Covid-19 impact: consumers tighten belts but go big on home entertainment

This report is available to those subscribed to the Digital Consumer module.
The acceleration of Covid-19 from a virus localised in China to a global pandemic has been exceptionally rapid. Reported cases have now surpassed 1 million, driven by community transmission that has shifted west to Europe and now the US. The effects on national healthcare systems, economic activity and day-to-day living have been profound.
The resulting widespread shift in working patterns and increased demand for home entertainment have thrust communications and the resiliency of telecoms networks to the fore. In recognition of the vast number of people and organisations that drive or depend on such networks, our latest series of Insight Spotlights examines the implications of Covid-19 across the telecoms, media and technology sector.
In this analysis, we focus on how consumer behaviour will change in response to the pandemic, including the smartphones that people buy and the digital entertainment services they use. We also consider how the digital consumer industries will need to adjust and adapt.
Related research
Capitalising on smartphones as the leading digital playground: five priority areas for OEMs
Today, smartphones are the leading digital playground. According to our consumer survey, almost 80% of smartphone users consume digital entertainment services, including video, music and games, on a weekly basis. How can smartphone OEMs capitalise on the prime position that their devices have in digital services consumption? In this report we lay out the five key areas here that smartphone OEMs should focus on. These include implementing bundling strategies, leveraging tech and network advances, and identifying the prime consumer segments for digital services.
Extended reality: developing a successful B2C strategy requires work in five important areas
Extended reality (XR) technology, which comprises augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality, has been around for a while, but it still suffers from a low adoption rate. Only 5% of consumers on average own an XR headset, according to the latest GSMA Intelligence consumer survey, conducted across 12 major mobile markets worldwide. In this report, we discuss the five key areas that XR companies need to focus on for developing a successful consumer strategy, which include identifying the prime consumer segments to target and widening consumer access to XR experiences.
Reliance Jio: A 5G strategy aligned with an ambition to become one of India's preeminent digital services providers
Operator strategies continue to evolve in the digital era as the telecoms industry seeks to capture new growth opportunities in the consumer and enterprise markets. Assessing innovation and achievements is more important than ever before. GSMA Intelligence's operator case studies provide a concise and consistent way to shine a light on and analyse operators' strategies and business models, as well as how they are launching new services. This edition explores Jio Reliance's approach to capturing the consumer 5G opportunity.
Authors
How to access this report
Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.
Enquire about subscriptionContact our research team
Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.
Contact our research teamMedia
To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.
Learn moreRelated research
Capitalising on smartphones as the leading digital playground: five priority areas for OEMs
Today, smartphones are the leading digital playground. According to our consumer survey, almost 80% of smartphone users consume digital entertainment services, including video, music and games, on a weekly basis. How can smartphone OEMs capitalise on the prime position that their devices have in digital services consumption? In this report we lay out the five key areas here that smartphone OEMs should focus on. These include implementing bundling strategies, leveraging tech and network advances, and identifying the prime consumer segments for digital services.
Extended reality: developing a successful B2C strategy requires work in five important areas
Extended reality (XR) technology, which comprises augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality, has been around for a while, but it still suffers from a low adoption rate. Only 5% of consumers on average own an XR headset, according to the latest GSMA Intelligence consumer survey, conducted across 12 major mobile markets worldwide. In this report, we discuss the five key areas that XR companies need to focus on for developing a successful consumer strategy, which include identifying the prime consumer segments to target and widening consumer access to XR experiences.
Reliance Jio: A 5G strategy aligned with an ambition to become one of India's preeminent digital services providers
Operator strategies continue to evolve in the digital era as the telecoms industry seeks to capture new growth opportunities in the consumer and enterprise markets. Assessing innovation and achievements is more important than ever before. GSMA Intelligence's operator case studies provide a concise and consistent way to shine a light on and analyse operators' strategies and business models, as well as how they are launching new services. This edition explores Jio Reliance's approach to capturing the consumer 5G opportunity.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics