Click here to view a 13-minute video of the key findings.

Click here to download a PDF of the slides.

While another March Madness season has just wrapped up, marketers are looking ahead to the major global tennis tournaments: the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

In 2025, Westwood One will premiere coverage of Tennis Grand Slam Tournaments via daily reports.

A new study reveals while tennis tournament reports and updates are available both on TV and AM/FM radio, each broadcast has a very different audience profile. The AM/FM radio audience for tennis coverage is affluent and employed, passionate about sports, tennis engaged, and in the market for wide array of major purchases.

Key takeaways:

• AM/FM radio listeners are far more engaged with sports and tennis, which generates greater advertising effectiveness and impact
• The audience for tennis reports on AM/FM radio is younger and more likely to be employed and have kids in bigger households versus the TV audience
• AM/FM radio tennis report audiences deliver consumers who are in the market across key consumer categories
• Tennis report AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to influence other consumers, extending commercial impact beyond ad exposure

MRI-Simmons: Compared to the TV tennis audience, the AM/FM radio audience is younger and more likely to be employed and have kids with larger households

Across every major sport (NFL, NCAA, NHL, etc.), the AM/FM radio audience is much younger, employed, and more likely to have children than the TV audience. The tennis audience is no different.

The AM/FM radio tennis audience is 17 years younger than the TV audience and more likely to be employed with a greater presence of children and bigger households.

Audio ads in tennis AM/FM radio reports have greater impact than TV because listeners are more passionate and engaged with sports

MRI-Simmons reports that on every measure of fandom and passion, the tennis AM/FM radio audience is more engaged with sports than the TV audience.

Compared to the TV tennis audience, those who listen to tennis on AM/FM radio are:

• 75% more likely to have attended any sports event
• 10% more likely to have used a sports app
• 33% more likely to be considered a sports guru by family and friends
• 21% more likely to be considered a super sports fan
• 2X more likely to participate in fantasy sports

Those who listen to tennis on AM/FM radio show greater tennis fandom than the TV audience

The tennis AM/FM radio audience is 5X more likely to attract sports bettors

Tennis listeners are more likely to be sports bettors, according to MRI-Simmons. Greater passion and engagement in AM/FM radio sports mean a more attentive audience and an outstanding programming environment for marketers and brands.

Versus the TV audience, the tennis audio audience is far more likely to be in the market for key purchases

As the AM/FM radio audience for tennis comes from larger, younger households, the propensity for major purchases is much stronger than among the TV tennis audience. Whether purchasing a new vehicle, making a major home furnishing purchase, hiring a financial advisory, or purchasing a laptop, tablet, or smartwatch, the tennis AM/FM radio audience is more likely to be in-market than the TV audience.

MRI-Simmons: Tennis AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to influence other consumers, extending commercial impact beyond ad exposure

MRI-Simmons defines category influential consumers as deeply familiar with a product category, frequent recommenders across social networks, highly trusted, and word-of-mouth leaders for products and services. Those viewing and listening to the tennis coverage are indexed to the U.S. population.

Across an array of different purchase categories, tennis AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to be product category influential than TV viewers.

Marketers who utilize tennis on TV to build their brands and drive sales can extend impact with the addition of Westwood One’s tennis audio platform

According to Vivvix/Kantar, the marketers who have the largest TV commitments to major tennis tournament coverage include business-to-business firms, financial services, luxury goods, telecom, beer, and even quick service restaurants.

Tennis on AM/FM radio works for advertisers

Key takeaways:

• AM/FM radio listeners are far more engaged with sports and tennis, which generates greater advertising effectiveness and impact
• The audience for tennis reports on AM/FM radio is younger and more likely to be employed and have kids in bigger households versus the TV audience
• AM/FM radio tennis report audiences deliver consumers who are in the market across key consumer categories
• Tennis report AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to influence other consumers, extending commercial impact beyond ad exposure

Click here to view a 13-minute video of the key findings.

Pierre Bouvard is Chief Insights Officer of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group^®.

Contact the Insights team at CorpMarketing@westwoodone.com.