The 2024 football season is upon us, and live sports are back in full swing—bigger and better than ever!
After the disruptions caused by the pandemic, which severely limited spectator attendance in 2020, the sports industry faced significant financial challenges. However, the return of packed stadiums and high viewership has reignited opportunities for teams, advertisers, and brands. The demand for innovative solutions to engage fans, drive revenue, and ensure safety remains at an all-time high.
This presents a golden opportunity for marketers and brands to connect with millions of passionate football fans across the nation. But how can you effectively reach this diverse and engaged audience?
We’ve done the research so you don’t have to. Ready to discover the best strategies to connect with real football fans? Let’s dive in…
1. Football Fans Are Streaming in Record Numbers
It’s no secret that Americans love their sports, and the shift to streaming has only intensified. In 2024, an estimated 60 million viewers will stream live sports in the US alone, with NFL games consistently leading the charge. The league’s popularity is a driving force behind the projected $95 billion in sports streaming revenue by 2026.
For marketers, this trend is a game-changer. Connected TV (CTV) and Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms offer unparalleled opportunities to reach consumers where they are. To maximize your impact, focus on creating a strategic cadence for your CTV/OTT ads. This ensures that your target audience sees your ads enough times to drive action without becoming overwhelmed.
Consider this real-world scenario:
John and Pete live in the same neighborhood. Both are in the market for a luxury car, but their media consumption habits differ. John sticks to traditional cable TV, while Pete prefers streaming content on his smart TV.
John sees standard TV ads, which might include anything from local businesses to irrelevant services. Pete, on the other hand, is served ads tailored to his digital preferences, viewing habits, and purchasing behavior. By leveraging first-party data, you can ensure that someone like Pete only sees ads most relevant to him, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
The shift to digital and linear TV ad spending is inevitable, with 2024’s combined ad spend expected to exceed $170 billion. As viewership continues to grow, marketers need to recognize and capitalize on these emerging opportunities.
2. Sports Betting: A Growing Gateway for Marketers
Sports betting has exploded in popularity, with legal betting now available in over 30 states. This booming market represents a lucrative opportunity for brands and broadcasters. In fact, eMarketer projects that CTV/OTT ad spending, driven by live sports programming, will see double-digit growth through 2024.
Football remains the most bet-on sport in the United States, with over 35% of the population tuning in regularly. This obsession with football presents a unique chance for marketers to connect with an enthusiastic and engaged audience.
Imagine you’re an online sports betting company aiming to target legal-age sports bettors and fans. Using targeted, data-driven marketing, you can place your ads directly in front of real football fans who have shown a genuine interest in your products or services. By focusing on streaming devices and mobile betting apps throughout the season, you can effectively reach these audiences at the right time and place.
With BRIDGE’s top-ranked consumer audience data and people-based marketing strategies, you gain valuable insights into your customers’ behaviors. Whether they’re frequenting casinos, attending sporting events, or engaging with competitor brands, we provide the tools you need to reach them with precision.
3. Get Ahead of the Game with BRIDGE
At BRIDGE, we bring together all touchpoints of the buyer’s journey to target genuine, in-market consumers ready to place their bets. Unlike traditional marketing, which casts a wide net, our approach zeroes in on the right prospects during each sports season.
Our consumer audience data is accurate, timely, and comprehensive.
As the only data provider that reaches verified, real football fans, BRIDGE builds each consumer profile starting with an individual’s email address. We then connect it to key attributes such as name, postal address, and mobile behavior, enabling us to confidently pinpoint each person’s identity.
