Study: OOH Ignites Sports Fans

Sports fans respond enthusiastically to humor, especially when they are reached with an OOH message inside the venue of an event. That’s according to a new report from the OAAA in conjunction with The Harris Poll, which found that those same fans tend to spend locally.

According to the findings, sports fans act on OOH ads: Nearly six in 10 U.S. adults recall seeing an OOH ad for a major sporting event, and of those, 90% took real-world action,whether by watching the game, talking about it with friends, or engaging on social media.

Those audiences spend money locally. A whopping 99% of fans who attended a game following OOH ad exposure spent money locally on hotels, restaurants, and transportation.

OAAA President and CEO Anna Bager talked to StreetFight about why this channel is so powerful for sports-minded audiences.

How can local businesses use OOH placements near stadiums, arenas, or transit hubs to maximize recall for specific events in their city?

OOH works best when it follows the fan journey, which often extends beyond the stadium perimeter. Recall builds through repetition along familiar paths as people arrive from neighboring areas and even out of town. When placements line those routes from roadways to airport to transit to stadium, OOH ads become high-intent touchpoints that connect fans with relevant messages. Digital out of home (DOOH) can deepen that connection further with personalized, moment-specific creative that is triggered by location, timing, and event elements. Pregame anticipation can quickly flip to postgame celebration. When the message travels the same routes fans do, it sticks.

What are the most effective hyperlocal ad touchpoints along a fan’s route to the stadium—subway stations, rideshare zones, or local parking areas?

The fan journey is a sequence of prime touchpoints filled with moments where OOH can guide and excite fans. Roadways, transit hubs, rideshare pick-up and drop-off points, parking lot entrances, and pedestrian bridges are opportunities for sequential storytelling. Layering messages along the full journey builds a narrative arc that keeps fans engaged from the moment they leave home to the moment they enter the venue.

Since urban populations (1M+) show higher recall, what hyperlocal strategies can suburban or smaller-city marketers adopt to close the gap?

In smaller markets, the fan journey still defines where OOH earns recall, even though the “stadium perimeter” can instead look like feeder highways, main street corridors, or park-and-ride hubs. Frequency and consistency matter most, and clusters of placements help ensure repeated exposure to drive results for local marketers.

What role could regionally tailored humor or local sports rivalries play in hyperlocal OOH campaigns?

Recent research shows humor is the top driver of memorability in sporting-event OOH, making fans more likely to take action. A witty line tied to a rivalry, or a local saying resonates with fans and creates a sense of belonging, strengthening the camaraderie that runs through the community.

How can local campaigns encourage in-person conversations at neighborhood bars, cafes, or gyms?

Sporting events are built on gathering, and OOH reaches fans at the moments when plans are being made. Proximity messaging tied to kickoff specials or limited-time offers can spark conversations that bring people to neighborhood bars, cafes, or gyms.

Carrying that same messaging through storefront and sidewalk signs reinforces the connection once fans step inside. Adding humor makes these campaigns even more impactful, as it is the top driver of engagement and word of mouth. A clever line or playful nod to team culture can turn an ad into a spark for both conversation and in-person connections.

How can cities and small businesses collaborate use OOH advertisers to steer fan spending toward neighborhood hotspots?

They can work with OOH advertisers to spotlight neighborhood hotspots like restaurants, shops, and cultural venues. Local sponsorships tied to teams create natural extensions, from co-branded creative content to game-day partnerships with bars and restaurants. For instance, some colleges host coach shows at local establishments, which OOH can amplify to drive attendance and spending. Citywide “game day guides” or similar campaigns both direct spend and showcase the measurable economic impact OOH delivers to communities.

How can campaigns adapt OOH messages for micro-communities (e.g., World Cup fan zones, college alumni gatherings, or ethnic enclaves) within a metro area?

One of OOH’s greatest strengths is its inclusivity, reaching broad audiences while still connecting with micro-communities in authentic and meaningful ways.

Alumni groups, for example, may incorporate email, social or direct mail to reach their members, but OOH delivers mass awareness that extends beyond those channels. By using language, visuals, cultural touchpoints, and neighborhood-specific placements, campaigns can meet fans where they are and ensure communities see themselves reflected.

How might World Cup host and nearby cities tailor their OOH ads to highlight hyperlocal fan experiences?

With nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults saying they want to see OOH connected to the World Cup, cities have a clear opportunity to utilize OOH as a connector between the event and fans. Host markets can spotlight official fan zones, match schedules, and viewing venues, while neighboring cities can promote travel itineraries, dining, and nightlife to capture spillover spending. Tailoring OOH to these hyperlocal experiences ensures the World Cup delivers both fan engagement and measurable economic benefits to communities.

If celebrity athletes drive engagement, how can hyperlocal ads feature local heroes?

Sports marketing does not always need global stars. Featuring high school standouts, college athletes, or respected community figures creates authentic connections and builds hometown pride. These faces carry credibility and reinforce that the community itself is part of the larger story. When fans see familiar faces across OOH campaigns, it makes the ad more relatable and more likely to motivate attendance and engagement.

To learn more about OOH register now and hear from Dan Page, TikTok’s Global Head of Partnerships, New Screens at Street Fight LIVE 2025 , September 3oth in Los Angeles. We hope to see you there!