Game On: How Local Sports Drive Engagement and Advertising Opportunity

In Pittsburgh, sports aren’t just entertainment, they’re part of the culture.

Whether it's black and gold pride on Sundays or the electricity of playoff hockey, local sports consistently bring people together, and keep them tuned in. And for advertisers, those moments offer more than visibility. They offer connections.

Recent CivicScience data shows that sports are still one of the most watched content categories among Pittsburgh adults 18+, with NFL and NHL games leading the way. And as sports fans gather across platforms, from live broadcasts to streaming, social, and mobile, it opens a key opportunity: show up when attention is already at its peak.

01 | What Pittsburgh Is Watching

According to CivicScience, 57% of Pittsburgh adults say they enjoy watching NFL football, making it the most watched professional sport in the region. Hockey ranks second, with 48% of adults engaged with NHL content. Baseball remains a strong third, with more than one-third of viewers engaged.

Football and hockey lead in popularity among Pittsburgh adults, creating consistent, high-engagement moments for brands to appear on screen.

These numbers show that live sports remain a powerful draw, and not just for one age group. Whether it’s weekend games, primetime matchups, or daily sports segments, these viewing habits create consistent opportunities for your brand to be seen and remembered.

02 | Why These Moments Matter for Advertisers

Sports programming offers something few other formats can: real-time engagement and built-in trust.

When viewers tune into local games or sports segments, they’re actively watching, not passively scrolling. That creates a higher-value moment for your message to land.

What makes sports content valuable:

· High engagement during live and appointment viewing

· Multi-person households watching together

· Emotional connection to the content

· Ideal placements for brand storytelling, sponsorships, or community ties

And because sports content often appears in premium environments like WTAE news, prime time, and game-day coverage, it creates an ideal space for your brand to connect with highly engaged, emotionally invested viewers.

03 | How to Show Up Strategically

Campaigns tied to sports don’t need to revolve around game broadcasts alone. High-performing placements often include:

· TV spots during sports segments on WTAE, such as morning recaps or evening news coverage

· Pre-roll or OTT ads during sports-related streaming content

· Targeted display campaigns timed around game days or post-game recaps

· Branded sponsorships within seasonal promotions or local team features

This strategy helps you align with the moment, whether someone is watching live coverage or catching highlights on their phone.

A strong creative message can carry across all formats, building brand recognition that feels consistent and credible.

Sports Keep People Watching. Your Message Should Be There Too.

Sports content continues to deliver dependable reach and viewer focus, especially in markets like Pittsburgh where loyalty runs deep. When your campaign appears alongside trusted coverage or high-profile local matchups, it taps into moments that already have meaning.

And speaking of high-impact moments:

WTAE is proud to broadcast the Pittsburgh Steelers game live from Ireland September 28^th, 2025, as well as special programming leading up to the game!

This is a unique opportunity to align your brand with one of the most iconic franchises in sports, on a global stage, with local reach.

Interested in sponsorship opportunities or placements during the game? Let’s talk.

Connect with WTAE Advertising to build a campaign that reaches Pittsburgh fans on every screen, and across every time zone.