Sports Fans and Digital Media A Scorecard on Preferences and Behaviors September 2012 Copyright 2012
Overview The playing field for the distribution of sports content has never been deeper or wider. Sports-related content publishers and advertisers seeking to reach sports enthusiasts have more options than ever to connect with fans as they consume all things sports. Case in point: it s likely that at least 1 billion sports fans worldwide viewed events, got updates and checked results of the 2012 London Olympics on digital devices, including PCs, mobile phones and tablets.* Billions more followed and discussed the action on social media. In September 2012, Burst Media surveyed 950 U.S. online adults aged 18 or older to get a pulse on how sports fans use online and mobile media. More than one-half (56.1%) of respondents self-identified themselves as sports fans with 21.5% saying they are devoted fans and 34.6% casual. Our survey findings are based on these subsets of respondents. Key Findings Television and content websites lead the pack as sports media sources. One-half (49.8%) of all sports fans say the television is their primary source for sports information and 26.5% say content websites. Sports fans go online frequently. One third (35.1%) of all sports fans go online at least once per day for sports-related reasons but there is a large difference in daily access between devoted fans (66.8%) and casual fans (15.4%). Tablets and smartphones are emerging as sports content consumption platforms. Among all sports fans, 31.6% use tablets and 45.7% use smartphones to access online sports content and video at least occasionally. Sports fans are tablet and smartphone multitaskers. One-third (35.7%) of sports fans say they will use tablets and/or smartphones to access online sports content while watching sports on television (35.7%). *emarketer: The London Olympics: Marketers in the Starting Blocks. June 28, 2012. 2
Insight #1: A Scouting Report for Devoted and Casual Sports Fans Online Our survey found that a majority (56.1%) of U.S. online adults are sports fans. Among this segment, one-fifth (21.5%) describe themselves as devoted sports fans who love to stay updated as frequently as possible. Another one-third (34.6%) describe themselves as casual fans who like to follow sports from time to time. Not surprisingly, devoted sports fans are overwhelmingly (79.0%) male. One-half (50.6%) of all devoted fans have at least a college degree, including 7.0% who have engaged in post-graduate work and 9.4% who have a post-graduate degree. Another 28.0% have some college experience. To go along with this level of education attainment is high household income (HHI): 43.7% of devoted sports fans report a HHI of at least $75,000, including one-quarter (25.9%) who earn more than $100,000 per year. The gender breakdown among casual fans is evenly split; 48.8% are men and 51.2% are women. Similar to devoted sports fans, casual fans are educated: 44.6% have at least a college degree and one-third (32.6%) have some college experience. More than one-third (36.5%) earn at least $75,000 per year. 3
Insight #2: TV and Content Websites are Top for Sports Chart #1: Primary vs. Best Media Sources for Sports Fans Burst Media, September 2012 n = 531 Margin of Error = +/- 4.2% Nearly one-half (49.8%) of all sports fans (i.e., either devoted or casual) say that television is their primary source of sports news and information. One-quarter (26.5%) say sports content websites such as EPSN. com and SI.com are their primary go-to sources of information. [See chart #1.] Other media, including newspapers/magazines (5.7%), social media (5.6%) and radio (5.2%), fared low as primary sports information sources among sports fans. Interestingly, among all sports fans, the divide between television and content websites is reduced significantly (by 17.4%) when it comes to which medium respondents say is the best for sports news and information, versus what they indicated was their primary medium. Two-fifths (41.3%) say television is the best medium and 35.4% say content sites are the best. Among devoted fans, slightly more say television is their primary source for sports versus content sites (41.6% versus 36.8% respectively), but content sites beat television as the best source by a notable margin (45.1% vs. 35.5% respectively). Casual fans are more likely than devoted fans to say television is their primary source (55.0%) and/or their best source (45.0%) for sports news and information. Content sites hold their own with this group, as 20.1% say content websites are their primary source and 29.2% say they re their best source for sports. Interestingly, male sports fans (devoted or casual) aged 35-54 are more likely to say content sites rather than television are their primary sports information source (43.2% vs. 39.6%). More striking with this segment is which medium is cited as the best source of sports news and information: the Internet clearly leads the pack, cited by 50.6% versus 31.1% for television. 4
Insight #3: Sports Fans Especially Men Go Online Frequently Chart #2: How Often Fans Go Online for Sports Burst Media, September 2012 n = 527 Margin of Error = +/- 4.3% Overall, 35.1% of all sports fans including two-in-three (66.8%) devoted fans and 15.4% of casual fans go online at least once per day for sports-related reasons such as to check scores, read sports stories, watch sports videos or play fantasy sports games. There are notable differences between men and women, however. Among all sports fans, men are far more likely than women (43.8% versus 23.4%) to go online at least once per day for sports-related reasons. [See chart #2.] Conversely, female sports fans are far more likely than men to say their either rarely or never go online for sports: 52.2% versus 21.8%, respectively. A Gen Y Power Play: Online Video and Social Media A 30.4% plurality of all sports fans say most of their time online with sports sites is spent reading content, versus watching online video. Only 11.4% say they split their time between the two. However, among 18-34 year-old respondents, 22.0% say their time is split double the overall number. And while only 3.3% of all sports fans say most of their time is spent with online video, 6.2% of those aged 18-34 say watching online video is how they spend most of their time. In the social media realm, one-third (34.7%) of 18-34 year-olds frequently or very frequently use social media to comment on, tweet/retweet, share or link to online sports content and video. Only 15.2% of 35-54 year-olds and 2.5% of those aged 55 or older say they partake in the same actions. The same holds true for following sports teams and/or athletes on social media: 44.5% of 18-34 year-olds (versus 19.7% of 35-54 year-olds and 6.8% of those aged 55+) very frequently or frequently follow their favorites on the likes of Facebook and Twitter. 5
Insight #4: Tablets and Smartphones are Emerging Sports Content Platforms Chart #3: Tablet and Smartphone Use Among Sports Fans Burst Media, September 2012 n = 475 Margin of Error = +/- 4.5% Tablets and smartphones are emerging as sports content consumption platforms. Among all sports fans, 31.6% use tablets (e.g., an ipad) and 42.9% use smartphones (e.g., an iphone) to access online sports content and video at least occasionally. [See chart #3.] In addition, 17.1% use tablets and 23.8% use smartphones to watch a live sporting event or game. Devoted sports fans are unsurprisingly more likely than casual fans (22.7% versus 16.9%) to use tablets to access online sports content/video either very frequently or frequently. The same holds true for smartphones, with 41.3% of devoted fans and 23.6% of casual fans saying they go online for sports content/video either very frequently or frequently. Going Deep for Mobile Access Interestingly, one-half (52.5%) of all fans aged 25-34 use smartphones to access online sports content/ video; one-third (33.1%) use a tablet. Among the 25-34 years segment, men and women use their smartphones equally to access online sports content/video, however women outpace men (40.0% versus 29.6%) when it comes to using a tablet to do the same. When it comes to watching live events or games on mobile devices, 18-24 year-old sports fans trump all other age segments with usage: 28.4% use a tablet and 31.6% use a smartphone to watch a live event/ game either very frequently or frequently. 6
Insight #5: Sports Fans are Tablet and Smartphone Multitaskers Chart #4: Activities that Sports Fans Engage In that Lend to Tablet/Smartphone Multitasking Burst Media, September 2012 n = 545 Margin of Error = +/- 4.2% Sports fans use tablets and/or smartphones to access online sports-related content while engaged in a number of activities, ranging from watching sports content on television (35.7%) to browsing web content on a desktop/laptop computer (19.4%) and/or attending a live sporting event in-person (7.4%). Not surprisingly, devoted sports fans are more likely than casual fans to multitask: 52.6% versus 25.1% use a tablet or smartphone to access online sports content while watching sports on television; 39.1% versus 28.4% use their mobile devices while watching non-sports programming on television; 21.1% versus 15.1% use a tablet or smartphone while listening to the radio; and 12.1% versus 4.5% go mobile for online sports content while attending a game or sporting event in-person. [See chart #4.] Interestingly, more than three-in-five (63.6%) men aged 35-44 report accessing sports content on their tablet or smartphone while watching sports on television beating all other gender and age segments. But women hold their own: 50.0% of women aged 25-34 report using a mobile device to access sports content while watching non-sports related programming leading all other gender/age segments. 7
How You Can Use This Information Digital media are becoming an increasingly significant part of the total sports fan experience whether it s consuming original sports content online, sharing likes and tweets with friends, or using your tablet to follow the score while your significant other insists on watching a television program that s decidedly not sports. For Publishers Who Produce Sports Content Online Know the demographics of your audience and how your readers/viewers consume your content. One-third (35.1%) of all sports fans go online at least once per day to check in on something sportsrelated ensure you keep your content fresh to promote stickiness and drive return visits. In addition, tablet and smartphones are emerging platforms for devoted and casual sports fans to access sports content. Ensure your site is mobilized and renders well on ios and Android-powered devices. For Brand Marketers and Advertisers Be where your target consumers are and engage them with relevant rich media, social media extensions and online video advertising that complement your broadcast and print campaigns. On the mobile front, consider the effectiveness of a well-placed (and well-executed) unit that is served when a sports fan is concurrently using a tablet while watching your television spot, or when they re launching a smartphone browser while looking at your logo billboard shining bright in right field. In addition, compared to older audiences, younger sports fans (i.e., those aged 18-34) are very savvy with mobile technology and social media. Leverage these platforms when engaging Gen Y consumers, and ensure your efforts foster sharing and promote authenticity. 8
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