With a series of UEFA Champions League fixtures lined up for the coming weeks, sports marketers "are poised to capitalise on the buzz around football" -- particularly in the U.S., according to ADOBE DIGITAL INDEX. Adobe Digital Index data revealed that American interest in football "is rapidly accelerating." ADI’s analysis shows that the U.S.’s share of social buzz for the UEFA Champions League "has more than doubled year-over-year." In fact, according to ADI, the NBA playoffs and Champions League "are neck and neck for social buzz." ADI principal analyst Tamara Gaffney said, "In the U.S., most marketers gravitate toward traditional American sports, such as football and basketball. Our data shows that sports marketers should strongly consider soccer. The growth in American interest in the sport is driven by the availability of content both via digital channels and on television. With the acceleration in interest from the U.S., I wouldn’t be surprised if World Cup 2024 were held in the U.S." ADI found that the size and spread of "fandom" for the Champions League event is greater than that of the NBA playoffs, making it a big opportunity for marketers looking to target a global audience. Gaffney: "The overall finding is that U.S. sports, like the NBA playoffs, are more domestic in popularity, while soccer events, like the Champions League, are more international and could mean a larger audience for U.S. marketers" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 11/20).
