Leveraging the Reach of Media Buying for Sports Programming

Let’s take a quick timeout from the seemingly endless discussion on the rise of streaming on-demand video services… and how that’s been impacting advertisers by allowing viewers to avoid commercials. There is still one genre that is still consistently viewed live: Sports.

From time to time, some overly optimistic soul thinks that he can watch the game the next day, secure in the belief that everyone would be mindful of his delay, and not spoil the score for him. Almost anyone who naively believed that has found their hopes quickly, mercilessly dashed as soon as they stepped out of the house. By the time the next game rolled around, they made sure that they saw it live with everyone else! It’s a passionate demographic that you can count on to be there during your TV advertising slots.

While the rise in on-demand viewing has altered viewing habits for nearly all program genres, live viewing remains the standard for sports. According to TV data, the vast majority (at least 86%) of sports viewing happens live. So, if you decide to buy TV commercial time during a sporting event, you have a great opportunity to reach a huge audience.

When it comes to TV commercials during sports, you’ve got your viewers right where you want them, eyes riveted on the screen!

Not only do you have them where you want them, but you have access to a far broader demographic of viewers.

Families watch the game together, bringing you members of each generation. Coworkers meet at a local sports bar to cheer on their teams. Millennials enjoy watching a game with friends over their craft beers and tacos. This is your moment.

According to Nielsen’s Year in Sports Media Report, sports content continues to thrive across all screens and formats, and ratings and engagement numbers are still steadily increasing. The amount of sports programming available has skyrocketed to keep up with the demand.

Even with this increased demand, it’s important to remember that not all live sports advertising comes with the mind-blowing price tag of a Super Bowl ad. The term “live sports” covers everything from “The Big Game” to college athletics, outdoor sportsman events, and even newer sports trends like televised Crossfit and Tough Mudder competitions. There are always cost-effective options available when it comes to reaching this audience.

A good place to start if you want to reach this audience is to let our team explore opportunities for national TV advertising rates and local TV advertising rates that match your needs, budget, and goals. We want to help you get the most value from your advertising strategy, while taking away the headache of having to figure this all out on your own while running your business.

Second Screen Advertising

Not only can you advertise with the channels broadcasting, but you can also have to complement ads on mobile devices at the same time. According to the market research company Millward Brown, the use of multiple devices has become the norm worldwide. In the U.S., around half of media consumers use a second screen while watching TV, while in Asia and Africa the percentage is even higher!

70%+ of users stack content, meaning that they spend time viewing unrelated content on their digital devices and TV. Some mesh content, which means that the content on their mobile devices complements the content on tv. Meshed content on second screens can be a fantastic opportunity for advertisers and digital marketers to gain visibility. Some options to leverage this include companion app ads, sponsored tweets, or Facebook posts. They’re displayed at specific times in specific regions to capture the audience that is watching a particular game.

Platforms on the Rise

Media complexity continues to increase and the platforms to provide viewing options will continue to expand and change over time. These changes also bring complexity to the market in the form of inventory ownership, remnant inventory aggregation, and pricing dynamics.

When you’re ready to take the next step and make every advertising dollar count towards your success, we’re here to help. Our experienced team knows how to make the most of the changing TV landscape, and we’re committed to offering you the most effective strategy possible.

Give us a call today to learn more about how we can make the world’s passion for sports for you – (303) 597-9661!