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It’s time to get to excited – pro sports are coming back!

Yes, we know, they’re not all the way back, but we’re starting to see slow steps towards their return. 

It’s been a few months since the coronavirus pandemic took over the world, but in the last few days, we start seeing changes in certain countries’ strategy of dealing with the virus. 

After several months of shut down and quarantine, we see some countries ease restrictions and open back up. Restaurants, shops, and parks gradually start to open, and some countries (like Greece) are even planning to allow tourists in for summer vacation!   

What about professional sports?

There’s no doubt that the coronavirus brutally killed the sports and sports betting vertical. With all sports events being canceled, it was not a surprise to see a huge decrease in traffic for those two verticals.

However, due to the latest events, we expect that to change for the better. 

On Saturday (May 15th) the Bundesliga, Germany’s professional soccer league, will resume the season. Although the German league is not equivalent to other European leagues such as the English or Spanish, it is still globally known and interesting enough for people to watch their games. 

We see some good news too coming from the American car-racing association NASCAR. NASCAR announced they will be resuming the racing season this month, with the Darlington race being the first one this weekend.  

What’s so special about the upcoming games?

First, the leagues and groups that would play – will actually be the first ones to do so since the pandemic started. That means that the excitement and hype around these games will be huge, and people would want to watch them! Think of it this way, for sports fans, these are the first games in two months, and for them, it’s really good escapism in this weird period. 

Second, the sports games in the coronavirus wold are going to be different. Fans will not be allowed to enter stadiums and the games would be without a crowd. That means all these fans who are desperate to watch their favorite team or just sports in general, will have to stream the games online instead of watching from the stands.

How will these facts affect sports traffic?

The excitement and the no-crowd policy will definitely cause a rise in traffic for sports streaming and betting websites. The fans will look for websites where they can watch the games or where they can put their money on their favorite player. From extremely low rates of traffic for these verticals in the last couple of months, we expect a slow revival. Yes, we know, some sports branches are not back yet, like basketball for example, but overall we see it going in a positive direction. 

How to Get Ready – Sports Streaming and Betting Tips

Stay focused – verticals like sweepstakes and general streaming are in the focus of many advertisers right now. This could be your chance to go with different verticals like sports betting and streaming and to increase your chances of getting conversions. Stay focused and follow sports news to know exactly which leagues are expected to start playing soon and plan your schedule accordingly. 

Go Mobile – Even when people are stuck in their homes, they’re still using their phones to stream games. According to Google, 1/3 of fans stream games on their mobile device. Plus, some countries still encourage social distancing, therefore the chances of fans watching the games with other people rather than themselves are not so big. That’s why we predict that watching and betting through mobile devices will still stay strong.

Pick the Right GEO – Traditionally, the US, Canada, and Mexico are great GEOs for sports verticals. But there are other GEOs that are not less obsessed with sports, for example,  Latin American countries and the AE. 

Creative Matters – after a long absence of sports ads, there’s going to be an increase followed by tough competition. That’s why if you want to get conversions, you can’t use generic and boring copy. Test out some catchy copy for both your title and your message. Choose an attention-grabbing image, too. And as always, don’t forget to test out a few different creatives to see which one performs the best. You can do so easily by using The Juggler, our multiple creative for Push ads. 

Don’t Give Up Emojis – Did you know that adding emoji in the subject line of an email increases the open rate by 29% and the click-through rate by 28%? These stats can be applied to ads as well! Don’t be afraid to use some emojis in your copy and make your ad more friendly to your target audience.

Timing is Everything – Sports games are timely, so make sure your targeting is too. Pay attention to dates and times of games and matches. Don’t start your campaign too early or too late.

It’s Time for Pop – Push traffic is not the only way of getting good results for sports offers. Pop traffic performs really well with sports-related offers, and it is a good combination! If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s a new direction you should totally test.

Testing is Part of the Process – Yes, we’ll keep saying this again and again. Your way of succeeding with your ads is partially based on testing. Since you can’t predict how your ads are going to perform, testing is the best way to learn and optimize your results. Try a few different versions of your copy and creatives, and see which one gets more conversions. 

As countries around the world reopen, sports fans are practically desperate for games and matches to resume. Don’t waste this opportunity to get into the sports and betting verticals—this might just be the game for you.