From the athletes who’ve trained for years to the fans watching at home, the Olympics are a momentous occasion for everyone involved. Given the massive audience that tunes in each time the world’s most elite athletes compete, the 2024 Olympics also represent an unparalleled opportunity for advertisers.
The 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing drew in over 2 billion viewers around the globe — including many who actively engaged with the brands advertising between events. In many cases, the ads that ran on national linear television, during both the 2022 Beijing and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, were more likely to drive consumer engagement than the primetime broadcast average and other major sporting events.
The 2024 Olympics also offer a particularly valuable opportunity for brands that advertise to U.S. audiences. Whereas the past three Olympic Games have taken place in East Asia, where the time difference for fans in the United States is between 12 and 15 hours, this year’s Summer Games in Paris will be a little closer to home.
As a result, U.S. viewers will only have a six to nine hour difference between local time and their favorite Olympic event. As American fans have a rare chance to see Sha’Carri Richardson on the track or Katie Ledecky's freestyle in real time, brands can reach even more viewers during live events.
If your brand is planning to go for gold this summer, here’s what you need to know about Olympics advertising to create a winning game plan.
2022 Olympic Advertiser Success Presents Valuable Lessons for 2024 Hopefuls
The Olympic audience is pretty unique in terms of how many different people follow the Games. Sports fans aren’t the only ones cheering on their favorite athlete or team. Viewers span multiple demographics and interests, which is perhaps why Olympic ad placements make a significantly greater impact.
Ads that ran during the last Olympic Winter Games were 31% more effective at motivating consumer engagement than the average primetime broadcast or cable airing. From food and beverage, to non-luxury auto, to pharma, ads across a range of categories inspired fans to actively engage.
Women’s events score first place with viewers
Women’s sports are already proven to deliver effective results for advertisers, so it should come as no surprise that ads run during women’s Olympic events generate the most engagement. The 2020 Women’s Basketball Gold Medal Game drove engagement 59% higher than the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics average, the most successful of all 2020 Olympic events for advertisers.
With the continued rise of women’s basketball in recent years, including the most watched WNBA Finals in two decades, 2024 is expected to bring more excitement on the Olympic court. Fans are already eagerly waiting to see Team USA players like A’ja Wilson, so advertisers better take note.
Afternoon placements put points on the board
When it comes to the most optimally timed placements, afternoon day parts yielded powerful performance — with ads that were only slightly less effective than those in primetime.
Ads that ran in the afternoon during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games had a 13% greater chance at driving engagement than the afternoon daytime average. In fact, 2022 Olympic afternoon ads saw better engagement on a per-person, per-second basis than a range of live sports, including the MLB regular season and NFL Sunday daytime football.
With the substantially smaller time difference than recent Olympic Games, brands will have the chance to reach a much larger audience during live afternoon events. While repeat events are incredibly effective at driving engagement, it’s impossible to beat the ROI of a first-run broadcast. Advertisers would have to buy 2.8 ads during a rerun to get the same engagement rate as one ad run during a live event. If brands are aiming for top prize, capitalizing on live Olympic opportunities is the right approach.
Going for the Gold: Plan Your Road to the 2024 Summer Olympics
Advertisers have always won big at the Olympics. With Paris 2024 expected to be the most streamable Summer Olympics to date, it’s time for advertisers to get their head in the Games. EDO has you covered with all the insights you need for your Summer 2024 Olympic media buying. Request an Olympics consultation for your winning strategy.