OOH Sports Event Marketing Research: What the Harris Poll Reveals About Fan Behavior and Brand Impact
Summary of what the study says and why it matters now
The latest Harris Poll research, commissioned by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), confirms that sports fans notice out‑of‑home ads, engage with them, and spend money because of them. Nearly six in ten U.S. adults recall seeing an OOH ad for a major sporting event, and of those, nine in ten took action, from watching games to searching for tickets and posting on social media. Among fans who attended a game after seeing an OOH ad, 99% spent money locally, with two-thirds reporting a significant spend. These findings give marketers clear proof that billboards and digital OOH drive awareness, action, and economic impact during sports moments.MediaPost OAAA PDF
This post distills the top insights from the Harris Poll work. It translates them into practical steps for sports marketers, sponsors, and local businesses planning campaigns around games, tournaments, and citywide sporting events.
Key findings from the Harris Poll on OOH and major sporting events
Fans recall and act after seeing sports OOH
Recall is strong. About six in ten adults say they noticed an OOH ad about a major sporting event. More importantly, action follows exposure. Roughly nine in ten who saw an ad engaged in at least one behavior, including looking up more information, visiting the event website, watching related games, or searching for tickets.MediaPost OAAA PDF
Social buzz and second‑screen engagement
Social engagement is common after OOH exposure. The Harris Poll shows that more than six in ten participants who engaged did so on social media, by following teams or events, sharing photos of the ads, or tagging friends. Visual appeal and featuring favorite athletes are leading reasons people engage online after seeing a billboard or digital OOH ad.OAAA PDF
Local economic impact is measurable
OOH does more than build awareness. It supports local commerce tied to games and tournaments. Among those who attended an event after seeing an OOH ad, 99% spent money at hotels, restaurants, or transportation. 66% reported a significant spend, which underscores why cities and sponsors align OOH with event weeks and host‑city windows.OAAA PDF
What makes sports OOH memorable
Creative elements matter. 77% of adults rate OOH ads for major sporting events as more or equally memorable than other ad types. The attributes that lift memorability include star athletes, bold visuals and color, humor, and unique executions. Countdowns, local tie‑ins, and interactive tech also contribute to recall.OAAA PDF
What messages fans want to see
Fans respond to practical, time-sensitive information. The Harris Poll lists schedules, viewing options, ticket availability, star players, venue details, nearby dining, and lodging as top messaging interests for major sporting event ads. This keeps fans informed and encourages them to make purchase decisions at the right moment.OAAA PDF
How to apply these insights in real campaigns
Plan media around peaks, paths, and pauses
Map placements to the fan journey. Use billboards and digital OOH near airports, interstates, and entertainment districts during travel peaks, then in‑city paths to stadiums and fan zones. Add reach along commuter corridors on game days and during national broadcast windows when casual fans are deciding how to watch.
Match creatives to the fan’s next best action
Use message variants that push an explicit action. Before events, emphasize schedules, matchups, and ticket offers. During event weeks, highlight directions, venue entrances, and partner promotions. After big wins, run celebratory creatives that link to merchandise or highlight post‑game experiences.
Use DOOH for dayparted updates
Digital OOH lets you rotate creative by time and context. Run countdowns that change hourly, swap in a star player graphic on game day, or trigger content based on weather and traffic. Tie these updates to search and social so fans who see your board can act quickly on their phones.
Bridge OOH to mobile and social
Pair simple QR codes or short vanity URLs with clear instructions. The Harris findings show that social engagement is a frequent outcome of OOH exposure, so seed hashtags and encourage photo shares. Keep landing pages fast and mobile-first to capture intent within seconds of exposure.OAAA PDF
Localize messages to the host city
Use neighborhood references and partner shoutouts. Feature restaurants and hotels close to fan zones. Add transit information and wayfinding cues. Local tie-ins boost memorability and build goodwill with city partners and sponsors.OAAA PDF
Creative best practices for sports OOH
Keep copy short and specific
Limit to six or fewer words when possible. Lead with the team, the opponent, the date, and the call to action. If the goal is to tune in, make the viewing option the headline. If the goal is ticket sales, put the offer or the next price break front and center.
Feature star athletes, humor, and bold visuals
These elements rank high in memorability according to the Harris Poll. Use large player images with high contrast, add a simple, humorous twist when appropriate, and let bold color blocks do the heavy lifting. Avoid clutter and small logos. Make the logo legible at speed.
Design for distance and motion
Optimize legibility at highway speeds and in dense urban traffic. Use high‑weight fonts, strong figure‑ground separation, and generous negative space. Test creative in simulated drive‑by conditions before launch. Confirm brightness and color settings for digital displays.
Rotate sequences for storytelling
Plan a straightforward narrative across multiple boards or time slots. Tease the matchup, reveal the countdown, then prompt action. Sequencing helps repetition without fatigue, and it keeps messages fresh for commuters over multi‑day events.
Measurement: how to prove impact
Define success beyond impressions
Use a balanced scorecard. Track reach and frequency, as well as web sessions from OOH areas, search lift for branded keywords, QR scans, social media follows, and ticket conversions. Align each unit’s role to a metric. For example, airport boards for awareness, highway boards for site visits, downtown DOOH for ticket sales or app downloads.
Use benchmarks from the Harris Poll
Set expectations with directional benchmarks from the study. Expect a sizable share of exposed fans to engage online. Plan for social interactions as part of the funnel. Tie the presence in host‑city corridors to measured local spend when events occur. Cite the research directly when aligning partners on success criteria.OAAA PDF
Attribute outcomes with simple experiments
Use phased flighting or geo‑split tests around event windows. Hold back a few boards in matched markets, then compare ticket searches, sales, or tune‑in in exposed versus control zones. Pair with short survey intercepts to validate recall and actions.
Use cases for sponsors, teams, and local businesses
Host city strategy during a multi‑day tournament
Dedicate awareness weight near airports two weeks before the event, then shift the budget to downtown and fan zones on event days. Promote transit tips, official fan events, and partner offers. After each match, rotate the creative to highlight key moments and merchandise.
Regional team with a playoff run
As the playoff window approaches, expand radius coverage along travel corridors to the stadium. Use countdowns and player spotlights on DOOH. Layer in retail partners for bundle offers. After wins, create victory creatives that drive traffic to celebratory merchandise or parade plans.
Local businesses capturing event demand
Restaurants, hotels, and rideshare partners can ride the wave. Advertise proximity, hours, and specials timed to pregame and postgame peaks. Reference nearby landmarks to anchor wayfinding. Use simple QR codes that direct users to mobile menus or booking pages.
How this aligns with your broader marketing mix
OOH amplifies other channels. It primes branded search, increases social engagement, and improves click‑through rates on paid media when flights overlap. That aligns with past Harris Poll and OAAA reporting on DOOH effectiveness, as well as best practices we have covered on Billboard Buzz. For a deeper strategy, see our posts on long‑term brand payoff and how DOOH continues to rise. Also see our take on OOH and generational marketing for creative targeting ideas.
Frequently asked questions
How effective is OOH for major sporting events
The Harris Poll data indicate strong effectiveness. About six in ten adults recall seeing a major sports OOH ad, and nine in ten who noticed took action. Brands should plan for measurable online and offline engagement following OOH exposure.MediaPost OAAA PDF
What creative elements increase memorability
Star athletes, humor, bold visuals, unique executions, and localized elements rank high. Countdowns and interactive features can also lift recall and interest.OAAA PDF
Which messages should sports OOH prioritize
Schedules and viewing options, ticket availability, star player features, venue information, and nearby dining or lodging consistently rank among the most desired messages in the Harris Poll.OAAA PDF
How should I measure campaign success
Align KPIs to the role of each placement. Combine exposure metrics with web sessions, search lift, QR scans, social follows, and ticket conversions. Use simple control designs to isolate incremental impact during event windows.
Sources and methodology
Primary sources include the OAAA and Harris Poll 2025 research series on OOH and sporting events, specifically the memorability and consumer action reports. The study was conducted online in the United States from August 14 to 18, 2025, among 1,624 adults ages 18 to 64, weighted by demographic variables. See the full summaries here: OOH Sporting Event Ads Are Memorable With Consumers and OOH Drives Consumer Action for Major Sporting Events. Coverage summaries are also available at MediaPost and Street Fight.
Frequently Asked Questions
About six in ten adults recall seeing a major sports OOH ad, and nine in ten who noticed took action, including search, site visits, social engagement, and ticket exploration, according to the 2025 OAAA × Harris Poll.
Star athletes, humor, bold visuals, countdowns, unique executions, and local tie-ins lift memorability for sports event OOH.
Schedules and viewing options, ticket availability, star player features, venue information, and nearby dining or lodging rank among the most desired messages.
Use a balanced scorecard that maps placements to KPIs, including site sessions, search lift, QR scans, social follows, and ticket conversions, validated with simple geo-split or phased tests.
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