Study: Radio Listeners More Interested In Online Sports Betting

On January 25, 2021, ten brands in the state of Michigan went live with sports betting. To better understand the consumer reaction in Michigan to the launch of sports betting, CUMULUS MEDIA | Westwood One commissioned MARU/Matchbox to conduct a study of 700 Michigan adults 21+ from January 29 through February 1, 2021.

 

This week’s Westwood One blog outlines the key findings.

• 72% of Michigan residents are aware of sports betting legalization: While the majority of people in Michigan (72%) are aware of sports betting's legalization, this awareness skews older. Awareness of the change in policy is also higher among men and Detroit residents.
• Sports betting interest is concentrated among men 21-54: 28% of all adults 21+ in Michigan are very or somewhat interested in online sports betting. About 40% of adults 21-54 say they are very/somewhat interested.
• Unaided awareness: 55% of Michigan residents are unable to name an online sports betting brand: 22% name FanDuel, 16% cite DraftKings, and 11% name BetMGM. FOX Bet, Bartsool Sportsbook, PointsBet, and William Hill have unaided awareness between 1% and 4%.
• Aided awareness: DraftKings and FanDuel lead, BetMGM places second, five firms tie for third.
• Advertising recall: DraftKings and FanDuel lead, followed by BetMGM, BetRivers, and Barstool Sportsbook.
• AM/FM radio is the ideal platform for online sports betting sites to build their brands and business: Heavy AM/FM radio listeners in Michigan show significantly more interest, engagement, and experience in online sports betting as well as greater awareness of sports betting brands compared to heavy TV viewers. Versus older skewing heavy TV viewers, heavy AM/FM radio listeners are twice as interested in online sports betting and four times as likely to have placed an online wager.
• Compared to heavy TV viewers, heavy AM/FM radio listeners are 52% more aware of sports betting brands: In Michigan, among heavy AM/FM radio listeners, the average brand awareness of twelve sports betting firms is 44% compared to only 29% among heavy TV viewers.
• Nielsen Scarborough: Across the U.S., the greater the time spent with AM/FM radio, the greater the sports betting engagement. Heavy AM/FM radio listeners are +44% more likely to engage in sports betting compared to heavy TV viewers.
• AM/FM radio sports listeners are significantly more engaged with sports betting versus TV sports viewers.