Live sports advertising has long been a powerful avenue for brands on traditional TV. But with a new wave of sports fans flocking to digital streaming, the playing field for marketers is rapidly evolving. Today, 65% of U.S. adults aged 18–34 now prefer streaming services for live sports, signaling a fundamental shift in viewership habits. In response, advertisers are leveraging Connected TV (CTV) and programmatic advertising to capture the attention of this digitally savvy audience.
However, maximizing the impact of live sports ads across digital platforms requires strategy and insight. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to make the most of your live sports ad investments with The Trade Desk.
The Power of Premium Content with an Audience-First Approach
Reach Fans Wherever They Are
While CTV is central to the live sports streaming experience, fans today engage with live games across a range of devices. A recent Conviva study revealed that during the 2022 Super Bowl, over 20% of viewership came from mobile, desktop, and tablet devices. With The Trade Desk’s live sports inventory accessible across all device types, from CTV to mobile and tablets, advertisers can maximize their impact by expanding device targeting to include all screens, ensuring they reach fans no matter where they’re watching.
Scale Your Audience with Smart Targeting
One of the biggest advantages of buying live sports ads on The Trade Desk is the platform’s advanced audience-targeting capabilities. However, too narrow a focus can limit scale, reducing ad visibility. Leveraging Koa, The Trade Desk’s AI-powered targeting tool, brands can balance precision with scale by reaching the right audience segments without limiting reach. To further expand your cross-device reach, enable the Koa Identity Alliance, which optimizes ad delivery across multiple devices, helping you connect with more viewers in meaningful ways.
Include Shoulder Programming to Maximize Reach
Beyond the live game itself, many sports viewers also tune into what’s known as “shoulder content”—highlights, interviews, commentary, and other pre- and post-game programming. In fact, around 30% of regular sports viewers stay tuned before or after a game to catch this additional content. By incorporating shoulder content into your ad strategy, you can extend reach and engage fans who are primed for sports-related programming but may not be watching the game itself.
Fine-Tuning Campaigns for Optimal Performance
Separate Live Sports from General CTV Campaigns
Unlike traditional CTV inventory, live sports events are short, high-impact, and time-sensitive, with ad availability fluctuating widely based on time of day and the day of the week. To effectively manage this volatility, segment your live sports ads separately from other CTV campaigns. This approach ensures you can better prioritize live sports ads, track their performance more accurately, and make on-the-fly adjustments to optimize your results.
Increase Frequency and Bids for Better Win Rates
While CTV’s appeal often lies in its frequency control, live sports advertising operates in a uniquely competitive environment. With more brands vying for high-value impressions, it’s common to encounter higher CPMs and lower win rates. To improve your ad placement during these high-demand moments, increase your bid floor and set a higher ad frequency. This strategy gives your campaign more opportunities to secure valuable impressions while carefully balancing viewer exposure.
Pace Your Campaign Strategically
Because live sports events are brief, pacing can make a critical difference. To ensure budgets are fully utilized, try pacing ahead to the end of the campaign flight, particularly for short-term deals. This strategy helps advertisers avoid CPM inflation by bidding before demand surges closer to game time. If using The Trade Desk’s auto-allocator, align your settings with spend targets and set your live sports ad group to a “priority one” status, ensuring these placements are prioritized throughout the campaign.
Expanding Live Sports Ad Reach with Tailored Targeting
Explore Cross-Device Strategies for Greater Coverage
As sports streaming has become a multi-device experience, advertisers need cross-device strategies to connect with fans who switch between screens. By optimizing device targeting and enabling cross-device reach with Koa’s tools, advertisers can capture impressions across CTV, mobile, desktop, and tablet, allowing them to reach the widest audience possible.
Leverage Granular Audience Insights for Smarter Ad Placement
With The Trade Desk’s data-rich targeting, brands can zero in on sports fans likely to engage with live sports and related content. Additionally, sports advertisers can leverage Koa’s Identity Alliance for better cross-device delivery, ensuring the ad experience feels consistent across devices.
Take Advantage of Real-Time Ad Optimization
Live sports ads are fast-paced by nature, and real-time insights allow advertisers to make instant adjustments for maximum impact. From shifting budgets to high-demand times to capitalizing on shoulder programming, optimizing your campaign in real time is crucial for success.
Building a Successful Strategy for Live Sports Advertising
As live sports viewership transitions to digital streaming, brands can unlock new opportunities by reaching fans in the right moments. By employing a device-inclusive approach, scaling through audience insights, and strategically pacing and optimizing live sports ads, marketers can effectively capture the attention of sports fans and drive impactful engagement.
Whether your goal is to raise brand awareness, increase ad impressions, or simply improve return on ad spend, a well-crafted live sports ad strategy using The Trade Desk’s tools can position your brand to win big on the digital playing field.
