Click here to view an 8-minute video of the key findings.

Click here to download the NCAA Basketball Listening Report.

Two new studies reveal while NCAA March Madness 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.

71% of NCAA College Basketball fans who listen on AM/FM radio say they are extremely/very passionate about the sport compared to 42% of TV viewers. In fact, MESH Experience finds that AM/FM radio listeners are far more passionate about all major sports versus TV viewers.

MRI Simmons: Compared to NCAA March Madness 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 tournament 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 NCAA March Madness play-by-play audience is more engaged with and passionate about sports than those who watch sports on TV.

Compared to the NCAA March Madness TV audience, the AM/FM radio audience is:

• 69% more likely to have attended any sports events
• 29% more likely to use a sports app in the last 30 days
• 54% more likely to have family/friends ask/trust their advice on sports
• 71% more likely to be considered a sports category influential consumer

As NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio listeners are more engaged, they are more likely to be sports bettors

NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio listeners are far more 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 NCAA March Madness 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 NCAA March Madness audience than TV ad engagement.

MRI Simmons: NCAA March Madness 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 NCAA March Madness are indexed to the U.S. population.

Across an array of different purchase categories, NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio listeners are far more likely to be product category influential than TV viewers.

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

MRI Simmons: NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio audiences deliver consumers who are in the market across key consumer categories

Compared to the NCAA March Madness TV audience, AM/FM radio delivers consumers who are more likely to spend across major categories like buying a new or used vehicle, making a large TV purchase, remodeling their kitchen, or switching their insurance provider. The NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio audience is also more likely to make a major life decision like moving or refinancing their home mortgage.

Nielsen: NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio audiences surge with significant incremental reach

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

Westwood One’s NCAA 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 NCAA on Westwood One is a massive reach machine. Over the entire regular season, Westwood One’s NCAA play-by-play reach grows by over 10X between week one and thirteen.

This massive reach accumulation kicks into overdrive during March Madness. Nielsen’s analysis reveals Westwood One’s NCAA coverage reaches 33 million Americans across the season.

Key takeaways:

• MESH Experience: AM/FM radio listeners are much more passionate about sports versus TV viewers
• MRI Simmons: Compared to NCAA March Madness TV viewers, AM/FM radio listeners are far more engaged
• As NCAA March Madness 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: NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to influence other consumers, extending commercial impact beyond the game
• Nielsen Scarborough: The NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio audience is younger, more likely to be employed and have a bigger household, and more affluent versus the NCAA March Madness TV audience
• MRI Simmons: NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio audiences deliver consumers who are in the market across key consumer categories
• Nielsen: NCAA March Madness AM/FM radio audiences surge with significant incremental reach

Click here to view an 8-minute video of the key findings.

Pierre Bouvard is Chief Insights Officer of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group^®.

Contact the Insights team at CorpMarketing@westwoodone.com.