The shift from a 4-team to a 12-team College Football Playoff format during the 2024 season not only impacted college football programs (both finalists likely wouldn’t have made the cut under the older system) but also had major implications for advertisers looking to surround the event. More specifically, the number of playoff games jumped from 3 to 11, the total time the playoffs lasted for more than doubled (20 days vs. a previous 8), and the selection show became higher stakes with fans wondering which teams made it and which teams missed the cut. Given LG Ad Solutions’ ability to see what hits the glass via our Automatic Content Recognition technology, we wanted to share some lessons learned from the 2024 Playoffs so advertisers can update their Sports advertising playbook.

Individual Match Ups Still Matter

Looking at the single day tune-in for both individual games and the selection show, we see that interest is somewhat dependent on individual matchups. In particular, the games that eventual champion Ohio State played in had more households tune-in relative to the other games in the round. This might have been driven by fans’ curiosity to see if the 2024 Ohio State team could “redeem themselves” after suffering their fourth consecutive loss to rival Michigan at the end of the regular season.

Recognize Round Tune-in Differences

In terms of round by round tune-in averages, after the first round, the average tune-in was in a consistent range with about 1 in 4 tvs watching a game in either the quarter, semi, or championship rounds. The lower first round tune-in may have been driven by the top 4 seeds receiving a bye and not playing until the quarter finals. This was a little different from what we’ve seen in both the Men’s and Women’s March Madness basketball brackets. Although a bit of apples to oranges (or footballs to basketballs if you will), unlike the single tune-in jump for College Football, basketball’s tune-in gradually increased by round, culminating in the highest tune-in for the Championship Game.

Respect Regional Preferences

Although not unique to the 12 round playoff format, one of college football’s biggest pulls is the regional fandom. In the above tune-in by state chart, it is easy to see how the state of Ohio was committed to watching the game. In fact, more than half of all LG Households in Ohio tuned-in to the Cotton Bowl Semi Finals! And while Texas as a state had above average tune-in, the map reveals states that have interest in college football like Nebraska and Alabama (a traditional college football powerhouse who didn’t make the playoffs in 2024). 

So how can advertisers take advantage of this information?

  • Consider the Selection Show: While the first ever 12-team selection show had a modest 4% tune-in it trailed the Men’s March Madness’ selection show tune-in of 10%. However, with more games and teams, we wouldn’t be surprised if the College Football Playoff pushed their own Football Frenzy brackets and their selection show closed the tune-in gap. 
  • Run Native Ads to Expand upon Matchup-Based Interest: Given how tune-in can vary by matchup, consider advertising on the home-screen to supplement existing advertising strategy and engage with college football fans as soon as they turn on their TV. 
  • Take Advantage of Local Targeting Capabilities: Adapt advertising strategy to reflect regional realities rather than settling for a one-size fits all national approach.
  • Capitalize on Enhanced Ads: Unlike traditional static TV ads, CTV’s Enhanced Ads can dynamically update and provide live score updates or count down the days until the championship game

Ready to update your advertising playbook? Reach out to LG Ad Solutions to learn more!