By now we know that 2020 has been a disruptive year, to say the least. Perhaps one of the biggest bright spots we’ve seen to date is the current return of professional sports. While sports were on hold for the past several months, fans learned to get their sports fix when they could. For example, when Michael Jordan’s documentary “The Last Dance” was first announced, it had 5.9 million daily video views on Twitter. And when the NFL draft went virtual in late April, fans were eager for content resulting in 171 million monthly views for draft-related videos on Twitter. 

Fans are frankly ready for sports to come back, and they can get into the game more easily than ever via mobile phones. It’s where the crowds now cheer, roar, celebrate and banter. MoPub, a Twitter company, realizes too that with the recent revival of live sports content, mobile in-app offers a big opportunity for advertisers to capitalize on.  

Goal!

Unsurprisingly, the return of live sports had a predictable increase in sports app usage. Nielsen data even tells us that “from the time COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on March 11, all mobile users spent more time with their mobile devices, up nearly 20 minutes per day. Among sports fans, that increase was about 15 minutes more than usual.” One of the strongest examples of fans’ excitement was in the restart of European football (soccer). MoPub’s internal data shows a lift in app usage linked to professional soccer across Europe from May to June.¹

The return of sports events (and conversation) is driving an increase in app downloads, time spent in-app, and daily active users

With the return of live sports comes the return of fans. In particular, fan engagement saw a spike leading up to the reinvigoration of several different European soccer leagues, showcasing the excitement for the return of live sports in any form. MoPub also saw a similar trend in the US with the resumption of professional baseball (which began July 23-24) and professional basketball (July 30) with daily active users in US sports focused apps across MoPub’s exchange increasing prior to the leagues starting up again.²

Which ad formats are seeing a spike?

From an advertising perspective, where there are users, ad dollars tend to follow. Sports apps typically focus on more traditional ad formats like banners and medium rectangles, and — although it varies by region — the combination of banner and medium rectangle tends to comprise the majority of sports publishers revenue (65+ percent³) with medium rectangle usually commanding a price premium over banner ads, globally. 

³According to MoPub internal data looking at global sports-based apps

What does this mean for mobile advertisers? 

Look ahead to key sports season-related dates and plan your budget and strategy accordingly 

MoPub data shows that sports app user growth typically happens a week or so before the sports league in question restarts. The sooner advertisers organize their strategy, the better prepared they will be. In fact, according to eMarketer, 36% of agency and brand marketer respondents who were surveyed about budget allocations say that they’re willing to shift advertising budget to sports programming later this year. As our industry shifts and we all continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation, the continued appetite for sports content tells us that the opportunity to spend or allocate budget towards in-app could be right around the corner.

Identify opportunities available across different regions and ad formats

Although sports apps tend to focus on banner and medium rectangle, the massive changes across our ecosystem could provide an opportunity for advertisers to reconfirm their ideal balance or experiment with new formats like native or fullscreen, for example. We currently have a sports inventory package available to quickly get you started on targeting this supply. To activate, simply reach out to your MoPub team or contact mopubagency@twitter.com. 

What happens next?

While it remains to be seen how the National Football League’s fall season will take shape in the U.S., MoPub has put together some predictions for what we expect to happen if the season progresses, based on MoPub internal data and App Annie insights. 

• We’d expect to see an increase in football and other sports-focused app users in advance of the season opener 

• We’d expect to see an increased focus on both sports betting and fantasy football apps 

Sports might look different under today's circumstances without fans in the stands, but fans will take what they can get, and many will turn to mobile apps to engage with the kind of content that can satisfy their sports cravings. As we observe the next iteration of sports in a COVID-19 world, we hope that any and all games can continue as safely as possible for the players, staff, and coaches. In the meantime, we'll review and share relevant data that might be helpful to advertisers during this time. For more information or to learn more about our offerings for advertisers, you can reach out to us at www.mopub.com/contact.