According to a report conducted by research company TNS and sports broadcaster ESPN, there simply aren't enough ads in today's sports games.
Using EA's major titles as an example, the report found that 38% of sports gamers spend as much time playing their favourite sports games as they do watching their favourite sport. It also found that 3/4 of sports gamers were male, half of those were aged between 18 and 34, they were "mainly single with disposable income", and also "more physically active than sports fans in general".
ALl that data was , of course, pointing towards a belief that this market was being under-exploited. TNS' Robert Fox says "When a person is engaged in the video game, there is no channel surfing, and the game is paused only for necessity. This is a terrific way for real-world advertisers and sponsors to develop incremental affinity for their brands."
It's a message echoed by EA's Senior Vice President of Global Media Sales, Elizabeth Harz, who says "For sponsors looking to differentiate their brand in a crowded field, the Sports Gamer is influential and the messaging options robust."
Sorry to anyone out there who thought they in-game ads in sports games were bad now.
Study: Advertisers Missing In-Game Ad Opportunities In Sports Titles [Gamasutra]