LIVE SPORTS ADVERTISING SERVICES
Reach sports fans wherever they watch the game
Advertise on live sports across the streaming apps where fans watch, from the pregame show to the final score. Our team picks the games and programming that fit your goal, buys them for you, and shows you what they delivered.
LIVE SPORTS ON STREAMING TV
What is live sports advertising?
Live sports advertising places your video ads in the commercial breaks of live games. Games air on broadcast and cable TV and stream on TVs, phones, and laptops, and Strategus buys the streaming side programmatically.
CHOOSE YOUR COVERAGE
Reach fans during the game or all week long
A game lasts a few hours, but fans follow their teams all week. We’ll help you decide how much of that week your campaign should cover.
Live games only: Reach fans in real time
Best when you want the energy and scale of the live broadcast. Your ad runs in commercial breaks during the game, on the TV, when fans are tuned in and often watching together.
Games + sports programming: Stay with fans all week
Best when you want people to see your message more often. Your ad runs in the live games plus the pregame and postgame shows, replays, and sports programming around them, so fans keep seeing your brand between games.
WHY LIVE SPORTS
What are the benefits of live sports advertising?
Streaming has opened sports TV to advertisers of every size, with the targeting and reporting of a digital campaign.
Reach fans while they’re locked in
Live games hold attention from start to finish because nobody wants to miss the big play. Your ad runs in front of people who are watching closely.
Share the break with the biggest brands
Sports breaks are full of the country’s best-known brands. Running in the same games puts your business in that company and lends it credibility with viewers.
Show up game after game
Fans come back every week of the season, which gives your brand a regular place in their routine and the repeat views that help people remember you.
Make national games feel local
Your ads can focus on fans in the markets you serve during games broadcast nationwide, so a regional business can be part of a national game without paying for the whole country.
SPORTS TV ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS
Live sports packages that fit your audience
We’ll recommend the package that fits your audience and goal. Run it on its own or as part of a broader plan, with our team handling planning, buying, and reporting.
All sports:
Reach fans across the sports calendar
A multi-sport package spreads your budget across live games in many sports at once, which gives you the most scale and room to adjust as schedules change.
Best for: Broad reach and frequency
By sport:
Follow one sport all season long
Focus on the league your audience loves most, from the NFL and CFB to the NBA, WNBA, MLB, or NHL, and stay with those fans from the first game to the last.
Best for: Reaching a specific fan base
Marquee events:
Reach fans around the biggest events
Big events keep fans tuned in to sports for days, well beyond the game itself. We run your ads in the coverage and content fans watch around the event, across streaming TV and online video, which costs far less than a spot in the broadcast.
Best for: Seasonal pushes
TARGETING OPTIONS
Reach the right fans in the right markets
Live sports supply is limited, so we keep targeting focused on the sports, teams, and markets that matter to your goal. Each extra layer raises costs and narrows the games your ads can run in, which can leave too few impressions to spend your full budget.
Sport and league
Run in the sports and leagues your audience follows most, like the NFL, college football, or the WNBA.
Teams
Line up with specific teams, where inventory allows, to reach the fans who follow them.
Markets
Keep your budget in the metro areas you serve, from one city to a whole region.
Game windows
Use verified game schedules to line up your ads with the windows you care about, like Saturday college games or weeknight matchups.
PLAN AROUND THE SEASON
The live sports
calendar at a glance
Dates shift a little every year, so we map your plan to the current schedule and confirm what’s available before launch.
LIVE SPORTS AD PLACEMENTS
Where your live sports ads run
Fans watch the same game in different places depending on where they are and which services they pay for. Your plan can follow them to each one.
Live TV streaming services
Fans who’ve cut cable still watch national and regional sports networks through live TV streaming services, and your ad runs in those breaks.
Network sports apps
Viewers who sign in to a network’s app with their TV provider login see your ad during the game, just as they would on cable.
Subscription streaming services
More live games now stream on subscription services with ad-supported plans, and your spot can run in them.
of the 100 most-watched U.S. telecasts in 2025 were sports.
Source: Sports Business Journal
Sports sites and apps on every screen
Online video on sports news sites and apps reaches fans checking scores and highlights on their phones and laptops between games.
U.S. live sports viewers are expected to watch digitally in 2026.
Source: EMARKETER
Compare your options
Streaming vs. linear sports TV advertising: what’s the difference?
Linear TV still delivers huge audiences for the biggest games, and streaming builds on that reach with more precision and flexibility. Many advertisers run both, and we can plan your streaming sports around the linear buy you already have.
Streaming live sports ads
Your ads run during live games and sports shows in streaming apps on the TV, and sports video can carry them to phones and laptops.
Buying: Programmatic, based on your budget, with estimated impressions
Targeting: Sports, leagues, teams, and markets
Reporting: Where your ads ran, households reached, and frequency
Best for: Focused reach and flexible budgets
Linear sports TV ads
Your ads air during the broadcast on cable, satellite, or antenna TV, to everyone watching in the market it covers.
Buying: Spots bought from networks or local stations, often well in advance
Targeting: The network's national audience or one local market
Reporting: Ratings-based audience estimates
Best for: Mass reach in a specific broadcast
Case study
Law firm increases conversions by 11% through CTV live sports
A regional law firm found broadcast sports too expensive, so it tried live sports on streaming TV instead. See what happened when March Madness tipped off.
LIVE SPORTS FAQS
Frequently asked questions.
What is the difference between live sports and CTV advertising?
Live sports on streaming is part of CTV, but it’s premium inventory with its own supply, timing, and pricing. Because it follows the sports calendar and supply is limited, we plan it as its own line in your CTV plan.
Can I target live sports ads by location?
Yes. You can target by metro area (DMA) and, where inventory permits, by ZIP code. Smaller areas have fewer available impressions, so we’ll show you expected delivery for your markets before launch.
Can I choose specific games or teams?
You can align your campaign with specific sports, leagues, teams, and game windows. Supply for any single game is limited and schedules change, so we plan across a set of games and show you estimated impressions rather than promising one broadcast.
How is live sports advertising measured?
Live sports works best for reach and frequency, so that's what we measure first: how many households saw your ad and how often. If you also track site visits or conversions, we report those as a secondary signal. Our team tracks delivery during the campaign and brings you recommendations on what to adjust.
What does live sports advertising cost?
Live sports costs more than standard streaming TV because supply is limited and demand is high, especially for big games. Prices move with the market, so we quote a range, build the plan around your budget, and show you the estimated impressions it buys.
How far ahead should I plan a live sports campaign?
Start two to three months before the season or event you want. Availability firms up closer to game time, and the biggest games fill first, so planning early gives you the most options.
Can smaller businesses advertise on live sports?
Yes. Programmatic buying sizes your share of sports inventory to your budget, which puts live games within reach of growing businesses.
What creative do I need for live sports ads?
A finished :15 or :30 video, like the spots you’d run on TV or other streaming apps. If you already have a TV spot, it can run here.
Does Strategus run media channels beyond live sports?
Yes. We also run CTV, OTT, YouTube, online video, display, streaming audio, and digital out-of-home, all planned around the number you care about.
why strategus
Connect live sports with the rest of your media plan through one strategic partner
Live sports should anchor your plan without carrying it alone. Before launch, Blueprint™ shows who your audience is and how far your budget will go in the markets you care about, and our team keeps the plan on track once the games start.
Talk to an expert
Let’s put your brand in front of sports fans
Connect with us to see how live sports can fit into your next campaign.
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