Sports are shifting from broadcast to web: Marketers must follow

As obvious as it sounds, advertisers still don’t realize the biggest problem they face is consumers’ phones. Marketers don’t even accept that broadcast viewers aren’t paying as close attention during the commercial break as they are during scheduled programming — they may be getting a snack, stretching their legs, you name it -- let alone the fact that during commercial breaks today, consumers are completely distracted by their cell phones and are tuning out commercials on TV. In order to regain viewers’ attention, marketers need to go where their fans and customers are and test multiple platforms. Advertisers need to be everywhere, because attention is scattered, and no one is paying attention to the same thing at the same time.

Solution: Enter the conversation

This problem is an opportunity for advertisers. Audiences go where the content is, turning to various social media platforms or their favorite online sports publications to engage with others about the game, whether it’s trash talking opponents on Facebook, Snapchatting highlights, or live-Tweeting commentary. According to Eventility, there were an astronomical 150 million tweets during the Olympics, and Usain Bolt’s 200-meter win led to 80,000 tweets per minute.

Advertisers have to meet these sports fans online, where they’re spending their time during these key moments, with creative messaging that taps into their sports fandom. Entering the conversation as a brand on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is possible with both paid ads targeted to sports fans and with grassroots marketing. However the key here is advertisers need to create engaging content so that viewers actually want to pay attention -- because more engagement translates into more money for brands. So, you can’t just slap trending hashtag onto your tweet and hope for the best. Nor can you afford to take a one-size-fits-all approach to video and content. Marketers need to completely rethink their creative content for each platform — what works for television definitely won’t work for Facebook, too.

Problem: Cord cutting

The second problem with broadcast sports is much broader: consumers simply aren’t watching on broadcast like they used to. For some time, traditional wisdom was that sports broadcast was immune to the decline in TV viewership. But ESPN recently lost more than 600,000 subscribers in one month because people watch the sports content they want wherever they can find it -- especially if it’s free -- and TV is not the de facto option anymore. People can go online for the sports content and games they want, with deals like the NFL, NHL, NBA and more live streaming on Twitter. Facebook is also pushing into the live streaming arena, and it won’t be long before fans can find their sports there, too. The brands that are finding the most success are the ones weaving themselves into the existing story and giving fans more of what they care about.

Solution: Break the rules and integrate

It’s clear that consumers are adopting online sports viewing very quickly and that the trend will continue. Sports leagues and teams have begun to capitalize on social, and brand advertisers will have to adapt or die as well. Marketers need to be smarter in how they integrate their brand into these events and focus more on how they can encourage fans to engage with the brand, not just see the advertisement. It won’t cut it to invest your budget into that premium broadcast slot, or even slap a logo onto a team’s jersey. Brands should invest in advertising opportunities with integrated platforms that work together to create a new experience for the customer. Beyond that, brands need to get involved in the experience -- break the rules, shake it up, like Beats is doing with players using their headphones.

Sports fans are still a critical audience for many brands to tap into, and it’s not as if there are fewer sports fans — their attention and habits have just shifted. Brands need to learn how to shift with them, or go extinct. Interruptive advertising is no longer effective. The opportunity for personal, targeted engagement with sports fans online is massive and could boost ROI more than the traditional broadcast ad has in years. In order to achieve success in this new sports marketing landscape, advertisers and broadcasters need to work together, and those brands that don’t will see their bottom line disappear. The opportunity is here. Take it or leave it.

Brian Cristiano is the founder and CEO of BOLD Worldwide, a Manhattan-based advertising agency that helps grow sports, fitness and lifestyle brands. Brian has led BOLD’s results-focused work with clients including Tropicana, International Champions Cup, Gillette, BodyGlide, Ray-Ban, the New York Mets, R&A Cycles, and Polar Electro. He is an industry thought leader who has been featured on Yahoo Finance, Fortune Live, Fox Business News and CBS Sports, Wall Street Journal, International Business Times, The Street, and eMarketer. Brian has also delivered keynote speeches for Social Media Week, DIGIMARCON, and various sports teams. Brian co-hosts a daily podcast, The Sports Marketing Huddle, that takes a look at all things marketing in the world of sports. Outside of the office, Brian is a Cat3 competitive cyclist and lives with his wife and their adopted rescue puppy, Ellie.

Brian Cristiano, CEO of BOLD Worldwide

Co-Host of The Sports Marketing Huddle podcast

Email: brian@boldworldwide.com

Instagram: @briancristiano