Network ad sales executives traditionally have sold sports as an extension of “Showtime” -- an unpredictable and exciting programming genre. The lack of sports during the pandemic has caused at least one broadcaster to change that pitch. “I think it always will be ‘Showtime,’” said Dan Lovinger, NBC Sports Group’s Exec VP/Ad Sales. “But I also think there’s now this wonderful notion of bringing people together. The world needs it now more than ever.”
NBC Sports’ ad sales pitch this summer and fall will focus on a study Tapestry Research conducted with 2,346 sports fans from May 13-16, before live sports started returning. The results showed that a pent-up demand for live sports exists: 82% said its hard to live without sports; 76% said they’re not the same person without sports; and 86% say there’s a unique feeling they only get when watching live sports. “These results are surprising in terms of how overwhelming they are,” Lovinger said. “To me, the most interesting part of the results was this notion that regardless of age, geographic location, ethnicity, sports have a similar impact on just about everybody."
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NBC’s pitch also includes stats from the survey that say 72% are more positive towards brands that advertise during live sports, and 78% say brands that advertise play an important part in making sports a great experience for fans. “In a world where reach and ratings are hard to come by, that’s where live sports matter most for advertisers,” Lovinger said. “They’re still seeking reach. They’re still seeking ratings. They’re still seeking immediacy and primacy. There are gaps in media plans now in terms of their ability to deliver on reach goals. With the return of sports through the summer and into the fall, we think we’re going to see a lot of advertiser demand across the sports media spectrum.”
