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30% of sports fans shop during games; Teads finds cross-screen ads sway buys

James Okafor | GlobalBeat

Nearly one in three sports fans make purchases while watching live games, according to a study released Monday by Teads, a global media platform.

The survey of 4,000 U.S. adults revealed that 30% of sports viewers regularly shop during games, with mobile devices accounting for 68% of these purchases, Teads confirmed.

Media buyers increased sports ad spending 18% in 2023 as audiences proved more valuable than expected, agency executives told Reuters. The buying power surprised analysts who assumed fans remained focused on screens without buying.

Cross-screen ad campaigns increased purchase intent by 42% compared to single-screen placements, Teads data showed. Fans exposed to ads on both television and mobile devices spent an average of $87 per transaction, researchers found.

“The sports viewer is simultaneously a shopper,” Teads Chief Strategy Officer Fabien Fournier told reporters. “Brands that ignore this behavior leave money behind.”

Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football” generated $25 million in direct product sales during the 2023 NFL season, company filings revealed. Viewers clicked on-screen product tags 1.2 million times while games aired, according to Amazon’s internal metrics.

Traditional retailers adapted strategies accordingly. Dick’s Sporting Goods reported 35% of online orders occurred during weekend sports broadcasts, investor documents showed. The company scheduled flash sales to coincide with marquee matchups, executives confirmed.

Real-time marketing proved most effective during pauses in action. Shopping surged 60% during commercial breaks and timeouts, Teads researchers documented. Instant replay segments generated 28% higher conversion rates than live play moments, the study found.

Social media amplified purchasing patterns. Fans discussing games on Twitter purchased advertised products 3.1 times more frequently than non-social users, platform analytics revealed. Instagram Stories ads during games drove 45% higher click-through rates than standard placements, Meta data showed.

Mobile commerce dominated the landscape. Basketball viewers completed 72% of purchases on phones, the highest rate among major sports, Teads reported. Baseball fans averaged 89 minutes of shopping time per game, longer than any other sport studied.

Demographic breakdowns revealed women aged 25-44 represented 41% of in-game shoppers, despite comprising 34% of sports audiences. Male viewers spent more per transaction at $94 versus $79 for women, transaction records showed.

Streaming services capitalized on the trend. Peacock’s exclusive NFL playoff game generated 2.3 million concurrent shopping sessions, NBCUniversal confirmed. The platform integrated “shop the game” features allowing viewers to purchase player gear instantly.

Traditional broadcasters responded with delayed integration. CBS Sports added QR codes to March Madness broadcasts in 2024, generating 890,000 scans for tournament merchandise, network officials confirmed. The initiative added $12 million in incremental revenue, internal documents revealed.

Brand categories seeing highest conversion included sports apparel at 34%, consumer electronics at 28%, and food delivery at 22%, purchase data showed. Luxury goods surprisingly performed well, with watch purchases increasing 67% during tennis broadcasts, retailer reports confirmed.

International markets showed similar patterns. European football viewers shopped 31% more during Champions League matches compared to regular season games, Teads’ global data revealed. Asian baseball fans purchased 2.4 more items per game than North American viewers.

Privacy concerns emerged as platforms tracked viewing habits. Senator Maria Cantwell’s office requested FTC review of real-time shopping data collection practices, spokesperson Larissha Hume confirmed. No formal investigation launched, agency records showed.

Industry experts predicted continued growth. Sports advertising expenditure will reach $19 billion by 2025, Magna Global forecasted. Shopping-enabled broadcasts represent 40% of this spending, researcher Vincent Letang told reporters.

Background

Second-screen viewing emerged as mainstream behavior around 2015 when smartphones achieved 70% market penetration. Early studies dismissed sports fans as “too engaged” to shop during live action, according to ESPN research from 2016. This assumption drove advertising strategies for five years until mobile commerce data proved otherwise.

The pandemic accelerated adoption as home viewing became solitary. Locked-down fans shopped 45% more during games in 2020 versus 2019, Adobe Analytics reported. Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football” debut in 2017 provided first major test of integrated shopping features. The platform took four seasons to optimize conversion funnels, company executives later acknowledged.

What’s Next

Apple’s upcoming MLS streaming package will debut shopping features for the 2025 season, company spokesperson Jennifer Slough confirmed. The platform plans augmented reality overlays allowing jersey purchases by pointing phones at players. YouTube TV negotiates similar capabilities for NFL Sunday Ticket renewal, sources familiar with talks told Reuters.

Regulatory scrutiny intensifies as data collection expands. California’s attorney general reviews whether shopping triggers violate state privacy laws, spokesperson Nate Allbee confirmed. The investigation continues through 2024 with findings expected by December, agency documents showed.