Advanced Television

Data: PSG victory drives peak mobile traffic in France

June 2, 2025

As Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League Final on May 31st, mobile app usage patterns across Europe told the story of the match in real-time data. French fans celebrated with sustained social media activity, while Italian supporters showed sharp engagement drops after the final whistle, according to research from AppsFlyer.

By analysing app engagement minute-by-minute across major European markets during the final, AppsFlyer’s data revealed how live sporting events drive distinct second-screen behaviours that mirror fan emotions, celebrations and disappointments. The starkest contrasts emerged between the nations of the champions and the contenders, with France demonstrating sustained celebratory engagement, while Italy’s usage patterns reflected the sting of defeat.

French fans stayed digitally engaged throughout their victory: Social media use surged 49 per cent at halftime and remained elevated +24 per cent at the final whistle. Sports betting showed massive reactivity with spikes of +198 per cent and +105 per cent on early goals, plus an 81 per cent halftime increase. Even dating apps saw upticks during celebratory pauses, with +22 per cent at halftime and +10 per cent at the trophy moment.

Italian engagement told a different story: Despite strong halftime social media activity +48 per cent and the tournament’s highest dating app spike +25 per cent at half time, usage plummeted post-match. Social media dropped -12 per cent after the trophy presentation, dating apps fell -9 per cent, and food delivery crashed -55 per cent, despite a notable +26 per cent spike during the trophy moment itself. The drop-off reflects the low national mood among supporters.

The tale of the two cities was equally revealing. Milan recorded the single highest halftime social media spike at +53 per cent, but saw a sharp -12 per cent drop post-trophy reflecting true deflation. Paris fans showed more measured but sustained engagement: +30 per cent at halftime with only a modest -3 per cent decline after victory, reflecting ongoing celebration.

Beyond national differences, the data revealed that different app categories have distinct opportunity windows during live events. Sports betting remained highly reactive throughout the match, while dating apps saw their biggest spikes during halftime breaks across all markets – suggesting fans re-engage with personal connections during breaks in the game. Food delivery apps showed the most varied patterns, declining during intense moments but surging during celebratory periods.

AppsFlyer also looked at mobile use trends for other European countries.

The UK showed steady second-screen habits with moderate social media increases (+14 per cent halftime, +20 per cent post-match) and pronounced betting spikes (+59 per cent at the first goal, 30 per cent at halftime) before the typical post-match dropoff.
Spain followed similar patterns with social media climbing +25 per cent at halftime and maintaining 19 per cent elevation post-match. Sports betting peaked early with a +57 per cent spike at the second goal before declining 56 per cent after the final whistle.
Germany remained relatively subdued across all categories, with only modest halftime engagement (+6 per cent) and notable post-match declines (-13 per cent at trophy, -23 per cent overall), suggesting less emotional investment in the final.
“Live sport creates unique marketing moments that don’t follow traditional digital patterns,” says Paul Wright, GM Western Europe and MENA at AppsFlyer. “Brands need to think beyond simple audience targeting and consider how different emotions and game phases create entirely different engagement opportunities across app categories.”

Categories: APPS, Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Mobile, Research, Social Media

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