Sports fandom doesn’t end when the game is over or the season is done. Today’s fans are turning to audio content like podcasts and sports talk radio to build meaningful connections with their favorite athletes, personalities and teams. And that’s changing the game for sports advertising.
A 2022 Scarborough podcast study found that one in four podcast listeners regularly tune into sports shows and content. For context, according to Edison Research’s “The Infinite Dial 2022” report, there are 109 million total monthly podcast listeners. Unlike standard play-by-play content, sports podcasts provide an intimate and portable connection that allows listeners to engage with former players, current athletes and coaches week after week. The trusted athlete or sports talk radio host/podcast creator can satisfy the sports fan’s craving for the latest content on sports personalities, stories and events. They also can delve deeper into the personalities, stories and events that shape the industry, demonstrating that it’s not just sports events that drive massive consumer engagement—it’s the connections fans feel with their favorite athletes and sports influencers.
The modern-day sports fan is an always-on, fully connected persona. In fact, a study from Deloitte found that 95% of fans say they have some type of interaction with their favorite team during the off season. And, 60% of SXM Media’s listeners consider themselves superfans.
Advertisers need to take all of this into account as they build out their media plans by transitioning budget into audio advertising to align with highly enthusiastic sports fans. Here are three ways to make that a success.
Use contextual targeting to pinpoint sports superfans at scale
The deprecation of cookies requires a more nuanced way to reach sports enthusiasts across digital channels. As a result, a mix of contextual targeting strategies may now be the most effective way to reach a target audience listening to podcasts at scale.
One option is predictive audience targeting—a solution that uses contextual signals to reach users who index high for key behaviors. This solution is powered by SXM Media’s proprietary episode transcription technology and actionable panel data from Comscore. For example, targeting a predictive segment of TV sports watchers allows marketers to pinpoint sports fanatics and find meaningful scale against high-quality audiences across the growing podcast market.
Align contextually with sports icons and events
Aligning your ads with contextually relevant sports talent and influencers creates impact and allows brands to reach their audiences in authentic environments. Because audio allows for conversation, athletes can convey emotions and experiences through their voice alone.
As an example, look at what recently happened on the podcast of one of the greatest athletes of all time, quarterback Tom Brady. Right after his retirement announcement, Brady, on his “Let’s Go” podcast, sat down with long-time coach Bill Belichick, for an open and emotional conversation. At one point, Belichick called Brady, “The greatest player. The greatest career. The great, great person.” To which Brady responded “Appreciate it.” Though his sentiment was simple, listeners could sense the breadth of Brady’s emotions from his cracking voice and ultimately feel like they’re in the room with two sports icons as Brady was calling an end to his career.
Create immersive audio ad experiences
Audio can evoke personalized emotions and transport listeners to a specific time and place. Think of the roaring sounds of a football stadium after a touchdown or the silence of a tennis stadium disturbed by the angry smash of a racket. By using custom 3D audio, you can differentiate your message and create a lifelike sound experience that puts your listeners fully in the mindset of their favorite events, even when they can’t access them for real.
This is especially relevant for tune-in campaigns. Consider this: An NRF study found that in 2022, 41% of consumers were shopping for tickets to live events. An interactive, immersive audio ad experience helps capitalize on this desire for in-person engagement, allowing you to connect with your consumers in their ideal headspace.
Audio is the champion of sports advertising
Sports fans aren’t going anywhere any time soon, but they are changing up how they interact with their favorite teams, influencers and content. For brands that want to stay ahead of the curve and continue scoring points with consumers, incorporating audio mediums into advertising strategies is the winning play.
