Mumbai: A global stage beckons later this month with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Transcending mere sports, the Summer Olympics aren't just about athletics; they're a prime time for apps to flex their marketing muscles. With a global audience of 3.05 billion during the last Olympics, the multi-sporting event in Paris this year is anticipated to exceed that number, offering an unparalleled opportunity for mobile apps to expand their reach and engage with a vast audience worldwide; presenting a golden opportunity for brands to enhance their visibility and foster stronger consumer connections during peak audience engagement.

Leveraging Mobile OEM Advertising: Racing for Olympic Gold

Brands in India have a golden opportunity to leverage mobile OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) advertising, with players such as Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, OnePlus, Realme, and Transsion. Connecting with the passionate sports enthusiast demographic, brands can drive user acquisition through targeted app promotions or branding campaigns during the event. Likewise, mobile developers can adopt an open mindset to look beyond traditional advertising methods and reach an updated audience through mobile OEMs and their “alternative” app stores. 

Mobile Consumption: A Driving Force in Sports Engagement

Tokyo 2020 was the most digitally watched Olympics in history with a 74 per cent increase in digital viewers and a 139 per cent rise in video viewers compared with Rio 2016. It also attracted almost 200 million unique users to its official website and app.

Illustrating high mobile consumption in other sports, in India, 32 million people used the JioCinema app to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and France. In total, over 110 million viewers watched the event digitally, surpassing television viewership for the first time. This milestone made India one of the top digital viewership markets globally for the FIFA World Cup.

The Indian Premier League in 2023 stood out as well. Approximately 70 per cent of viewers were actively engaged with their smartphones, from checking match updates to ordering food. Particularly noteworthy was the surge in app downloads for food delivery (63 per cent) and e-commerce apps (54 per cent) during the IPL. This underscores the strong connection between sports enthusiasts and mobile apps for targeted advertising.

With 1 in 5 global sports fans using mobile apps to follow sports, the 2024 Summer Olympics offers advertisers a massive opportunity to connect with a highly engaged audience. In SEA, many broadcasters have offered the current European Championships as part of a paid package, with mobile-only packages costing significantly less than TV packages. As such, this has encouraged many viewers to opt for the cheaper mobile-only packages, which is sure to significantly increase mobile and digital viewership of the tournament.

The same mobile-centric consumption of the Olympic Games - from live streaming to news and other media - is expected in the EU, SEA, India, and beyond. This widespread mobile access creates a massive and engaged audience for advertisers. Similar to how brands leveraged specialists in Mobile OEM advertising for targeted ad placement during Champions League football matches on Prime Video, advertisers can utilize similar strategies to connect with viewers during the Olympics.

Mobile OEMs Deepen Ties with Sports

Strategic sponsorships by mobile OEMs like Samsung for the Olympics, Vivo for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in addition to the IPL from 2016 to 2021 and Euro 2024,  and OPPO for the Cricket World Cup (2016-2019), UEFA Champions League (2022 -2024), and Wimbledon (2022 & 2023) solidify the connection between sports and mobile. This benefits everyone - mobile OEMs gain exposure, marketers reach captivated audiences, and app developers utilize prominent placements.

For instance, Vivo's popularity increased as the Official Smartphone Sponsor of the 2022 FIFA World Cup - and in Q1 of 2024, it became the leading smartphone brand in India, capturing a 19 per cent market share. In terms of integrations, during the ongoing Euro 2024, OEMs like Xiaomi and Oppo are offering real-time customization options with themes tailored to fans' favorite football teams, enriching the immersive experience for users

With the numerous options mobile OEMs provide, advertisers can employ diverse strategies for enhanced effectiveness. Full-screen videos, splash ads, and appographic marketing in display ads offer personalized campaigns. Dynamic Preloads utilise mobile OEMs’ app recommendations for effective user acquisition. Leveraging Private Marketplace (PMP) deals and Dynamic Preloads during key sports events provides additional acquisition channels without excessive costs.

Reach Millions of Engaged Fans with Mobile OEM Advertising

Brands must partner with new-age global app growth marketing companies specializing in mobile OEM advertising to leverage their expertise in Mobile OEM advertising and achieve a targeted app promotion strategy that scores big during major sporting events like the 2024 Summer Olympics. With access to over 1.5 billion daily active users and exclusive partnerships with mobile OEM inventories such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, Realme, and Transsion, some leading players offer unparalleled opportunities for targeted user acquisition.

This article has been authored by AVOW co-founder and CRO Ashwin Shekhar,