Audacy Data Makes the Case for Sports Audio as Podcasting's Strongest Advertising Environment
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Podwires Rundown: The numbers coming out of Audacy’s research operation reframe the entire sports audio conversation. Sports audio listeners are 55% more likely to be avid MLB fans compared to MLB fans overall. Product usage for brands advertising on Audacy sports stations ran 40% higher compared to brands advertising elsewhere. And fans told researchers they were twice as likely to support a brand simply because they knew it supported their team. This isn’t a reach story. It’s a depth-of-engagement story — and that’s a fundamentally different advertising proposition.
Both pieces come from Audacy’s insights team — Ray Borelli, SVP of Research & Insights, and Jason Newman, SVP Marketing Solutions. Audacy is a sports audio broadcaster and podcast publisher with direct commercial interests in sports audio advertising. Read accordingly, but the underlying data points to something real.
The Key Points
Avidity beats reach as the core sports audio value proposition — 55% more likely to be avid fans, 2x brand support likelihood, 40% higher product usage; these are engagement metrics, not audience size metrics
36% of MLB fans have paired play-by-play audio with live TV, choosing familiar local voices over national broadcasts — a behavioral signal that local, authentic audio talent commands loyalty national video can’t replicate
Sports marketing has structurally shifted from visibility to experience — static logo placement has given way to fan ecosystems combining live activations, creator partnerships, social amplification, and audio as connective tissue
Gen Z fans are creators, not just consumers — they post reactions, commentary, and highlights, meaning branded moments in sports audio can spread through fan distribution, not just media buys
The underpriced categories in sports audio right now: women’s sports, MLS/soccer, youth sports, flag football, and creator-driven sports content — all high engagement, all pre-premium pricing
Why It Matters
The entire sports advertising model is being rewritten around one word: avidity. Brands no longer just want big audiences — they want audiences that care deeply, act on recommendations, and distribute brand moments themselves. Sports audio, including podcasts, sits at the centre of that shift. If your show serves a passionate sports audience, your inventory is worth more than your download numbers suggest. The CPM conversation needs to catch up to the engagement reality.
The Big Picture
For podcasters: Sports podcast audiences are among the most actionable in audio. If you’re producing sports content and pricing your inventory purely on downloads, you’re leaving money on the table. Lead with avidity data, not reach. Brands paying attention to this research are actively looking for authentic host-driven environments — not pre-rolls on shows where the host has never touched the product.
For podcast producers: The production brief for sports audio is changing. Authenticity is the brief. Local voices, genuine fan perspectives, and hosts who know the game are outperforming national broadcast formats. If you’re building sports formats, the opportunity is in specificity and depth — not scale.
For the industry: Sports audio is the clearest current example of podcasting’s core value proposition working exactly as advertised. Engaged, loyal audiences who act. The challenge is translating that into standardised metrics that make the case to sports marketing budgets that are still primarily allocated to TV and stadium signage. The data exists. The industry needs to get better at packaging it.
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