The 2024 Paris Olympics have been making waves not just in the world of sports, but also in the realm of advertising. The Trade Desk, a leading programmatic advertising platform, has shared some exciting new statistics with buyers that highlight the effectiveness of their programmatic offerings for the games. According to a leaked Trade Desk document seen by ADWEEK, the numbers are impressive.
The Trade Desk has verified the accuracy of the document, which reveals that Trade Desk clients reached 900,000 households during the first weekend of the Olympics. With 350 million daily impressions available to them, buyers had a significant amount of inventory to work with. While the document does not specify over what period these impressions were available, the sheer volume speaks to the scale of the advertising opportunities at the Paris Olympics.
NBCUniversal, one of the key players in broadcasting the Olympics, has been bullish about testing programmatic buying during the Games. Despite being only a few days in, early indicators show strength in incremental reach and return on ad spend (ROAS). The broadcaster reported double-digit increases off the floor pricing when it tested programmatic in the Olympic Trials, setting a positive tone for the rest of the event.
Buyers have the potential to spend $9 million per day on a mass reach campaign, according to The Trade Desk. This highlights the scalability of Olympics inventory and the significant investment that advertisers are willing to make to reach their target audience. With a ROAS of 313%, Trade Desk clients are seeing impressive returns on their advertising spend, making the Olympics a lucrative opportunity for brands.
The cost to reach a unique household of Olympics viewers is just 19 cents, with 60% of these viewers being unreachable via linear TV, according to The Trade Desk. This presents a unique opportunity for advertisers to tap into a previously untapped audience segment. A media buyer who saw the document but was not authorized to discuss the statistics revealed that clients were paying even less than the 19-cent cost to reach a household, further underscoring the value of programmatic advertising at the Olympics.
Despite the high potential for spending, The Trade Desk noted that 55% of programmatic advertisers are spending less than $5 million, with most brands running non-Olympics creative. This suggests that there is still room for growth and increased investment in programmatic advertising at the Olympics.
In terms of pricing, The Trade Desk was reported to be charging a $60 CPM floor price for its All Olympics offering, which includes live events and replays on Peacock and the NBCU sports app, and a $40 CPM floor for its Olympic Highlights offering, which includes news coverage, shoulder content, and replays. These prices reflect the premium nature of advertising during the Olympics and the high demand for ad space.
NBCU has already announced that it is securing the highest Olympic and Paralympic ad revenue in history, with a doubling of digital ad revenue compared to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The company also revealed that 70% of advertisers are new, indicating a strong interest in advertising at the Paris Olympics.
Furthermore, the Paris Olympics is surpassing the ratings of the Tokyo Olympics, with The Trade Desk reporting a 500% higher viewership on Peacock. This increased viewership presents a prime opportunity for advertisers to reach a larger audience and maximize their advertising impact.
Overall, the statistics shared by The Trade Desk paint a picture of a successful start to the programmatic advertising efforts at the 2024 Paris Olympics. With impressive reach, strong returns on ad spend, and high viewer engagement, advertisers have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the advertising potential of the Olympics. As the games continue, it will be interesting to see how these trends evolve and what new opportunities arise for brands looking to make an impact on a global stage.