There are more media options to find Major League Baseball than in the past, but as the MLB postseason heats up a new Katz Radio Group study says there is a good reason for advertisers to target fans who listen to the games on radio. The study finds that, compared to typical baseball fans, those who listen to the games on radio are more active and engaged with everything to do with MLB – including the advertisers they hear on-air during games.
The survey finds three quarters of fans who listen to baseball on the radio notice brands that advertise in the game. That is a 27-point advantage on the number of MLB fans overall who say they notice brands advertised. Radio baseball listeners are also more likely to use the brands that they hear on commercials during a game.
That interest extends to buying habits, too. The survey shows MLB radio listeners are more likely to watch a game in a restaurant or bar, place bets on a game, own team apparel, and buy tickets to see a game in-person.
Radio allows MLB fans to hear the game regardless of where they are and three-quarters (76%) of those surveyed said radio is an ideal way to keep up with the sport when they are not near a television screen. The survey also shows there is more than just convenience driving baseball fans to listen to games on the radio. Seven in ten say they enjoy listening to the radio announcers that call the games for their team. And among the 30% of fans that have a favorite announcer through the years, many list a radio broadcaster as their top pick.
Katz says some of the names mentioned include radio announcers Vin Scully, Phil Rizzuto, Pat Hughes, Joe Castiglione, Tom Hamilton, and Jeff Brantley. Based on the comments by people taking the survey, Katz says a common thread among the greats is their descriptive play-by-play allows listeners to feel like they’re in the stands. “I feel like I'm watching even though it's radio,” said one.