sports

Yahoo: 'Uber Fans' Are Where The Money Is

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It might seem intuitive that the most passionate sports fans want nothing at all to come between them and their "Sox." Not so, says Yahoo.

A new study by the firm finds that such fans are not only more engaged online, but are also more likely to be engaged with marketing as well -- if it's the right marketing. The firm says, among other things, that sports "uber fans" have higher expectations for ads, but are more receptive to the right messages.

The research finds that sports fans in general spend more than six hours per week on sports sites, while the average Web user spends one hour per month on sports sites.

There are roughly 15.1 million uber fans, and they spend more than 14 hours a week on the same round of sports Web sites. Casual sports fans -- about 9.6 million users -- spend 2.1 hours on sports sites per week, and so-called "everyday" fans -- about 35.5 million users -- spend 5.6 hours per week on sports sites.

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But "uber" is where the money is, per Yahoo -- which says not only are these fans spending more time on sports sites, but they dive deeper into the sites and are more tech-savvy than most Web users.

The firm says casual fans tend to visit mainly sports-site front-page sections to check scores, while everyday fans will go a bit deeper, watching video highlights and player stats. Uber fans dig down to blogs and fantasy sports pages.

The latter group is also 74% more likely to pay attention to an ad on a sports site; 78% expect to see ads on free fantasy sports sites; 73% agree that if a company is advertising on a sports site, its products will probably fit with their interests; 72% agree that brands that advertise on a sports site are "cool"; 69% said they are more likely to purchase products from a company that advertises on a sports site.

In addition, Yahoo says, 69% of uber fans own a smartphone or iPhone; 88% own an HDTV/flatscreen; 47% strongly agree that they tend to advocate a great new product to everyone they know; and 45% say online shopping is a "great way" to buy products.

Says the study, "This represents a significant opportunity for advertisers to leverage the increase in ad attention with relevant ads, which don't have to be strictly for sports gear or sports-relevant products. [Uber fans] are interested in groceries/food/beverage, home goods, pet care supplies, clothing, books, music and electronics."

Yahoo says the key to targeting uber fans is avoiding repetition, developing multiple creative versions of ads and rotating them. Also, ads should stay consistent with subject matter.

They should also be informative and run on blog pages, fantasy and draft sites. Marketers should also try to get a halo effect by sponsoring sports content, since fans "appreciate sponsors who provide sports content for free."

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