Sports Betting Ads Drop 17% in 2024, ESPN Reports

Betting Ads Cool Off

Traditional sportsbook commercials fell 17% from 2023 and 44% from their 2021 high, with NFL games seeing 3.3% fewer betting ads. But operators still shelled out a solid $666 million, as ad costs keep climbing.

“The SAFE Bet Act would, in effect, also provide more public health benefits to try to provide some relief to people who are now addicted, and those minimum standards would be set by the Department of Justice,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, pushing the SAFE Bet Act to limit ads during live games.

The drop comes as lawmakers and fans push back, plus other gambling types like fantasy sports steal the spotlight. Total gambling ad spending hit $2 billion, up 15%, with sportsbooks covering 61% of that, per ESPN.

Betting ads beat out alcohol ads in NFL, NHL, PGA, NASCAR, and MLS broadcasts but lag in NBA, WNBA, and MLB. Alcohol ads grab a bigger 1.4% of TV ad bucks compared to betting’s 0.8%, per Nielsen data. Still, betting ads caught up fast in just five years..

How Often Do Ads Pop Up?

Betting ads don’t flood screens as much as you’d think. For every sportsbook ad in 2024, you’d see 38 drug ads and four times as many telecom ads.

That’s way less noise than pharma or phone companies make. Since the Supreme Court opened up betting in 2018, ads from FanDuel and DraftKings exploded, matching alcohol’s long-time TV presence.

The NFL, with a $1.2 billion betting handle in top states, is a hot spot for ads. But with ad costs up 20% since 2021, operators cut back on airings while keeping spending steady at $666 million, per Purdum.

The AGA says betting ads are no big deal, pointing to Nielsen data showing sports broadcasts aren’t swamped. At just 0.8% of TV ad budgets, ads push legal betting over the $64 billion offshore market,

Fantasy sports ads, like those from PrizePicks, jumped 10%, crowding out traditional sportsbooks.