Zen Internet, the award-winning internet service provider, has revealed its busiest year on record for network traffic, with the peak period occurring on 4th December 2024. This surge was driven by live football streaming, reaching a 17% increase over the previous year and 10% above the average for a typical December evening. This milestone also marked a 4% rise compared to Zen’s highest traffic recorded in September 2024.
The December spike coincided with Amazon Prime’s live coverage of the Premier League, including the highly anticipated match between Arsenal and Manchester United. Zen’s previous traffic peak on 17th September also occurred during live football streaming on Amazon Prime, during a Champions League match between AC Milan and Liverpool. The September traffic surge was also influenced by an update to the popular game Fortnite, demonstrating a mix of live sports and gaming content driving internet usage.
The Power of Football on Internet Traffic
Zen CEO Richard Tang commented on the increasing trend of live football streaming:
“This sustained surge in traffic during Amazon’s live football broadcasts demonstrates the significant appeal of sports streaming. Matches available to Amazon Prime members at no extra charge are attracting larger audiences than traditional pay-per-view options, making live sports a major driver of internet demand across the UK.”
Despite the growing popularity of live football streaming, Zen’s data also highlighted a counterintuitive trend: England’s successful run to the European Championships (Euros) final this summer had little to no effect on Zen’s network usage. This suggests that many people still prefer watching live football on terrestrial television when available, even if streaming options are also offered.
Key Events Fueling Network Traffic Spikes
Zen’s 2024 network traffic was not solely driven by football. Several other major events contributed to notable traffic increases:
- 2nd November: Daytime traffic spiked 20% above average as coverage of severe floods in Valencia and Kemi Badenoch’s election as Conservative Party leader dominated the news cycle.
- 9th July: A sharp rise in traffic followed the distressing news from the Gaza conflict, showing heightened engagement with both news sites and social media platforms.
Interestingly, 2024 revealed a shift away from video games and gaming-related content, which had previously been the dominant traffic drivers in prior years. Unlike in previous years, no significant peaks were attributed to major video game releases, likely due to staggered launch strategies that prioritised pre-orders and gradual rollouts of new titles.
A Year of Steady Growth for Zen
Zen’s 2024 data also highlighted consistent and sustained growth in internet traffic throughout the entire year. The company surpassed 200,000 broadband subscribers in April, and traffic in December was 6.4% higher than in November, reflecting the seasonal impact of longer nights and colder weather.
Even during the summer months, traffic was up, with 13th June exceeding the 2023 peak by 5.4%. Richard Tang explained: “While live sports and major news events have undeniably contributed to peak traffic, the broader trend points to continued growth in baseline usage. As a nation, we are relying more heavily on internet-connected services and devices, and Zen customers can trust that we are preparing for future demands in 2025 and beyond.”
Zen remains dedicated to ensuring that its network is future-proof, investing in next-generation infrastructure to meet the ever-growing demands of a digitally connected world.
