World Cup Becomes a Pajama Event
When Norway's men's team plays its first World Cup match in 28 years, many Norwegians will be following the action from their bedrooms. Among young adults, just as many choose their bed as the pub when watching the tournament.
Football fever is reaching new heights ahead of Norway’s World Cup match against Iraq late Tuesday night. In a recent survey conducted for Telenor, more than 1,000 Norwegians were asked how they plan to follow the tournament.
The results show that most Norwegians will watch the drama from their own living rooms – but many will also opt for bed.
As many as 44% say they plan to watch the World Cup at home on TV
11% say they will watch matches at a pub or restaurant
8% will watch on their phone in bed
7% plan to attend outdoor viewing events
2% say they will travel to the U.S., Canada or Mexico to see matches live
43% say they will not follow the World Cup at all
“People have never had better opportunities to follow the World Cup. TV channels are investing heavily in the tournament, and those on the move can follow every kick of the ball via our 5G network. In addition, outdoor World Cup events are being organized across the country. Our figures show that most people are following the tournament on ‘home turf.’ With many matches taking place late at night, that perhaps isn’t surprising,” says Thomas Midteide, EVP at Telenor.
Young People Choose the Bed
There are clear differences between age groups. Among young adults (18–29), as many as 22% say they plan to watch matches on their phone in bed. The same share in this age group plans to visit a pub or restaurant during the tournament, which runs until mid-July.
“Younger audiences are used to having content available everywhere. That also lowers the threshold for taking the match into the bedroom,” Midteide says.
Norway’s opening match against Iraq kicks off at midnight Norwegian time, with the next match against Senegal taking place between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. The tournament runs through to the final in New York on Sunday, July 19.
“We fully understand the temptation to follow matches from bed given the kickoff times. At the same time, it’s especially important to stay mindful of both sleep and screen breaks in the coming month,” says Midteide.
Telenor’s Screen-Time Advice During the World Cup
Telenor’s data shows that more than half of the population reports over four hours of daily screen time, while 11% exceed eight hours.
To balance football enthusiasm with healthy digital habits, Telenor and the Red Cross offer screen-time guidelines. These include prioritizing what content you spend time on and taking regular breaks from screens.
Read more: Our screen-time advice in collaboration with the Red Cross (in Norwegian)
“One of our tips is to use screens together. That fits especially well with an event like the World Cup. If you put your phone away and enjoy the match with family or friends, it can become a memory for life,” says Midteide.
That leaves just one thing to say: “Go Norway!”