Whenever it comes to sports, I feel like those of us who had our childhood in the 2000s witnessed the best era of sports fandom. Be it cricket, football, or any other sport for that matter, we got to see the best athletes create a legacy. We got to see greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Ronaldinho, and Steven Gerrard in their prime. One of my fondest memories from that time would be the FIFA World Cup of 2006. I can recall my dad and I watching the matches together on our small box TV with a bad signal. Although we could hardly see anything with the constant grey screen errors and noise effects. Half the time, one of us would be holding the antenna at a particular position for a better signal. Still, I would say those were the days when I got engulfed in the world of sports. I remember how furious I got when Zidane was given a red card at the end of the extra time in 2006’s World Cup final, eventually leading France to an unexpected loss to Italy.
But gone are the days of making literal plans and going through numerous hurdles to watch a sporting event. The massive advancement in entertainment technology in the past decade has made watching sports a much easier and more relaxing experience for the fans.
One such innovation is the rise of digital sports audio and a fandom growing around it. Within a short period of time it has turned out to be a huge industry in the Western world, and it is gaining an audience worldwide at a rapid pace.
Sports Audio – Is It Just Another Fad?
Sports media, as we all know, plays a key role in shaping how audiences experience, understand, and engage with sports. Without it, the whole idea of sports fandom becomes mundane. While talking about sports media, if we look specifically at sports audio, we can see that there’s loads of evidence that it plays an integral role in sports fandom.
Sports audio basically means all forms of digital audio content centered around sports. It can be in the form of live radio broadcasts and podcasts, shows, or even music related to sporting events. Sports fans today crave more than just the live game coverage. They want in-depth analysis of every game, behind-the-scenes stories, and more community interactions.
It is not only hyped up in the Western countries. We can see many up-and-coming sports audio content creators from the South Asian region as well. A huge potential for sports audio content lies in this region because of the popularity of sports like cricket.
It has been shown in a survey conducted by Edison Research that a strong 64% of sports fans frequently or occasionally listened to sports content throughout 2023 via audio. These include mediums such as AM/FM radio, podcasts, and many other platforms.
If we compare that with sports videos, 89% of fans consumed the video content. That is where the problem lies with sports audio; it often gets overshadowed by what we see on TV or through streaming. And we are in no place to blame the fans; they need to watch their games live and watch their favorite athletes in action.
Be that as it may, we also can’t ignore the fact that the evolving sports audio landscape is shaping perspectives. They are influencing the way fans see the game and perceive the sports world. Especially the die-hard sports fans who live on this type of content are more prone to influence.
Sports Audio – Diverse Fans, Audiences and Engagements
The emergence of sports audio content has transformed the way fans engage with sports. The Edison Research survey shows that sports fandom has broadened demographically. In the U.S., half the female population over the age of 13 claims to be sports fans. And it is a multiracial audience, where 34% of women are Asian, Black, and Latino Americans. These multicultural groups are increasingly consuming sports via audio. Recently, 33% of women sports fans listened to sports audio to follow trends and their favorite athletes’ lifestyles.
There is a diverse pool of fans when it comes to sports audio content. Sports fans experience the content in various ways. Fantasy sports players rely on this content for updates and strategies for playing their fantasy leagues. According to Edison’s survey, in 2023, about 23% of fans played fantasy sports, and 41% of sports podcast listeners participated in fantasy sports leagues.
In a wholesome way, music and sports have always blended well together. Starting from stadium anthems to the fans chanting along with their favorite teams’ songs, music becomes intertwined with sports. During big sporting events like the FIFA World Cup, we see famous musicians collaborating with FIFA to release a theme song. Even casual fans, who are just there for the party, are drawn to the game because of the music.
Sports Audio Interactions Among Generations
A large number of superfans who have a strong preference for athletes’ lives beyond the field are young. These fans can’t get enough content, and they turn to wherever they can to get exclusive sports coverage. Sports audio has become a gateway for them to a world full of sports fandom charisma. The majority of Gen Z and millennials follow the personal lives of athletes they like beyond their sports careers.
The Edison survey shows that 52% of Gen Z and 57% of millennial sports fans are invested in players’ lives. This shows that the older generation is following the sports more closely than the newer ones.
This demographic is more likely to be loyal to their favorite players than teams. An astounding 70% of millennial sports fans and 62% of Gen Z say that they continue to follow athletes if they are traded to a new team. This was evident from the incident of world-famous footballer Cristiano Ronaldo leaving for Al-Nassr FC. The boomers and Gen X comparatively stick to their teams for a long period of time.
Advertising in Sports Audio Contents
In the global advertising landscape, many advertisers find sports podcasts a good entry point into the medium. Numerous brands have already familiarized themselves with the sports media through AM/FM radio, podcasts, and other audio platforms. One of the biggest factors in sports is bringing people together—connecting the community. Listening to sports audio makes the fans feel connected to their teams, favorite players, and other fans. Brands have a great opportunity to get in on all the passion and loyalty the fans inspire.
A common trait of any sports content listener is that after listening, they discuss what they heard with their friends and family. Any advertiser looking to reach a connected audience can play a crucial role here by integrating their brands.
The Edison survey also shows that sports audio listeners are big spenders. They spend an average of $262 on sports merch/souvenirs in a year. The podcast listeners spend even more, amounting to nearly $321 a year on average. Compared to that, sports video viewers roughly spend around $185 annually. It goes without saying that die-hard fans are more invested in sports merchandise and memorabilia.
Marketing Brew has reported that studies have shown sports audio listeners to be more agreeable to advertising. About two out of three sports audio listeners said they trust the products or services their favorite athletes use or promote. This is an attractive audience base and is more likely to take action on advertising.
Another engaged impressions study by Audacy shows that sports audio content is more attention-grabbing and impactful than others. Conventional platforms like linear TV, video ads, and social media fall behind in engaging audiences. Audacy’s study shows that at each level of the marketing funnel, sports audio outperforms the rest.
Best Brand Strategies in Sports Audio Advertising
The world of sports audio shows new-age brand makers different ways to engage with their consumers. The best news for brands is that nearly any size of business can participate in this audio advertisement sphere. A small, customized sports merch shop can buy a 10-second spot in a sports podcast or radio channel that streams sports content.
Brands across the globe are sponsoring exclusive segments, such as sponsoring game recaps. They are also aligning their name with key moments in the game, like when there’s a home run in baseball.
With sports audio platforms, there are opportunities that don’t exist in other media. Brands are taking ownership of features available through clearing the clutter. A finance company is a good fit to sponsor the coin toss segment of the game. Hospitals and clinics can present injury reports of players in the game. This opens up a new dimension of integrated audio advertising for brands.
The sports audio market is rapidly growing and diversifying across the globe. And brands that are looking to make meaningful connections with their consumers can’t afford to miss this opportunity. With innovative content formats like live play-by-play and many more, brands have the scope to reach unthinkable heights.
Author: Irtiza Zaman
