Click here to view a 6-minute video of the key takeaways.

Click here to view or download the 2023 NFL Listening Report.

Two new studies reveal while NFL postseason games are available both on TV and AM/FM radio, each broadcast has a very different audience profile. The TV audience consists of casual sports fans. The AM/FM radio play-by-play audience is far more passionate and engaged. This distinction has a significant impact on advertising effectiveness.

MESH Experience: AM/FM radio listeners are much more passionate about sports versus TV viewers

A study of 756 sports fans conducted in October 2022 by MESH Experience revealed that a far greater proportion of AM/FM radio listeners say they are “extremely/very passionate” about sports versus TV viewers.

82% of NFL fans who listen on AM/FM radio say they are extremely/very passionate about the NFL compared to 67% of TV viewers. In fact, MESH Experience finds that AM/FM radio listeners are far more passionate about all major sports they follow than TV viewers.

MRI Simmons: Compared to NFL postseason TV viewers, AM/FM radio listeners are far more engaged

A just released study from MRI Simmons reveals significantly different engagement and purchase profiles between the postseason audiences on AM/FM radio versus TV. Consider these five dimensions of sports engagement:

• Attend sports events
• Seek sports information on a phone
• Friends/family ask my advice on sports
• Considered a sports category influential consumer
• Play fantasy sports

On each measure, MRI Simmons reports the AM/FM radio NFL postseason play-by-play audience is more engaged with and passionate about sports than those who watch sports on TV.

Compared to the NFL postseason TV audience, the NFL postseason AM/FM radio audience is:

• 81% more likely to have attended any sports events
• 57% more likely to use a sports app in the last 30 days
• 100% more likely to have family/friends ask/trust their advice on sports
• 136% more likely to be considered a sports category influential consumer
• 80% more likely to have participated in fantasy sports league

As NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are more engaged, they are more likely to be sports bettors

NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are nearly twice as likely to be sports bettors, according to Nielsen Scarborough. Greater passion and engagement in AM/FM radio play-by-play broadcasts means a more attentive audience and an outstanding programming environment for marketers and brands.

AM/FM radio’s increased sports engagement means greater advertising effectiveness and impact

If the NFL postseason AM/FM radio audience is more engaged and the audience is more passionate, the advertising works better. According to MRI Simmons, ad engagement for AM/FM radio (agreeing that its advertising provides meaningful product information and useful information about new products and services) climbs much more dramatically for the NFL postseason audience than TV ad engagement.

MRI Simmons: NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to influence other consumers, extending commercial impact beyond the game

MRI Simmons defines category influential consumers as deeply familiar with a product category, frequent recommenders across social networks, highly trusted, and word-of-mouth leaders for products and services. Those viewing and listening to the NFL postseason are indexed to the U.S. population.

Compared to the average adult, those who watch NFL postseason games on TV are 36% more likely to be “influential” when it comes to the all-important automotive category. Those catching NFL postseason games on AM/FM radio are 104% more likely to be “influential” for the automotive category.

NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are 50% more likely than TV viewers to be automotive category influential. Across an array of different purchase categories, NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are far more likely to be product category influential than TV viewers.

Nielsen Scarborough: The NFL postseason AM/FM radio audience is younger, more likely to be employed, have a bigger household, and affluent versus the NFL postseason TV audience

MRI Simmons: NFL postseason AM/FM radio audiences deliver consumers who are in the market across key consumer categories

Compared to the NFL postseason TV audience, AM/FM radio delivers consumers who are ready to spend across major categories like buying a new or used vehicle, making a large TV purchase, starting a new business, or hiring a financial advisor. The NFL postseason AM/FM radio audience is also more likely to make a major life decision like changing their job or returning to school.

Nielsen: NFL postseason AM/FM radio audiences surge with significant incremental reach

Using Portable People Meter data, Nielsen conducted the most detailed analysis ever conducted on AM/FM radio sports audiences and found that Westwood One NFL audiences accumulate incremental reach each and every week of the season.

Westwood One’s NFL broadcasts fit into people’s busy lives. Listeners have to go to the mall to pick up their child. They are running errands or returning from a trip to visit relatives. In the car, AM/FM radio play-by-play broadcasts are the “best available screen.”

The NFL on Westwood One is a massive reach machine. Over the entire regular season, Westwood One’s NFL play-by-play reaches 46 million Americans.

This massive reach accumulation kicks into overdrive in the postseason. Nielsen’s analysis reveals Westwood One’s NFL coverage adds an additional 10 million listeners who were not reached in the regular season. In total, as projected from Nielsen’s analysis, the NFL on Westwood One reaches 56 million Americans across the season.

Upwave: NFL audio streaming brand effect study reveals strong impact for a major marketer

After a decade behind a paywall, the audio stream of Westwood One’s national broadcast is now available for local AM/FM radio station affiliates. The Westwood One national audio stream is also available on the free NFL app.

For years, listeners to Westwood One NFL AM/FM radio station affiliates could hear the game over the air but not on the station audio stream. Effective this season, AM/FM radio listeners now have the added option to listen to Westwood One’s Monday night, Thursday night, and Sunday night broadcasts as well as postseason coverage on their smart speakers, smartphones, and laptops.

A major marketer utilized the new audio stream to create a pre-roll ad unit. Online brand lift measurement firm Upwave, surveyed 658 listeners who were exposed and 702 respondents who were unexposed to the NFL audio stream during the Fall 2022 season.

Across the board, all measures of brand equity saw positive impact. Those exposed to the pre-roll exhibited greater awareness, familiarity, ad recall and brand consideration.

Key takeaways:

• MESH Experience: AM/FM radio listeners are much more passionate about sports versus TV viewers
• MRI Simmons: Compared to NFL postseason TV viewers, AM/FM radio listeners are far more engaged
• As NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are more engaged, they are more likely to be sports bettors
• AM/FM radio’s increased sports engagement means greater advertising effectiveness and impact
• MRI Simmons: NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to influence other consumers, extending commercial impact beyond the game
• Nielsen Scarborough: The NFL postseason AM/FM radio audience is younger, more likely to be employed, have a bigger household, and affluent versus the NFL postseason TV audience
• MRI Simmons: NFL postseason AM/FM radio audiences deliver consumers who are in the market across key consumer categories
• Nielsen: NFL postseason AM/FM radio audiences surge with significant incremental reach
• Upwave: NFL audio streaming brand effect study reveals strong impact for a major marketer

Click here to view a 6-minute video of the key takeaways.

View or download the 2023 NFL Listening Report for advertisers:

Scott Anekstein is the VP of Research at Westwood One.

Contact the Insights team at CorpMarketing@westwoodone.com.