TV Trends — Hit a Home Run with MLB Audiences
Major League Baseball (MLB) is in full swing as we cross the halfway mark of the 2022 regular season and move steadily towards October. What can we expect from this year’s playoffs in terms of audience viewership and advertiser trends? We looked at data from the 2021 playoffs to set the stage.
In 2021, 52% of LG TV users watched the MLB. The 2021 playoffs, specifically, saw a slightly higher viewership within LG Ad Solutions households compared to the 2020 playoff season. As watching the games on TV becomes more accessible as a result of streaming, viewership is only expected to grow.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Who is really watching the MLB games? Let’s dig into the numbers. A large chunk of MLB audiences are female. Brands often think that the typical sports viewer is male. However, the data proves that the ‘women don’t watch sports’ stereotype is just that — a stereotype.
MLB games strike a chord with almost all age groups. They have the highest resonance with ages 45+ and the lowest resonance with the younger demographic (ages 18-24). These audiences also have a higher purchasing power; nearly two-thirds of MLB playoff audiences have an annual household income of $75,000 or more. In terms of ethnicity, one in five MLB viewers are Hispanic. Brands can take marketing to the next level by creating specific campaigns that speak to this diverse audience in a meaningful way. States that saw high MLB playoff viewership included Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.
MLB Audiences watch a mix of linear and streaming TV. Nearly one-third of MLB audiences watch TV content only through streaming, while more than half use both linear and streaming options. 61% of MLB fans using LG TVs say that they watch less than 7 hours of live traditional TV per week. The shift towards streaming is real and brands must use a combination of linear and CTV to capture audience attention. 79% of MLB audiences enjoy watching content on ad-supported TV apps with 62% agreeing that they prefer streaming free video content with ads instead of paying for a subscription. In fact, nearly half the MLB fans believe that the commercials they see on streaming services are relevant to them.
At LG Ad Solutions, our ACR technology helps us understand audience viewing preferences and target them wherever they are across TV. Especially for viewers that watch both linear and streaming TV, we can pinpoint audiences not reached or reached at an insufficient frequency on linear TV and connect with them through CTV.
Brand Batting Order
The top ranking brands by number of ads aired during MLB playoffs (excluding the MLB itself) include GEICO, T-Mobile & CopperFit. Electronics & Communication, Restaurants and Life & Entertainment are the top categories to advertise during the MLB playoffs.
Make Your Pitch
Ultimately, if you’re looking to pitch your brand to audiences interested in MLB, you don’t have to limit yourself to baseball games. MLB fans are spread out across TV. In fact 57% of MLB fans like to stream live sports. Our ACR data can help you find where these audiences are and place your brand commercials across their screens when they are most likely to convert. Interested in learning more? Reach out at info@lgads.tv or on our contact page to partner with us.
Note: All analyses carried out are based on national ad airings only
