The Allot MobileTrends World Cup Report, tracking mobile bandwidth usage during the FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa, has revealed the strength of mobile streaming in the overall video content mix.

The report collected data during the whole of the tournament and showed that overall mobile data bandwidth usage increased by 24% during matches with web browsing traffic increasing dramatically by 35% during match time.

The key YouTube segment grew by 32% on post-match mornings, a large driver in the 16% increase to mobile data bandwidth usage during this period and overall mobile video streaming increased by 11%.

Allot said that report showed that video content was not typically consumed in real time. During morning hours (8am-12am), the use of YouTube grew by 32%, greatly contributing to the 23% increase in video streaming that occurred in post-match mornings. Allot attribute this to the repeated viewing of key moments from the match on the small screen, as fans relived favourite moments and invite friends to do the same. YouTube bandwidth registered an average 14% decrease during evening matches, confirming to the analyst the finding that during certain matches, subscribers watched less video on their mobile devices and concentrated more on watching the actual match.

The research firm identified that World Cup apps were developed for every mobile platform, and achieved staggering popularity. It highlights iPhone and Android apps such as ESPN 2010 FIFA World Cup, Total Football 2010, World DroidCup, and 2010 World Cup South Africa as particular successes.

Allot concluded that the results show that the small screen did not replace the big screen during the FIFA 2010 World Cup, but instead created a new category. Speciiffically, in its opinion, rather than replacing televisions, mobile devices have found a niche where they function alongside the big screen, enhancing the viewer experience by offering additional information in real time, and providing the ability to watch replays at leisure and share them with friends.