Fandom lives here: Understanding eBay's entertainment audiences

The decline of brick-and-mortar commerce isn’t just affecting shopping malls. Long before online shopping, media and entertainment companies, including movie studios, looked to shopping centers to create an interconnected retail and entertainment experience.

Now, the days of spending Saturday afternoons at the mall perusing the newest CDs and DVDs before catching a movie are largely a thing of the past. Many of our favorite stores are closing down, and the way we consume entertainment is shifting towards streaming.

While foot traffic to traditional locations may have slowed, entertainment enthusiasts still seek out these experiences. The act of searching for merch and music while also buying tickets to see the newest blockbuster hasn’t changed—it’s just conducted online.

That’s where platforms like eBay come in. Since its founding, eBay has existed as a gathering place for devoted fans of comic books, movie and TV merchandise and more. By pulling from its 175 million active buyers, eBay’s audience data identifies a number of audience segments that are in search of the hottest entertainment products and content. Entertainment brands that leverage this data can reach passionate enthusiasts through ad campaigns that complement their experiences.

Fandom Lives Here

From comic book aficionados to sports enthusiasts and gamers—fandoms come together on eBay. And while some fans can belong to more than one fandom, no two groups are alike. With this in mind, eBay has developed fandom audience segments and targets them accordingly.

As both a reliable source of authentic memorabilia and collector’s items and a social marketplace for exchanging interests, eBay cultivates a community of both casual and super fans who want a seamless entertainment-shopping experience. In fact, eBay can keep a pulse on “fan intensity” based on these users’ behavior on the platform.

As captured by eBay’s latest advertising campaign, the popularity of movie releases is often reflected through increased searches and sales for film-related items on eBay. Comic book films especially, four of which rank among the top 10 highest grossing films of all time, enjoy sales bumps from high-intensity fans. For example, merchandise related to 2017’s Spider Man: Homecoming experienced a more than 1300% sales increase on eBay after just one month in theaters.  With help from eBay’s audience insights, advertisers can leverage movie moments like these to maximize a brand’s reach to entertainment enthusiasts hunting for more.

Superfans Are Streaming

If they aren’t shopping, there’s a good chance our superfans are binge-watching their favorite shows or movies. And cord-cutters can now be segmented on eBay in the same way media companies target them. In fact, just over a third of eBay buyers are 43% more likely than average internet users to subscribe to the popular streaming service Hulu. Meanwhile, one quarter of users are also 56% more likely to engage with Warner Bros.’ digital media properties.

As entertainment companies expand their digital presence and explore new media opportunities, the convergence of e-commerce and media consumption is becoming increasingly apparent. Our entertainment data targeting cultural moments like the Spider Man release has shown us that digital and cross-platform integration is now a part of our shared experiences. And brands should continue planning accordingly.

Want to find new ways to reach your dedicated fans? Discover eBay’s Brand Solutions and contact our ad sales team.