Getting in the game with eBay's NFL fans

Fall is here, and with it comes a community of online shoppers who count on eBay as a reliable marketplace to get their seasonal gear. Among these shoppers are NFL fans, some of eBay’s most active users. Throughout the season, an NFL-related item is searched every 0.6 seconds as millions of NFL buyers scan the platform for new gear and merchandise. Using eBay’s proprietary audience tools, brands can gain a greater understanding of NFL shopper behavior and connect with some of the most passionate purchasers this football season.

Understanding eBay’s NFL Shoppers

NFL shoppers stand out among eBay’s many seasonal audiences because of their trust in the site as a social marketplace for merchandise they won’t likely find anywhere else. Consumers in this community purchase an item every 10.3 seconds—which could mean anything from an officially licensed jersey to a $71,600 rubber mascot suit.

Tackling the myth that winning equals sales, our NFL insights blog post highlights the general lack of correlation between eBay’s search rankings and ESPN’s preseason power rankings. Rather, NFL fans shop for gear representing their favorite teams. On eBay, Dallas Cowboy fans are the most active NFL community, despite the team standing outside of the top 10 in the power rankings. ESPN put last season’s championship team, the Philadelphia Eagles, at the top of their preseason list, though eBay searches for the team rank third on the platform behind the Green Bay Packers.

What else do popular team searches align with? Interestingly, all top five teams ranked on eBay’s NFL merchandise purchases list also appear on StubHub’s top 5 list of in-demand NFL teams by ticket sales.

How to Get in the Game

Beyond identifying active buyers, eBay’s audience tools can also determine when and where to reach them along their shopper journey. Even though NFL shoppers are most active in November, they show consistent purchase behavior throughout the season. Browsing in short, 15-minute sessions, NFL buyers know what they want. It’s unsurprising that they mostly shop in the Sports Memorabilia category, though fans are also 834 times more likely to cross-shop Video Games & Consoles—and even less intuitive categories like Pet Supplies. With this knowledge, advertisers can leverage more opportunities to reach them.

As diehard fans, NFL shoppers show steadfast support for their favorite franchises on eBay. Our audience tools can help brands tap this passion too and get to know some of the season’s most eager consumers. With fans’ clear eyes and full hearts, advertisers on eBay can’t lose.

To position your brand to score big with shoppers this fall, contact our ad sales team today.