“There’s nothing like listening to my Red Sox on the radio outdoors or in the car.”
“I listen to play- by-play more than watch games on TV since I do not have cable anymore.”
“I enjoy the freedom of listening to the radio for sports programs as it allows me the freedom to be outside working on various projects.”
“Announcers are funny. Commercials seem less intrusive and I don’t mind the interruption as much.”
These are just a few of the quotes we grabbed from an informal online survey regarding Sports Radio listening habits — sports radio simply works and works hard for those that are passionate about sports. It’s not just the “big” games, it’s every game. It’s the conversation, it’s the debate, it’s the voices, it’s the surprise, delight, defeat, and it’s simply the passion for sports that fuels the beast.
Let’s talk about that passion for a moment. Sports is the ultimate in escapism. Think about it, there really is not much else that can take a person away from all the negativity in the world, other than tuning in to a game for two to three hours. Sports connects in a highly emotionally charged way with a community of individuals that share the passion. Can you think of another time when grown men jump to squeeze each other (perfect strangers, mind you) in a moment of pure joy? The truth is, heroic triumphs aren’t part of our everyday lives, but sports allow us to capture that feeling of glory.
What you may not know is that audio listeners are more passionate about sports than those who watch sports on television. Westwood One, the radio network providing coverage that includes audio play-by-plays and 24/7 sports content to millions of passionate sports fans, shares data that proves that highly engaged sports fans across the board are more likely to listen to sports on audio than watch on television. For example, those that have participated in a fantasy sports league are 86% more likely to listen to sports radio than watch sports on television.
That’s pretty powerful and it cuts across all sports – football, basketball, hockey, golf and everything in between. Pro, Collegiate and even local High Schools.
Sports fans crave stats, pictures, trivia and more trivia – they can’t get enough of the inside scoop and they pride themselves on being the most knowledgeable about their teams, players, competitors and more. In that spirit, below is some Sports Radio Trivia – fun facts to inform decisions, share with colleagues and add to your database of sports knowledge!
- There are 780 AM/FM sports stations in the U.S.
- Almost 8 in 10 Sports Radio listeners say their local sports radio station is their main source of Super Bowl news.
- Being in a play-by-play broadcast is like being on up to 20 radio stations in a market. Using the MLB World Champion Chicago Cubs radio station 670 The Score as an example, when a Cubs game is on they are pulling from ALL Chicago radio stations.
- When compared to the general U.S. population, Business Decision-Makers are 72% more likely to listen to CBS Sports on the radio.
- Radio reaches 90.3% of people who indicated they are very interested in at least 5 sports and 84.8% of those that are very interested in 20 or more sports.
- 85% of people who have a great deal of sports knowledge listen to AM/FM radio or streams.
- 83% of Super Sports Fans listen to AM/FM radio or streams.
- 85% of people seen as sports gurus by their friends and family listen to broadcast radio or broadcast radio streams.
- Super Sports fans are 16% more likely than the general population to have visited a radio station, radio program or radio personality’s site
- Sports gurus are 26% more likely than the general population to have visited a radio station, radio program or radio personality’s site.
- Nearly 94% of respondents from an RAB friends & family survey indicated they listen to sports radio in the car. 35% listen daily.
According to the 2016 Nielsen World Sports Review report, sports marketing will continue to surge throughout 2017 and trends in the sports marketing space include:
- Richer, deeper partnerships among leagues, teams, media and marketers built around content.
- New audiences, new habits as the catalyst for change.
- Greater fusion of sports and entertainment.
- Fully connected fans, enabled by technology.
- Data playing a central role in optimizing fan relationships.
- Continuing to identify innovative ways to crack the ROI code with sports marketing.
Radio is the most efficient way to borrow on a team’s brand equity with the largest reach. With short commercial breaks, amazingly creative integration opportunities and arguably the most engaged and passionate audience out there, it truly is a no-brainer for any brand targeting the sports enthusiast.