I recently joined John Bishop of Advertiser Perceptions and TVREV’s Alan Wolk for a webinar about where live sports streaming is headed and what advertisers want next.
We explored findings from our new survey with Advertiser Perceptions, which found that 73% of advertisers plan to invest in live sports streaming and CTV over the next six to 12 months, rising to 79% among agencies.
But the bigger theme went beyond any single data point. The discussion has quickly shifted from whether advertisers want live sports streaming to how we make it easier for more advertisers to access, buy and measure it.
Here are four key takeaways.
1. Live sports still delivers something increasingly rare: a shared moment
Media consumption has become more fragmented and personalized, but live sports remains one of the few environments capable of bringing large audiences together around the same content at the same time.
That matters. Few other environments allow advertisers to reach large audiences simultaneously, sharing the same moment. That combination of scale, attention and immediacy is difficult to replicate. Sports fans aren't simply consuming content. They're invested in what happens next, often watching for hours and engaging with other fans along the way.
Streaming adds another dimension by helping advertisers connect with audiences that may be difficult to reach through traditional television alone. And as more sports rights move across broadcast, cable and streaming, the distinction between those environments matters less to the viewer. Fans simply want to find the game.
For advertisers, the opportunity is to do the same: focus on the audience and the moment rather than the screen delivering it.
2. Live sports streaming is opening the door for more local advertisers
One of the most encouraging shifts we're seeing is the range of local advertisers getting into live sports.
Automotive remains an important category, but we're also seeing local credit unions, personal injury attorneys,…