• by Paul Gough , September 5, 2003

NASCAR and the NFL come out ahead of other major sports brands in building fan relationships that can be mined for value by TV advertisers.

A Knowledge Networks study found more substantial connections between the fans, leagues and sponsors of both sports. The study, part of KN's Brand Relationship Tracker, found the links benefited advertisers at the stadium and on TV.

Forty-seven percent of those surveyed considered themselves NFL fans, twice as many as who considered themselves NASCAR fans (23%). The tracking measures, among other things, resonance and how it translates into awareness and receptivity of TV spots. Ad resonance combines receptivity, prestige and relevance into a score between 0 and 100. NASCAR's 51 score edged the NFL's 50, although other sports weren't that far behind. The NCAA, Olympics, NBA and Major League Baseball each scored 45s.

Fan Base of Leading Sports Brands

NFL 47%

NASCAR 23% 
Olympics 35% 
Major League Baseball 29% 
NBA 23% 

Source: Knowledge Networks Brand Relationship Tracker, Sept. 2003

But when the questions turned to specific advertising behavior and preferences, the KN study found that NASCAR and the NFL engendered more brand resonance. Forty-six percent of NASCAR fans said the ads they see on race telecasts are an important source for product information, compared to 41% for the NFL. The other major sports were further behind. It's a similar story with whether viewers think advertisers are relevant, with 45% of NASCAR fans saying yes and 40% of NFL fans. They're nearly even in attention to TV ads, channel changing during the commercial pods and inclination to purchase.

David Tice, vice president of Knowledge Networks, said that the study helps to prove what's known anecdotally: That NFL and NASCAR have been able to build their brands to the point where consumers look at it overall. He said that these connected "water cooler" sports are what people talk about the day after, aided by NASCAR's one race a week and the national broadcasts of the NFL.

"In Major League Baseball, the affinity is a lot more for the individual teams than the league. NASCAR and the NFL have managed their leagues as a brand," Tice said.

The fact that the Olympics don't score as high as the other sports may have to do with the cyclical nature of the event, which occurs only every two years. Tice said that the Olympics' popularity is high, particularly when it's an Olympic year.

Tice said that the study could be used to help advertisers and agencies that have their sponsorships in a lot of different sports, as many do. The study evaluates a sport and then can compare brand value among targets