Leveraging Live Sports Capabilities in CTV

Leveraging Live Sports Capabilities in CTV

Welcome back to our "9 Days of CTV" series! So far, we’ve covered a range of topics from efficiency and transparency to AI-driven optimization. Today, we're focusing on a particularly dynamic and engaging area of CTV advertising: live events, with a focus on sports. According to a report from eMarketer, more than 100 million people watch live sports digitally, exceeding the number of traditional paid-TV live sports viewers in the US. With viewership continuing to surge on streaming platforms, and live events – especially sports – attracting massive digital audiences, understanding how to leverage live event capabilities in CTV is essential for reaching highly engaged viewers.

The Rise of Live Sports on CTV

Live sports have always been a cornerstone of traditional television, and this trend is now firmly established in the CTV landscape. In the LG Ad Solutions Stadium to Screen report, 80% of US connected sports viewers stream live sports on their TV, and streaming platforms are increasingly securing rights to broadcast live sporting events, attracting large and dedicated audiences. This offers advertisers unique opportunities to connect with viewers in real-time, capitalizing on the excitement and engagement that live sports generate. On top of that, a recent report from EDO found ads on women’s sports drove 40% more engagement than primetime inventory. The power of these events captivate audiences and drive action. Advertisers should consider adding live sports to their CTV strategy (particularly women’s sports!). 

Why Live Sports Matter in CTV Advertising

• Highly Engaged: Live sports events command viewers' undivided attention, making ad exposures more impactful.
• Diverse Reach: Live sports attract a wide range of demographics, making it possible to reach a wide range of audiences in one shot. 
• Predictable: Game schedules are known in advance, allowing for precise planning and targeting.

Challenges of Reaching Live Sports Viewers

While live sports present significant opportunities, there are also key challenges in effectively reaching viewers in the fragmented CTV ecosystem:

• Fragmented Inventory and Audiences: Sports fans can watch games across a variety of platforms, distributors, and devices, increasing fragmentation and making it harder to access all opportunities and reach audiences across all touchpoints.
• Unpredictable Viewership Peaks: Unlike regular programming, live sports can see sudden spikes in viewership. This unpredictability complicates targeting and pacing, potentially leading to over or under-delivery of ads.
• Targeting Precision at Scale: Delivering relevant ads to specific audiences when you have a large amount of diverse viewers requires advance targeting capabilities to handle the real-time fluctuations and scale.

How Yahoo DSP Enhances Live Sports CTV Advertising

To overcome these challenges, it’s important your DSP partner is designed to handle the nuances of live sports. Yahoo DSP provides tools and capabilities that enable advertisers to effectively leverage live sports in CTV campaigns. Here’s how:

• Comprehensive Live Sports Supply Access: Yahoo DSP offers access to a wide range of live sports inventory across various leagues, networks, and streaming platforms. Advertisers also benefit from premium opportunities with key networks and leagues, ensuring they can connect with specific fan bases effectively. This comprehensive reach helps to solve the challenge of fragmented inventory
• Real-Time Bidding and Dynamic Adjustments: Our platform provides enhanced real-time bidding capabilities, allowing advertisers to capitalize on peak viewership during live events without overspending. Yahoo Blueprint Performance uses AI-driven optimization and advanced pacing algorithms to ensure bids are adjusted dynamically. Our platform adapts in real-time to spikes, helping address unpredictable viewership peaks, ensuring ads are delivered efficiently and budgets are managed effectively, even during these surges.
• Targeting Across Devices & Platforms: Advertisers can reach sports fans wherever they are, with advanced targeting options across channels, from CTV to mobile. This ensures a unified campaign across multiple screens, allowing for a consistent and personalized strategy across all touchpoints.
• Data-Driven Insights: Real-time analytics and reporting provide insights into campaign performance during live sports events, allowing for immediate optimization and refinement. These insights assist with targeting precision at scale which allows for better measurement of the impact for brands.  

Actionable Recommendations for Advertisers

• Plan Ahead: Leverage live sport calendars to plan campaigns around key events.
• Dedicate a Budget: Carve out a specific budget and lines for Live Sports deals to ensure the bidder is focused on live inventory during the windows it’s available.
• Target Strategically: Confirm targeting and frequency settings are not overly restrictive to maximize the opportunity to win  impressions during critical moments.
• Partner with a Reliable Platform: Choose a DSP that is certified for Live Event supply to guarantee reliable and effective delivery.

Scoring Big with Live Sports in CTV

Live sports are a powerful force in the CTV landscape, offering advertisers unique opportunities to connect with highly engaged and passionate audiences in real-time. By leveraging the right tools and strategies, and partnering with a reliable platform like Yahoo DSP, advertisers can integrate live sports in their CTV campaigns. Stay tuned for our next post in the series where we’ll explore how retail media can impact your overall CTV strategy.