In addition to being a hallmark TV event, the Big Game had a major impact on streaming searches. These are searches made by Roku viewers on their streaming devices during the Big Game.
On game day, searches for football on Roku platforms increased 15x compared to the average daily search the four weeks prior. Meanwhile ads that ran during the Big Game sparked their own flurry of search activity. For instance, viewers who watched the Big Game on Roku were almost 3.5x more likely than non-viewers to search for Peacock’s Poker Face, which was advertised during the game’s fourth quarter.¹ Meanwhile Tubi (whose prank-style ad tricked viewers into thinking they'd sat on their TV remotes) was one of the top-five searched channels on Roku.²
These examples show the power of marketing to sports fans — whether your content is sports-related or not. Luckily, media-and-entertainment (M&E) companies don’t have to wait for next year’s Big Game since there’s always a big sporting event around the corner. The next two months alone will see March Madness, baseball’s Opening Day, the NBA playoffs, and the Stanley Cup playoffs.
How can M&E advertisers bring sports fans to their service during upcoming games and playoffs? Follow these three steps.
Roku users search for sports well ahead of a big game, according to an analysis of Roku’s internal search data. Searches for basketball grew two weeks before March Madness and the NBA playoffs.³ In 2022, searches for hockey jumped 2x in volume the month before the Stanley Cup Finals.⁴ That’s no surprise. Fans are not only getting excited for the season’s biggest matchups; they also want to make sure they know exactly how to stream games in today’s fragmented sports landscape.
Advertisers should promote their biggest games well in advance. Roku data suggests that running ads two to three weeks before a playoff or championship match is ideal, allowing you to increase awareness of your service as a destination to watch the game.
Proactive messaging delivers far more tune-in from both dedicated and casual fans. Remember, 55% of Roku users appreciate reminders for upcoming events.⁵
Basketball and hockey have brought younger sports fans to streaming as many games are being broadcast on ESPN+, TNT, and other services.⁶
There are many powerful ways to reach those younger sports streamers on Roku. One option is video ads on The Roku Channel, which in Q1 of 2021, had 85% unduplicated reach to traditional linear TV for the 18-49 demographic.⁷ Another strategy is to promote your sports offering with new ad formats such as the animated banner, or go beyond the typical 30-second spot by integrating with Roku’s first-ever sports talk show – The Rich Eisen Show. Remember, 62% of Roku Gen Z audiences value streaming services that promote content in new and exciting ways.⁸
After they have seen your ad on the Roku platform, use Roku data to re-engage younger sports streamers on mobile and keep your brand top-of-mind.
You don’t need sports content to attract sports fans. This was proven again and again during football’s Big Game a few weeks ago. Theatrical releases and TV titles advertised during the Big Game saw big increases in Roku search demand. Commercials for Creed III led to a 67% increase in day-over-day searches for the Creed franchise on Roku.⁹ After the Big Game, streamers were quick to turn back to entertainment content. Top-searched titles among Roku Big Game viewers after tuning out of the game were M3GAN, 1923 and Yellowstone.¹⁰
Our advice for reaching engaged sports fans with non-sports content? Surround a key sports moment by advertising marquee titles and originals. This gives you the opportunity to capture their attention and increases the chance that they watch your content in the future. Utilizing Roku’s home screen takeover can take it one step further, capturing users’ attention before they tune in and after they tune out of a big game, increasing the chance that your content is their go-to choice when the game ends.
Give users a reason to come back to your service between key sports moments by promoting sports-adjacent content. If you are a sports pureplay offering, engage them with other sports content like games or documentaries. If you have a wider content offering, don’t hesitate to promote an upcoming series or other content from your library. Roku’s viewership data can help you understand the non-sports genres that sports fans are consuming. Use those insights to determine which content is best to promote.
Remember: continuing to talk to fans after a season ends or a big game is over will keep you top-of-mind.
Contact us for sports solutions and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with Roku Advertising.
¹¯² Roku Internal Data, 2023
³¯⁵ Roku Internal Data, 2022
⁶ 30% pull stat: Roku Internal Data 2021 to 2022
⁷ Q1’ 21 Shareholder Letter
⁸ 62% pull stat: Roku Gen Z Survey; Based on a survey of 1,126 Roku users in November, 2022
⁹¯¹⁰ Roku Internal Data, 2023