Winning the Sport for Me, Winning the Spot for You: The Impact of Soccer Game Performance on Local TV Network’s Advertising Demand
(A2025-123916)

AUTHORS

Min Jiang, Shanghai Normal University; Yiting Deng, University College London; Xiaodong Jiang, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the relationship between sports success and advertisers’ TV advertising strategies. The authors find in the context of the Chinese Super League (CSL) games, that a soccer club’s success in the previous season leads to an increase in advertising revenue for TV networks in the club’s home province. In addition, sports success attracts brands to engage in advertising in CSL game broadcasts. However, different product categories respond differently to sports success. Specifically, following a team’s victory, certain categories (e.g., Transportation, Beverages) increased their advertising intensity, while other categories (e.g., Cosmetics/Bathroom products, Personal Care Products) reduced their advertising intensity, and several categories showed no significant change. Finally, exploratory analyses on the relationship between TV advertising and sales in the automotive industry indicate that TV advertising in CSL game broadcasts positively contributes to sales, with a stronger impact when the local club achieves success in the preceding year. This suggests that the strategy of increasing TV advertising intensity on networks associated with successful local soccer clubs can be an effective strategy for driving sales.