UEFA Euro 2024: maximising ad impact with deeper audience insights and co-viewing data

Germany hosts one of the world’s largest sporting events: the UEFA Euro 2024. As all eyes are on the competition, the media and marketing sectors are poised to capitalise on high viewer engagement – but what does Kantar Media data tell us about what makes these football fans different?

Understanding audience profile data is crucial to enhance media plans. This deeper profiling provides valuable insights into consumer engagement and preferences, allowing advertisers to craft even more effective campaigns.

For instance, the TGI Global Quick View survey highlights the interests and attitudes of Euros fans compared to the general online population. Globally, these football supporters show a higher receptivity to sponsorship and a keen interest in technology. Indeed, 58% of Euros followers are more likely to buy from a brand that sponsors gaming content, compared to 45% of all online adults. 

Additionally, 66% believe it is important for their household to have the latest technology, significantly higher than the global average of 55%. These preferences indicate that brands in gaming and tech sectors can particularly benefit from targeted advertising during the Euros.

Demographically, men are predominantly more likely to follow the Euros, with 66% of followers being male. However, the age profile of Euros followers is flat, showing no significant difference across age groups. This broad age appeal suggests that campaigns can be inclusive of all age demographics, rather than focusing on a specific age segment.

Moreover, Euros followers are not only interested in sports but also display a diverse range of interests. They are 60% more likely to be interested in sport, 52% more in motoring, 47% in property, 46% in finance and the economy, and 44% in politics compared to the average online adult. This multifaceted interest profile enables advertisers to align their messages with various topics, thereby capturing the attention of Euros fans across different content categories.

Finally, understanding the purchasing behaviour of Euros followers can further refine media plans. These consumers are significantly more likely to have purchased technology, insurance policies, bank accounts, and holidays in the last six months compared to the average online adult. They are also more inclined towards emerging technologies like augmented reality, the metaverse, and self-driving cars, which can inform future advertising strategies.

Sporting events, like the Euros and Copa America, bring together groups of friends and family to share in the drama – making it more important than ever to really understand who – and how many people – are really in front of the screen. 

Indeed, as Hanne Teigum, Global Research Director previously stated, one device does not always correspond to a single viewer or an exactly defined household profile. It’s often much more nuanced, particularly for sporting events. Yet without panel data, many co-viewers are lost, unavailable for media planners to target and for media owners to sell.

Data from countries where Kantar Media’s People Meter technology is used highlights two key points. Firstly, co-viewing of TV sets is high. Türkiye has the highest levels of co-viewing, with 73% of TV set viewing involving groups of more than one person. In the UK, Barb reports that 46% of TV set viewers watch with someone else. Only People Meters can provide this granular level of information about who and how many are watching each screen.

Secondly, co-viewing varies greatly. Our analyses show significant variation by programme genre, time of day, week, and season. This insight highlights the need for continuous panel reporting rather than relying on ‘snapshot’ surveys. Co-viewing is dynamic and cannot be captured accurately by applying a standard factor such as household size.

Understanding these nuances is crucial for advertisers aiming to maximise their reach and impact. People-powered measurement provides deeper insights into audience behaviours, facilitating more effective and targeted advertising strategies. This approach not only enhances the accuracy of viewership data but also reveals the intricate patterns of how audiences interact with their screens, whether alone or in groups. Leveraging these insights is key to engaging viewers more meaningfully and effectively be it for the Euros or any other programs.

By leveraging audience profile data, matched with accurate audience panel insights, advertisers can optimise their media plans, ensuring their messages resonate with the right audiences, at the right time, and through the right channels. This data-driven and people-powered approach enhances campaign effectiveness and drives higher engagement and conversion rates.

To find out more about people-powered measurement and the intricacies of co-viewing behaviour, download Kantar Media’s new report and learn how audience panels are playing a starring role in measurement and calibration. Meanwhile, to learn more about audience profiling and targeting, click here for more details about Kantar Media’s TGI solutions. 

Source: 2024 TGI Global Quick View release – conducted in September-October 2023  

TGI audience profile: German football fans 

Germany will not only host the European Championship 2024, the country also boasts the highest percentage of football fans in Europe. Here’s a concise look at key insights from TGI data to help shape media and advertising strategies for this passionate audience. 

Engagement with football and sports brands 

• 84% watch matches on TV.
• 37% play football themselves. 
• Preferred sports brands: Adidas (30%), Nike (17%), Puma (10%). 

Eating and drinking habits 

• 78% consume fast food, with 58% favouring it for dinner. 
• Popular beer brands: Krombacher (16%), Becks (14%), Bitburger (13%), Warsteiner (11%). 

Consumer behaviour 

• Frequently visited websites: Google (90%), Amazon (88%), eBay (72%). 
• 81% prefer quality products, even at a higher cost. 
• Common online purchases: clothing or shoes (51%), books (33%), household appliances (26%).

Sponsorship and preferences 

• 65% of Germans who prefer to buy products from companies that sponsor TV programmes are football fans. 
• 73% of Germans who favour products from companies sponsoring sports events and teams are football fans. 

Source: Europe TGI 2023 R2 – D Pop 
Definition of football fans: Germans 15+ who either play football themselves, on the football pitch / in the stadium or on TV, watching matches