.6% to total 13.6 million users. Increases will remain steady throughout the forecast period, with the number of users reaching 18.3 million by 2021. ■■ Over a third (37.1%) of social network users will use Snapchat in 2017, and the platform will near Instagram’s penetration rate among this group by 2021, at 46.4%. Half of all mobile phone social network users will access Snapchat by 2020.
- 10. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 10 DIGITAL VIDEO VIEWERS Nearly two-thirds of the UK population will watch digital video regularly this year.Viewing has been spurred by the prevalence of video-sharing on social media, and by mobile devices that are capable of supporting video while on the go. UK Digital Video Viewers and Penetration, 2015-2021 Digital video viewers (millions) —% change —% of internet users —% of population 2015 39.9 5.8% 76.8% 61.2% 2016 41.8 4.5% 78.3% 63.4% 2017 43.2 3.5% 79.4% 65.1% 2018 44.3 2.6% 80.1% 66.2% 2019 45.3 2.1% 80.8% 67.1% 2020 46.1 1.9% 81.5% 67.8% 2021 46.8 1.5% 81.9% 68.3% Note: internet users of any age who watch streaming or downloaded video content via any device at least once per month Source: eMarketer, Feb 2017 222733 www.eMarketer.com The UK digital video audience will see minor growth of 3.5% this year, pushing the total number of viewers to 43.2 million. With so many people viewing digital video already, the growth rate will continue to slow.There will be 46.8 million viewers by the end of the forecast period, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.3% between 2016 and 2021. Following mobile phone adoption trends, a majority of new digital video viewers will be children ages 11 and younger and seniors 65 and older. Furthermore, an abundance of affordable 4G service will enable viewers to consume video via their phones while on the go. DIGITALVIDEOVIEWER DEMOGRAPHICS ■■ Nearly all internet users ages 18 to 24 (96.6%) will view digital video regularly this year. Strong 4G service and the sharing of video on social media have helped fuel penetration among this group. ■■ Growth in digital video viewership will be largely driven by increasing numbers of children ages 11 and younger watching video. Due to a 6.3% increase in this group, there will be 4.4 million video viewers under age 12 in 2017. In November 2015,YouTube releasedYouTube Kids in the UK and Ireland, highlighting content specifically aimed at children under age 5.The potential popularity of this app may help to explain recent Ofcom data, which showed higher-than-expected digital video penetration among 3- and 4-year-olds. ■■ Viewership is much lower among older adults. Just over two-thirds of internet users ages 55 to 64, and 51.1% of those ages 65 and older, will watch digital video content regularly. However, as digital video offerings expand— such as with digital offerings of popularTV shows— more viewers in these age groups are expected to tune in online.This year, the number of digital video viewers ages 55 to 64 will grow 5.6%, and viewers ages 65 and older will grow 10.5%. ■■ Unlike most other digital activities, video viewing is much more popular among males than among females. Nearly 84% of male internet users will watch digital video regularly this year, compared with about 75% of female internet users. Penetration is strong enough that—despite comprising less of the overall population—males will account for 52.1% of all UK digital video viewers. As withTwitter, it is likely that the popularity of sports bolsters male consumption. MOBILE PHONEVIDEOVIEWERS ■■ Nearly seven out of every 10 digital video viewers will watch video content via their mobile phone this year. Growth will be steady, at 7.1%—slightly faster than overall UK smartphone adoption, which is driving much of the gains in mobile phone video viewers. ■■ More than half (55.6%) of mobile phone users, or 29.9 million people, will watch video on their device this year. As with overall video viewer growth, mobile phone video viewer growth is slowing, and penetration will hover just below half of the UK population through 2021. TABLETVIDEOVIEWERS ■■ Tablets are the go-to device for video viewing among UK children ages 11 and younger, and high viewership in this age group will generate strong overall gains.The total tablet video audience will increase 6.5% in 2017, totaling 23.9 million people. ■■ Ofcom data shows tablets are being used more frequently than desktops/laptops for video viewing on YouTube. Due partly to this migration, two-thirds of tablet users and 40.4% of the population are expected to watch digital video on tablets by 2020.
- 11. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11 DIGITAL AUDIO LISTENERS There will be 34.5 million UK digital audio listeners in 2017, equating to 63.4% of internet users. Spotify and other streaming services are making headway in the market, being driven by internet-connected audio devices such as smartphones, connected cars and smartTVs. eMarketer defines digital audio listeners as individuals who listen to music or audio content (e.g., podcasts) via live streaming on any device, or direct download on mobile devices, at least once per month. MOBILE PHONEAUDIO LISTENERS ■■ Mobile phone audio listeners will account for nearly six in 10 overall digital audio listeners this year. Smartphone users will account for nearly all (98.7%) of the 20.4 million mobile phone audio listeners. ■■ The number of mobile phone audio listeners will increase at a faster rate (6.5%) than overall digital audio listeners (3.5%) in 2017. Streaming music services such as Spotify continue to add listeners and subscribers, who also download music to listen offline on their mobile phones. TABLETAUDIO LISTENERS ■■ There will be 14.2 million tablet audio listeners in 2017, representing less than half of UK digital audio listeners and 26.1% of internet users. Since tablets are not as readily accessible as mobile phones in everyday life, usage remains comparatively low. ■■ As total audio listening grows, tablet listening is expected to increase 5.9% this year. Roughly a third of tablet users will listen to audio via the device this year. DIGITAL GAMERS At 26.4 million, the number of digital gamers trails digital audio listeners by 8.1 million people. Penetration is solid, with nearly 40% of the UK population estimated to play digital games at least once per month in 2017. By 2019, half of all internet users will be digital gamers. A majority of digital gaming activity occurs via mobile apps, rather than desktops/laptops or consoles. Since smartphone adoption is a driver of mobile gaming, its moderate growth will help cap digital gamers’ growth rate at 3.8% this year. eMarketer defines digital gamers as individuals of any age who play games online via any device at least once per month.The category includes mobile app and browser gaming, online console gaming, and gaming on social networks. SMARTPHONE GAMERS ■■ Mobile devices have helped to make gaming a widespread activity: Over a third (34.8%) of the UK population will play a smartphone game this year. Nearly nine in 10 digital gamers (87.3%) will play smartphone games this year, reflecting an increase of 11.0%. ■■ Last year, for the first time, over half of smartphone users played a smartphone game—that number will rise to 54.1% in 2017.Through 2021, gaming will continue to become more common on mobile phones, as there will be fewer mobile phones that are not smartphones. By then, smartphone gamers will account for 49.1% of mobile phone users.
- 12. UK DIGITAL USERS: THE EMARKETER FORECAST FOR 2017 ©2017 EMARKETER INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 12 TABLET GAMERS ■■ Gaming is a popular activity among tablet users: Almost half (48.9%) will play games regularly on a tablet this year. By 2018, over half of tablet users will be tablet gamers. ■■ Growth in tablet gamers will be 11.4% this year and 8.8% in 2018; this is due in part to the popularity of smartphone gaming, and those gamers going on to also play on tablet devices. Recent research from Deloitte has also found that tablets are the device of choice for gaming among females and people ages 45 and older. EMAIL USERS ■■ While the prevalence of chat and communication apps is reducing the need to use email as frequently, usage in the UK will remain high, and will continue to register slight growth through at least 2020.There will be 48.7 million UK email users in 2017, representing 89.5% of internet users and 73.4% of the population. ■■ eMarketer defines email users as internet users of any age who send an email via any device at least once per month. EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION CONTRIBUTORS Michael Balletti Copy Editor Joanne DiCamillo Senior Production Artist Katie Hamblin Chart Editorial Manager Dana Hill Director of Production Eden Kelley Chart Editor Stephanie Meyer Senior Production Artist Kris Oser Deputy Editorial Director Heather Price Managing Editor, Reports John Rambow Executive Editor, Reports Erica Walker Copy Editor
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