Why DOOH is a smart play for the sportsbook advertiser’s 2024 gameplan
Demand for online sports betting has continued to accelerate, as the activity has become legal in more than 30 states across the US and sportsbook brands (like FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM) have increased
For emerging and well-established sportsbook brands, the forecast is promising, provided they can attract and engage their target audience. More than 50 legal online sportsbooks presently exist in the US alone and many others globally, making competition to capture and retain the attention of sports and gaming enthusiasts fierce. Digital-out-of-home (DOOH) advertising provides a way for sportsbooks to stand out amidst the seas of options, a feat that will only grow more challenging as the market continues to burgeon.
Why hedge a bet with DOOH?
In 2023, a single 30-second Super Bowl TV spot cost around $6.5m, averaging a CPM of about $64. According to an OAAA and Geopath estimate, applying that same budget to DOOH could translate to brand exposure in the top 50 markets, with the potential to generate over a billion impressions, and at an average CPM of $5.40. Now, that’s some ROI.
Many sports betting companies have already invested in the ad medium for this reason, with DraftKings and FanDuel among the top 100 out-of-home spenders in Q3 last year. At the simplest level, DOOH makes it easy to maximize sportsbook advertiser budget and reach, but let’s dig a little deeper into why that’s the case.
Driving brand awareness
DOOH remains one of the most reliable tactics to drive brand awareness. This is especially true for sportsbooks, with OAAA and Harris Poll Rese data revealing that 54% of US adults in cities of over a million have noticed OOH ads for sports betting. Additionally, 62% of Americans who saw OOH ads for sports betting reported later engaging with the brand in some way, be it sharing information word-of-mouth or visiting the sportsbook website or app.
Using DOOH, advertisers can tap into high-visibility locations to broaden campaign reach with contextual content that speaks to what audiences are experiencing at the moment. In the case of sportsbook advertisers, this might mean targeting DOOH screens in areas near and in sports bars, stadiums, transit hubs on the way to these locations, and others where sports enthusiasts gather. Targeting audiences across multiple DOOH touch points throughout their day – be it commuting to work or meeting up with friends for a drink at a bar – can go a long way in helping to capture their attention and improve brand recall.
Sportsbook brands can also activate DOOH ads in the physical world with hyper-localized content and custom messaging to capitalize on timely events, trends, or preferences specific to that region. For example, they could run localized DOOH ads across billboards, transit and urban panels, sports bars, and more in locations near a sports arena where a big match is slated to occur, thereby driving awareness.
Advancing audience engagement through context
If content is king, context is queen. DOOH ads that feature dynamic, contextual content relating to real-time audience experiences can better capture their attention and inspire action. Leveraging programmatic DOOH capabilities today, sportsbook brands are able to execute DOOH ads and update creative based on real-time data triggers like live odds, game results, and more. They can optimize campaigns to switch messaging or pause ads based on dayparting. For example, they might opt to run a DOOH ad on Sunday, which is a popular day for football in the US, because the odds of bet placing are greater. Another popular approach is to display different ads based on the outcome of a game, switching campaign messaging to align with goals and live game updates.
Along the consumer journey, there are also many interactive venue types that advertisers can leverage to promote their offerings in the right context. Activating ads on touch screens in sports bars and pubs, for instance, can attract patrons to place bets or access odds while watching games. Live betting contests run on in-house screens in the same setting during halftime, or commercial breaks can keep bar and restaurant goers engaged in a contextual setting while increasing their chances of interaction. At the same time, kiosks and transit displays provide ways for audiences to access sportsbook options and tutorials, or place bets at their convenience.
Amplification through omnichannel
DOOH alone is an incredibly powerful advertising vehicle, but incorporating it into a larger omnichannel strategy can ensure an even more fun and engaging experience for audiences and trigger online engagement. OAAA found that 47% of US consumers who saw OOH ads for sports betting visited a website following ad exposure. It’s also a great way to link physical and digital advertising formats for a seamless, more holistic brand experience.
Integrating QR codes into DOOH creative, for instance, can help drive audience traffic to mobile apps or betting sites, where additional promotional content might encourage interactivity or unlock access to exclusive rewards and offers. Using device ID passback, sportsbook advertisers can also retarget audiences already exposed to DOOH ads in a geofenced area with personalized ads on mobile devices, social media, and other digital channels. This data-driven strategy cues sportsbook advertisers into user behavior patterns and preferences, setting the stage for more data-driven decision-making in future campaign planning.
While visibility is crucial to the success of sportsbook ad campaigns, engaging with the audience where they live and breathe sports is equally paramount. The betting and gaming industry is only expected to continue a solid growth trajectory in 2024, and with it, the potential to reach audiences in new markets also grows. While the biggest game in football may seem months away, February will be here before you know it. Now is the time for sportsbook brands to leverage DOOH to drive awareness and action or risk being late to the game.