Effectv analysis of sports fandom reveals fans prefer to watch live sports events on a screen and have positive perceptions of ads shown during sports programming

New report reveals insights into how different fans engage with sports content and considerations for advertisers looking to reach viewers across traditional TV and streaming ahead of the 2024-2025 seasons

Today Effectv, the sales division of Comcast Advertising, released a new report titled Behind the Remote: A Deep Dive into Sports Viewership & Fandom. Based primarily on a survey of American sports fans, the study examines the current sports viewing landscape. Chief among the findings is that 85% of all sports fans prefer watching live sports on TV over attending a game in-person. More than half of the respondents cited the ability to see all aspects of the game as the main reason for this preference.

“Sports content has always been a trusted avenue for advertisers to reach large, highly engaged audiences within premium, brand-safe inventory,” said Pooja Midha, EVP and GM, Effectv. “Now, as football season kicks off and more live sports shift to streaming, advertisers of all sizes have greater opportunity than ever to connect with devoted fan bases at scale, even if they don’t have Super Bowl-sized budgets.”

The study surveyed 1,000 participants representative of the adult U.S. population who engaged with any sports content (live game coverage, sports-related talk shows, etc.) in the prior six months. It determined that sports fans spend an average of 3.2 hours a week watching sports content.

The survey results reaffirm how sports fans’ viewing habits have changed with live sports’ expansion to streaming. While 57% of sports fans typically watch lives sports on traditional TV, 46% of sports fans signed up for a streaming service to follow a specific sport or watch a tentpole sporting event. And 58% of those fans that keep the service do so because it is dedicated to a sport they love.

Additional insights from the report include:

• 69% of fans will watch until the end of the game even if the team they are rooting for is losing.
• Ads shown during live sports are +47% more likely to be seen by groups of 2+ people than the average non-sports traditional TV program.
• Nearly half of sports fans have positive perceptions of ads shown during game coverage. Among those who find ads disruptive, ad frequency and repetition are the top reasons.

“The demand for live sports content is at an all-time high. Whether people are watching via traditional TV or a streaming service, looking up real-time stats, or placing bets on the outcome of a game, sports fans are invested in new ways to engage with content,” said Travis Flood, Executive Director of Insights, Comcast Advertising. “But not all sports fans interact with programming the same way. To better harness the power of sports advertising, it’s important for advertisers to know how and where different types of fans engage with their content.”

The report concludes with actionable insights for advertisers to consider including understanding the value of casual fans, leaning into new opportunities that arise from sports expansion to streaming and the growth of niche sports, and optimizing ad creative to drive better audience engagement.

To view the full findings, download Behind the Remote: A Deep Dive into Sports Viewership & Fandom.

About Effectv

Effectv, the sales division of Comcast Advertising, helps local, regional, and national advertisers use the best of digital with the power of TV to grow their business. It provides multi-screen marketing solutions to make advertising campaigns more effective and easier to execute. Headquartered in New York with offices throughout the country, Effectv has a presence in 66 markets with nearly 35 million owned and represented subscribers. For more information, visit www.effectv.com.

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