According to a new report from Audacy, the game is never really over for true sports fans who consume sports news and other sports-related programming.

“And marketers have long noticed this intensity and passion,” says Audacy in Fandom Runs Deep: The Latest Audacy Sports Fandom & Advertiser Impact Study. “Brands are desperate to connect with the biggest fans, and sports radio listeners are the cream of the crop. These fans don’t just cheer for their favorite teams; they actively support brands that sponsor their sports.”

Audacy’s research took a deep dive into the relationship between sports fans and radio, examining how radio helps increase fan engagement and loyalty and boost advertising impact. Key findings include:

• The most devoted stay tuned: According to Audacy, 84% of Americans identify as sports fans, but the most devoted among them are sports radio listeners. “These are the team’s fanatics, and sports radio fuels their devotion,” the report says.

• Feelings of connection, trust: According to Audacy, 90% of its listeners say they connect with their teams through the radio program; 80% believe sports radio offers the most honest coverage; and 80% enjoy sports reporting and live coverage.
• Sports radio opportunities for brands: Fans are four times more likely to trust brands that support their favorite teams, and positive perceptions of those brands are tripled. Fans are also twice as enthusiastic about brands that support their teams.
• Fans react with energy and loyalty: According to Audacy, its sports listeners are four times more likely to purchase something from the brand advertiser, three times more likely to visit the advertiser’s website and six times more likely to download the advertiser’s app.
• Hearing is more likely than seeing: Eighty percent of sports fans, the study found, avoid television commercials, but only 20 percent skip radio ads. Audacy also says listeners are four times more likely to hear a brand’s message on sports radio than on TV. And 73 percent spend more time following their favorite team on sports audio than on sports-related digital media.
• The best of both words. The study shows that brands that combine sports talk and live games get the best results. So-called “superfans” don’t switch off when the game is over, but tune in to sports talk all week long. Brands that only advertise during live games miss 80% of the sports fan action, says Audacy. 40% of “superfans” actually prefer sports talk to live games.

“A game lasts three hours,” says Lee Davis, senior VP of monetization at Audacy, in the report. “The other 21 hours a day that fans spend talking about the games represent a real opportunity for advertisers. It’s clear that brands that leverage sports talk are creating memorable campaigns that captivate and deeply touch their audiences – the most avid, spirited and engaged fans. To reach fans throughout the entire sports journey, brands should invest in live coverage AND sports talk.”