Women’s sports score high for TV advertisers in new research

Dive Brief:

Women’s sports programming has proven highly effective for TV advertisers, according to a recent report from TV outcomes company Edo. The report found double-digit year-over-year improvements in ad effectiveness during the programming.
Tennis events were the most effective while the WNBA saw significant improvements in ad engagement. Among women’s sports advertisers overall, New Balance ads saw the biggest boost with a 203% jump in effectiveness compared to the average women’s sports ad in 2023.
Individual athletes have also proved to be effective. State Farm ads featuring University of Iowa basketball player Caitlin Clark were 46% more likely to generate engagement compared to the average ad from the insurance company.

Dive Insight:

With March Madness just around the corner, Edo’s “Women’s Sports TV Outcomes Report” highlights the growing opportunity for advertisers in women’s sports programming.

Tennis is the standout star, with ads during women’s Wimbledon outperforming the average broadcast and cable ad by 53%. Women’s U.S. Open Matches proved to be 51% more effective. The WNBA also put up impressive numbers, with ad engagement growing 7% from 2022. Ads which aired during the playoffs saw a 23% increase in engagement, while ads which aired during the finals saw a 30% increase in engagement.

Sportswear advertisers putting women athletes front-and-center also saw boosts in ad engagement. Adidas, Puma, Nike and Vuori ads featuring women athletes saw an effectiveness increase of 69%, 62%, 16% and 8% respectively compared to the average ad for that brand across broadcast and cable TV.

Traditionally male advertisers have also found success with women’s sports programming. During WNBA broadcasts, Bosley Hair Restoration outperformed the average WNBA advertiser by 341%, Old Spice by 134% and Hims by 51%.

“Naturally, the growing interest in women’s sports presents a major opportunity for TV advertisers,” said Laura Grover, senior vice president, head of client solutions, at Edo, in a statement. “After all, live sports have consistently been the TV programs most successful at driving consumers to engage with brands that advertise during them — generating key outcomes like online searches that are proven predictors of future sales.”