England’s FIFA World Cup Round of 32 victory over DR Congo generated the highest mobile data traffic ever recorded on the O2 network, highlighting the growing impact of live sports streaming on mobile connectivity across the UK.
Source: FIFA.com
According to Virgin Media O2, mobile traffic during the match exceeded the company’s previous all-time record by 20.38 percent, surpassing the peak established during the Arsenal vs PSG UEFA Champions League Final. Compared with a similar pre-tournament week, overall mobile traffic was 27.67 percent higher as millions of football fans streamed, followed, and shared reactions throughout the evening.
EE and VodafoneThree have not yet published comparable mobile data traffic figures for the England vs DR Congo FIFA World Cup match. Three UK recorded the UK’s fastest 5G Speed Score of 53.46, according to Ookla’s Speedtest Awards. Vodafone ranked second with a 5G Speed Score of 43.05. EE leads several independent network quality rankings, including overall download speeds and reliability in the UK.
The timing of the football match significantly influenced network demand. With kick-off coinciding with the evening commute, BBC iPlayer traffic surged 380 percent above a typical weekday afternoon, reflecting the growing preference among users to watch live sporting events on smartphones while travelling.
O2’s network analytics also revealed changing consumer behaviour during the game. After DR Congo scored the opening goal, traffic across popular apps including TikTok, WhatsApp, and Tinder increased as supporters briefly shifted their attention away from the match. However, once England equalised in the second half, usage across all three apps declined as viewers returned their focus to the live action.
The record traffic levels demonstrate how major sporting events are placing increasing pressure on mobile networks as consumers simultaneously stream video, interact on social media, and use messaging services.
To support this growing demand, Virgin Media O2 is investing £700 million through its Mobile Transformation Plan, aimed at expanding network capacity, improving reliability, and ensuring customers remain connected during periods of peak mobile data usage driven by live entertainment and sporting events.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
