Paramount is making significant strides in the advertising landscape by introducing guaranteed programmatic placements for live sporting events. The company announced today that it will commence live, in-game programmatic buying for specific ad units during premium sports events, beginning with the much-anticipated UFC fight featuring Pimblett vs. Gaethje on January 24.
This initiative marks a groundbreaking moment as it’s the first time that advertisers will have access to guaranteed live placements within Paramount+’s sports offerings. Jay Askinasi, Paramount’s chief revenue officer, emphasized that this move reflects the company’s dedication to modernizing media and enhancing opportunities for advertisers to connect with audiences during critical moments of high engagement.
Paramount’s new advertising offerings will work in conjunction with the existing Streaming Fixed Units, which offer premium, fixed ad placements during programming. These units allow advertisers to secure spots during the first week of new episodes from popular series on the platform, including “Landman” and “Tulsa King.”
Additionally, Paramount is set to establish a private marketplace filled with biddable ad inventory, aided by collaborations with major platforms such as Amazon DSP, Google’s Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk, and Yahoo DSP. This private marketplace will feature ad inventory for UFC’s complete lineup of numbered preliminaries and Fight Nights in the U.S., while the main event cards will continue to be sold exclusively as Streaming Fixed Units.
With this development, Paramount joins the ranks of other major media companies that are enhancing their programmatic offerings in live sports. Notably, NBCUniversal made headlines with the first programmatic Olympics in 2024, which resulted in record-setting ad sales. Likewise, publishers like Disney and Prime Video are also exploring biddable advertising options for live events, responding to the growing demand from advertisers to engage audiences in real-time during significant sporting moments.
This proactive approach by Paramount not only broadens the advertising horizon but also signals a dynamic shift towards more interactive advertising experiences in the rapidly evolving field of live sports broadcasting.