Ad buyers looking to capitalize on the excitement around the NFL playoffs can find big fans of the game on radio. A new survey by Katz Media finds that compared to a typical NFL fan, those who tune in to games on the radio are more passionate about football and are 28% more likely to be "big fans” of the sport. They are also 71% more likely to listen to a football podcast than the typical NFL fan, and 39% more likely to follow teams and players on social media.
That passion translates to other actions, too. People that listen to games on the radio are more likely to wear team apparel, have team merchandise around the house and tailgate. They are also 59% more likely to have bet on an NFL game than the run of the mill football fan.
Katz says its survey shows that big fans of the NFL are more engaged with the ads that appear during play-by-play. Its survey finds 79% of NFL radio listeners notice brands that advertise during games, which is a 15-point advantage on NFL fans overall. Seven in ten also say they have a better opinion of brands that sponsor the play-by-play of their favorite team, which is a 46% advantage when compared to fans overall. Radio listeners are also more willing to use the brands they hear commercials for during a game.
Nielsen data released this week shows the top-rated teams through week 12 of the 2023-2024 season attract 6+ audiences in the 40-share range during gametimes, even higher among the targeted men 25-54 demographic. And Cumes topping 300,000 listeners is also a common sight. On average, in Nielsen’s 30 PPM markets that are home to an NFL franchise, more than 3.5 million consumers tune into games on the radio each week.
For a lot of listeners, radio offers a way to enjoy a game when they cannot watch it on television. Katz says 95% of the 800 NFL fans it surveyed agree radio is a good way to access a game when they cannot watch it on TV. And while reviews of national play-by-play announcers can sometimes be tough by the hometown crowd, Katz says 87% of those surveyed said their team’s radio announcing crew does a great job calling the game.