A new study from SiriusXM Media, GroupM and Edison Research has revealed that ads on sports audios, such as radio shows and podcasts, are quite effective. 

Over three-quarters (78%) of listeners of sports audios took action after hearing an ad. Over half of ad listeners purchased a product or service.

Additional findings included:

• Two-thirds of Americans consider themselves to be sports fans, which makes this group a huge opportunity for marketers. Within this group of sports fans, 15% consider themselves to be “die-hard” fans, 20% are “enthusiastic” fans and 31% are “casual” fans.
• Sports fans are engaging more and more with digital audio and spend an average of 6.5 hours per day listening.
• Brands that partner with athletes are particularly appealing to sports fans. Two-thirds of sports fans like to hear or see their favorite athletes in ads, and 81% of sports audio listeners concur.
• Over half of Gen Z and millennials say they are close followers of their favorite athletes, including the athletes’ personal lives.

Reaching key audiences via sports has led to these tactics:

• Social platforms are making investments in sports audiences.
  • Meta is partnering with UFC in a multi-year deal.
  • Threads is seeing an increase in sports discussions on the platform, leading to increased competition with X.
  • X now has an NBA portal with a curated feed that includes NBA-related accounts, live scores, locations where games are being streamed live and interaction with fans.
  • e.l.f. Cosmetics is courting female sports fans via a partnership with the National Women’s Soccer League.

Advertisers and brands definitely have an opportunity with sports advertising on sports podcasts and radio shows.