Viewers of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, are nine percent more likely than the general public to buy from companies that sponsor sporting events, according to Experian Marketing Services, but 43 percent less likely to buy products that celebrities endorse, reports Ad Week.

That said, it only takes hours after an athlete scores a gold medal and busts out on the international scene before their representatives start taking calls from companies, reports ABC News.com.

Young athletes “need to have good showings to extend their deals with their companies,” Robert Tuchman, president of sports and entertainment marketing company Goviva, told ABC News. “If they do, they will solidify their names with Olympic greats like [swimmers] Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and [ice hockey player] Mike Eruzione. This insures a lifetime of endorsement opportunities for them.”

Meanwhile, viewer multitasking during the Games is on the rise, with three-fourths of people planning to watch the Winter Games expecting to use more than one device while doing so, according to research firm Arnold Worldwide. That experience has been made far easier with NBC’s apps designed for the event, including NBC Sports Live Extra and the NBC Olympics Highlights and Results. Both apps require users to authenticate themselves via their pay-TV subscription.

Social sharing also is on the rise since the Summer games in London two years ago. Some 62 percent of those surveyed said they planned to share socially while watching the Games, with the majority, 81%, saying they’ll do most of their sharing via Facebook. Only 34% planned to use Twitter.

Brief Take: While research shows that viewers don’t necessarily buy based on their favorite athlete’s preferences, brands are still eager to associate themselves with the latest Olympic superstars.

Read more: Ad Week

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