March Madness, a big, live sports event on linear TV, still delivers big time for advertisers, according to a new study from Effectv, the advertising sales arm of Comcast Cable.
According to the stat sheet put together by Effectv, advertisers that include the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament in their campaigns receive as much as 87% greater reach than those that do no. Commercials airing during coverage on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV are 55% more likely to be seen in light TV-viewing households.
“The March Madness timeframe is small but mighty, with its ability to reach wide audiences efficiently,” Travis Flood, executive director of insights at Comcast Advertising, said. “The engaged, live environment captivates viewers and encourages them to gather around the big screen — even those who don’t typically consume TV. Given the fragmentation in TV viewing today, this is an incredibly powerful tool for advertisers.”
Households watch an average of 9.25 hours of hoops over the course of the tournament, and March Madness ads reach nearly 2.5 times more households per commercial than the average program.
Also: Measurement March Madness Produces Fresh NCAA Viewing Stats
Streaming on networks airing March Madness increased 86% during the tournament, and even businesses tuned in. According to the study, 67% of businesses tune into games during the first and second rounds.
“With March Madness, advertisers are reaching viewers who would not otherwise be seeing TV advertising,” Flood added. “Incremental reach is on everyone’s mind in 2023, and this event provides an opportunity to reach audiences more than twice as efficiently as an average ad. This is an opportunity that can benefit advertisers of all sizes.”
The study is based on Comcast’s aggregated viewership data, plus third-party sources, during the 2022 tournament. ■
