US sports fans say in-game ads reinforce real-world sponsorship
A new study reveals that three out of four US sports fans say that in-game advertising plays a part in reinforcing a company’s real-world sport sponsorship.
Research firm TNS has released findings from the ESPN Sports Poll, a monthly tracking study that explored the similarities among traditional sports fans and the sports gamer audience.
The study, conducted in partnership with Electronic Arts, suggest that advertisers interested in sports content who are not using in-game advertising are missing a big opportunity.
Robert Fox, senior vice president at TNS and executive director of the ESPN Sports Poll, said: “Fans consume sports in multidimensional ways.
“Today’s interactive entertainment enables fans to engage with their favorite sports on a platform that looks incredibly close to the real thing. When a person is engaged in the video game, there is no channel surfing, and the game is paused only for necessity. This is a terrific way for real-world advertisers and sponsors to develop incremental affinity for their brands.”
According to the research, about half of US households own a gaming console. Of those households, half of the sports fans and 69% of the avid sports fans own at least one sports video game. The demographic profile of the Sports Gamer is favorable to brands wanting to reach their target market through sports, said TNS. It also found that:
- Three-quarters of these players are male. More than half are between the ages of 18-34
- They tend to be single males with disposable income
- They are more physically active than sports fans in general (60% of Sports Gamers have exercised or participated in a sports activity within the past week compared with 44% of sports fans.)
“Part of the authenticity is the advertising that is embedded in the game or that is dynamically served during connected play, and includes the finer details like in-stadium and in-arena signage,” said Elizabeth Harz, senior vice president, global media sales at Electronic Arts. “For sponsors looking to differentiate their brand in a crowded field, the Sports Gamer is influential and the messaging options robust.”
Moving away from the US, the 2009 UK National Gamers Survey from TNS and Gamesindustry.com found that Britain has more online and console gamers than anywhere else in Europe.
Of those questioned for the research, 73% regularly play games, with many ranking gaming as their favourite pastime, ahead of going online and watching TV.