A new study concludes that broadcast radio listeners “are far more engaged” with sports and tennis, which generates greater advertising effectiveness and impact. Furthermore, the audience for tennis reports on broadcast radio is younger and more likely to be employed and have kids in bigger households versus the TV audience.
Tennis on the radio? That’s coming from Cumulus Media’s national radio arm Westwood One. The research being shared? That comes courtesy of … Westwood One.
In 2025, Westwood One will premiere coverage of Tennis Grand Slam Tournaments via daily reports. This begins May 25 with the French Open, which concludes June 8. WWO also has audio coverage of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, later in the summer. Naturally, Pierre Bouvard, the Chief Insights Officer at Cumulus Media, has data supporting the advertiser opportunities that await.
“Across every major sport (NFL, NCAA, NHL, etc.), the AM/FM radio audience is much younger, employed, and more likely to have children than the TV audience,” Bouvard notes. “The tennis audience is no different.”
That passion and engagement with sports among listeners is what matters most, and Bouvard shares the AM/FM radio tennis audience is 17 years younger than the TV audience — dispelling the belief that radio is only for older audiences.
There’s also a sports betting and wagering angle at play, which Bouvard shares in a blog post.
This can’t be a real strategy…