“Audio is an essential addition to a comprehensive marketing mix of channels”

It may seem that visual content plays a dominant role in advertising today. How do you perceive the potential of audio content in this landscape?

Audio is one of the fastest growing media channels, with listenership increasing by over 1000% in the past seven years. The audio advertising market in the United States is projected to grow by 4.75% (2024-2028) resulting in a market volume of US$7.8bn in 2028, providing a compelling opportunity to reach sports fans and bettors with highly targeted adverts to increase brand recall and awareness.

Audio ads have higher brand recall (440%) and greater purchase intent (200%) than visual ads. With consumers spending significant time on music streaming, podcasts, and internet radio, audio offers an underutilized opportunity for brands, especially in sports betting. As audio consumption continues to rise, its potential for engaging sports fans and bettors is becoming a key component in the modern marketing landscape.

Was the development of Gen AI Audio a response to the market needs you identified? What were the key drivers behind the creation of this product?

Audio is a relatively new channel compared to video, display and digital-out-of-home and many of our clients lack audio assets, either internally or externally. This gap inspired us to create a solution that not only offers assets but also encourages adoption of the channel. For larger clients already running audio campaigns, the key driver is the dynamic capabilities we bring to the table. These allow for more personalized and impactful campaigns, making our offering a compelling addition to their existing strategies.

For smaller betting operators lacking internal resources, our Gen AI Audio providesreal-time, data-driven automated content that can be produced and delivered efficiently. The increasing importance of personalized marketing, and the need for timely, relevant ads that reflect live sports data and odds led us to automating ad creation and leveraging programmatic technology to quickly generate and deliver targeted, engaging campaigns at scale.

What opportunities does Gen AI Audio open up for operators?

Gen AI Audio gives sportsbooks the opportunity to reach a wider audience by expanding their acquisition channels to reach the right person at the right time to drive brand awareness. Our product eliminates the need for extensive creative resources, enabling operators with limited budgets to run professional campaigns quickly. If sportsbooks are missing out on audio simply because they don’t have creatives, they’re missing an opportunity to increase reach and connect with their audience.

By integrating live sports data, the service allows operators to deliver up-to-date, highly relevant ads that resonate with listeners in real time. With advanced targeting through programmatic technology, operators can reach the right audience across diverse audio platforms, enhancing brand visibility, recall, and ultimately driving customer acquisition in a rapidly growing media channel.

Could you illustrate how a sportsbook operator might practically use the Gen AI Audio solution?

Audio is an essential addition to a comprehensive marketing mix of channels to drive acquisition across the entire marketing funnel. A sportsbook operator can leverage Sportradar’s Gen AI Audio to create real-time, personalized audio ads that reflect live betting odds, upcoming games, and current promotions.

For example, an operator could target listeners with ads featuring the latest odds for an ongoing game or highlight a special offer for an upcoming match. These dynamic ads would be delivered across music streaming services, podcasts, or internet radio, with messages tailored to specific demographics and geographies. The ability to refresh content every three minutes ensures that ads stay timely and relevant, engaging bettors with up-to-date, compelling information.

How can it be ensured that generated ads meet quality standards and comply with gambling advertising regulations in specific jurisdictions?

The algorithms used within Sportradar’s industry-specific demand-side-platform (DSP) are accurately trained to reach and advertise to betting and gaming customer profiles. Because the DSP is only focused on iGaming audiences, it can pinpoint the right customers for operators more quickly and accurately than generic marketing technology which must serve multiple industries and learn to identify a wide range of target customer profiles and behaviors.

Where does Gen AI Audio fit within Sportradar’s portfolio? Is it primarily a solution for smaller operators with limited marketing budgets?

Gen AI Audio is a key addition to Sportradar’s comprehensive marketing services portfolio, which includes programmatic display, programmatic video, digital out of home, paid social, paid search, and affiliate marketing. While it’s an excellent solution for smaller operators, it also benefits larger operators by enabling real-time, dynamic ad updates at scale.

The service allows both small and large operators to run targeted, high-quality audio campaigns across multiple channels. For smaller operators, it offers a cost-effective way to access professional-grade ads, while larger operators can leverage it to enhance their existing marketing efforts with timely, personalized, data-driven content.

What are the next steps for Gen AI in Sportradar’s marketing services? Are there plans to extend this technology to other formats, such as AI-generated video?

Sportradar has made plenty of new additions to our ad:s marketing suite to ensure we provide a truly comprehensive marketing offering, that leverages the best and latest technology, for our clients. This year alone, in addition to Gen AI Audio, we’ve added paid search, digital out-of-home advertising, and affiliate marketing to our offering. We’re always looking for new ways to innovate, harnessing the power of AI-driven technologies to further enhance our offerings.

What added value do you see AI bringing to the overall Sportradar ecosystem and your clients?

AI adds significant value to the Sportradar ecosystem by enhancing the personalization, scalability, and real-time relevance of our products. For clients, AI-powered solutions like Gen AI Audio automate and optimize ad creation, allowing for timely, data-driven campaigns without the need for extensive resources.

It enables more precise targeting and efficient media buying, ensuring ads reach the right audience at the right moment and drive efficiency on spend for operators. Additionally, AI improves data insights, helping operators make more informed decisions and maximize ROI. Overall, AI empowers our clients to stay competitive in an increasingly dynamic and data-driven sports betting market.