Live sport continues to attract large audiences: 67% of consumers globally follow sports on a regular basis via various media platforms, YouGov’s The Global Sports Media Landscape report shows.
It’s the most resilient component of broadcast TV at a time when overall viewing is almost flat and other genres are suffering steep declines, according to Enders Analysis’s Defying the Decline: Sports Viewing Remains Resilient study.
This is also popular amongst younger consumers. Fears that young people are no longer interested in sport are “overblown”, Enders states, and “sport is now a growing proportion of all under-35s’ live TV set viewing: 17% in 2023, up from 7% in 2015”.
This demand for live sport does not disappear once fans step onboard. There is an increasing expectation amongst passengers to be able to watch their favourite live sports whilst travelling.
According to the
Endeavor Analytics’ 2024 Passenger Survey, 74% of passengers consider access to live sport important, with the same percentage preferring live sports over other in-flight entertainment options.
The pre-existing opportunities for brand marketing on-board are well-known: there’s sponsored travel upgrades, on-board shopping, branded wifi and digital and interactive ads, just to name a few. But, there are other ways for brands to reach this audience that speak to sport fans on a deeper level.
Sport 24 – IMG’s live sports channel for airlines and cruise ships – broadcasts premium live sport and programming across its Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra channels 24 hours a day 365 days a year, enabling brands to capitalise on the growing popularity of travel and fans’ steadfast appetite for live sport.
“Sport 24 is truly unique in what it can offer. In a world where live sports is one of the few mediums to draw a truly captive audience, this notion applies even more for people wanting to stay connected on an international flight,” says Ciaran Bone, VP, global brand partnerships, at IMG.
Sport 24’s cumulative viewing reached over 8 million total views from June to August in 2024. Meanwhile, its broadcast of UEFA EURO 2024 exceeded 1.5 million views on partner airline carriers alone.
“Imagine a plane full of passengers watching their team score the winning penalty mid-flight, all eyes glued to the same channel, with no other distractions. For brands, this is a powerful opportunity,” he adds.
Kate Peregrine, marketing director at premium British quality watch company Christopher Ward, agrees.
“We’re very pleased to have extended our Sport 24 commercial partnership this summer. The association with global airlines aligns well with our international customer base and it’s great to see our creative shown throughout a top summer of sport,” she says.
“We’re also looking forward to increased exposure across upcoming Premier League games, especially given our sponsorship as Official Timing Partner and Shirt Sleeve Partner of Everton Football Club.”
Sport 24 enables brands to align their messaging with premium live sports content that captivates a highly desirable audience.
“The channel allows brands to connect and align their message to the premium travelling audience, all within the context of the most powerful appointment-to-view content – live sport,” Bone continues.
Brands from a range of sectors, both global and local, can benefit from connecting with this upscale audience.
For those looking to expand their reach, the ability to tap into this engaged audience without negotiating multiple media deals with different carriers or rights holders is a significant advantage – as is the unforgettable onboard collective viewing experience.
“Sport 24 has created a framework for advertisers to set content live within an immediate time frame – allowing for brands and their agencies to utilise time-sensitive creative with greater impact.”
With creative opportunities ranging from broadcast sponsorship to long-form content and multiple spot rotations, channels like Sport 24 offer a solution for advertisers looking for high-impact connections with consumers.
As travel continues to increase and fans’ demand for staying connected to live sports remains high, channels like Sport 24 look like they're really taking off.
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