It’s college basketball season, and sports fans everywhere, especially those who agonize over their March Madness brackets, want to make sure they don’t miss a second of the action. The tournament starts with a deluge of games the week of March 13th, and it’s never been easier for fans to watch, stream, and cheer their way through the month.
For many IT departments, this means added concerns of network slowdowns and disruptions. Even with added challenges for IT, are employees streaming anyway? Has hybrid work changed the way we feel about streaming content during work hours? And are opinions shifting with newer, digital-native generations in the workforce? We asked ~1,000 Americans about the upcoming streaming season, and here’s what we learned:
Streaming at Work? Time to BYOD:
- One third (32%) of respondents agree that they regularly stream sporting events, shows, or music on their device during work hours. Gen Z? Over 2 in 5.
- However, it appears some streamers are thinking twice about the burden streaming on work devices may place on IT, as personal devices were by far the preference for streaming compared to work devices. 59% of respondents say personal phones were their preferred devices, followed by personal computers (46%) and personal tablets (31%).
- Nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents say they will be streaming March Madness while on the job, 59% being Gen Zers.
Catch Me (Streaming) If You Can:
- Almost one in five (17%) say they stream even though IT has told them not to. If you ask millennials, it’s more than 1 in 5. Gen Z? 1 in 4.
- A quarter of respondents (25%) say that streaming on their work device has caused technical problems in the past. And age isn’t a factor - only 2% more baby boomers report problems than Gen Z.
- 26% of Gen Z don’t know if their company is aware of their streaming habits, but plan to watch March Madness regardless of any potential consequences. That number is 20% when you look at all ages.
Let the Madness Begin:
- 33% say they think their company knows about their streaming, but it’s not a problem so long as the work gets done.
- More than half of respondents (54%) report they feel less guilty about streaming while working at home vs. in the office.
- One in ten say they don’t know if their employer is aware of their streaming, but that’s why the Boss Button was invented – the one-click “clear the screen” feature available on some streaming broadcasts.
For IT departments, this is an opportunity to make sure they are equipped with the right tools and technology to be able to respond to any disruptions quickly and easily – from wherever they are. Whether it’s innocent streaming in the background or a minor symptom of quiet quitting, there’s a significant number of Americans who cannot wait for the tournament to get started – and we know where their eyeballs will be.
