There are untapped opportunities in digital media for sports marketers, report says

Attending sporting events IRL has come back in a big way since the pandemic, but stadium and broadcast advertising aren’t the only ways for brands to get some skin in the sports marketing game.

Many fans livestream games via digital platforms, which means that “brands now have an unprecedented opportunity to reach and engage new audiences by embracing digital media,” Bob Lynch, founder and CEO of SponsorUnited, said in a statement.

The sports and entertainment intelligence platform released a report exploring the digital media landscape as it relates to sports, pointing out some popular and potentially untapped options for advertisers.

Women’s sports: SponsorUnited found that 61% of brand partnerships with women’s leagues feature some form of digital media, a trend led by the NWSL, LPGA, and WTA. Those leagues each activate at least half of their sponsorships with digital media.

• By comparison, 44% of partnerships with men’s leagues involve digital media.
• The discrepancy “presents a prime opportunity for brands to further connect with a more digitally engaged women’s sports audience,” according to the report. “By embracing digital media channels, brands can reach a broader range of potential customers—driving higher engagement and delivering larger returns on their investment.”

YouTube: The platform ranks second in terms of daily active users across social platforms, per the report, but less than half of pro teams use it.

• Some leagues are taking more advantage of the platform than others. For instance, 60% of NFL teams have an integrated sponsor on YouTube, compared to 23% of MLB teams.
• Of all major pro sports teams, 40% have an integrated YouTube sponsor.

Grand slam: Both men and women pro tennis players have “above-average engagement rates” on social media, at 5.6% and 4%, respectively. Tennis players have fewer brand deals than NFL and NBA players, though, leaving “untapped potential” for advertisers.