What the Eagles opener taught us about scoring with weather

During football season, the most valuable play for marketers comes long before kickoff. It begins with the fan’s planning journey in the weeks, days, and hours leading up to the game.

From choosing what to wear to planning a tailgate, every decision is informed by a powerful and influential force: the weather. For smart brands, these aren’t just gameday details; they’re golden opportunities to connect with a highly engaged audience at their most receptive moments.

The power of planning: from outfit to outcome

This pre-game fan behavior is a consistent and predictable pattern. Consumers are in a distinct “planning mindset” as they prepare for outdoor sporting activities, and they turn to a trusted source, The Weather Channel digital, for guidance. Our data shows that:

This pre-event planning window is a prime opportunity for brands to influence decisions and purchases with relevant, weather-aligned messaging. But that’s not the only opportunity to score.

The ultimate sports marketing play

Let’s take the recent Philadelphia Eagles season opener, for example. We captured digital traffic data from the Philadelphia DMA to The Weather Channel digital platforms³ leading up to, and on, game day. Interest in weather created a surge of audience traffic surrounding this major sporting event. Spoiler alert: It rained opportunity for marketers.

Traffic on The Weather Channel digital platforms saw a significant increase as fans sought real-time updates and game day planning information. Key takeaways:

• Weather is your game day assist: Traffic began climbing around 12 PM, informing game day garb and tailgating options.
• Mother Nature is the MVP for pre-game purchases: We saw 5X higher traffic compared to average during the 5 PM hour as pre-gaming activities peaked.
• A weather delay is “go time” for marketers: In sync with the rain delay call, we saw 4X higher traffic compared to average during the 10 PM hour as fans anxiously awaited the fate of the game.

Why this matters for your brand

This behavior isn’t unique to the Eagles season opener. It’s expected for any major events and activities that are influenced by weather. Consumers will actively seek out information to inform and influence their plans. For marketers, this represents a unique opportunity to:

• Reach a captive audience: The Weather Channel’s platforms aren’t just for checking the forecast; they become a critical tool for decision-making. Of our 130M+ MAUs in the U.S., 81M+ have watched a sporting event on TV in the past year, and 37M+ have attended in person in the last 6 months.⁴ This creates a highly engaged, focused audience that is receptive to relevant creative messaging.
• Align with a trusted authority: The Weather Company is the world’s most accurate forecaster.⁵ Aligning your brand with this trusted authority can help enhance your brand’s credibility and relevance.
• Leverage real-time context: By leveraging real-time weather data through Weather Targeting, you can deliver contextually relevant ads that resonate with the consumer’s immediate needs and mindset.

In the fast-paced world of digital advertising – as in football – timing is everything. Rely on universal and performant weather signals to call the right play.