Live Sports and Entertainment Inventory Matters More Than Ever
Over the last decade, the industry has witnessed a surge in streaming platforms, enabling audiences to consume content on their terms, accounting for 40.3% of TV usage in 2024. This surge in streaming and the proliferation of connected devices have created new opportunities for advertisers to reach consumers but have also introduced significant fragmentation challenges that complicate media planning and buying.
The Unparalleled Power of Live Moments
There was a time when "appointment viewing" was the norm, dictating not just how, when, and where audiences consumed media but also creating something far more valuable: cultural connections and shared experiences. Friends and family would congregate in living rooms, huddling around the television to participate in the cultural moments that shaped and defined entire generations.
While streaming provides greater convenience for audiences, it has diminished opportunities for shared cultural moments. However, one content category continues to foster shared engagement: live sports and events. Emarketer projects that more than 121 million people will watch live sports in 2026, with live sports viewership expected to surpass 127 million in 2027. There is an unwavering appetite and urgency among audiences to consume cultural moments in real time.
The excitement of live sports and events, combined with the dialogue and community nurtured on social platforms, enables audiences to come together regardless of physical distance. Consider for instance, that Super Bowl LIX viewership averaged 137.7 million viewers with more than 49% having streamed the game, and the 2025 Academy Awards garnered 104 million social media interactions. It’s evident that audiences are not only tuning into live sports and events but also remain highly engaged and attentive during these live moments, creating opportunities for advertisers to make a lasting impression on potential customers.
The Evolution of Media Planning and Buying
These changes in the media landscape and shifts in audience behavior have fundamentally altered how advertisers approach media planning and buying. While upfront buying was the definitive way to appear alongside the most anticipated television content, it is no longer the only—or most effective—way to reach audiences.
Traditional upfront buying alone doesn't meet the demands of today's expansive media landscape, nor that of modern, tech-savvy audiences. Upfronts require advertisers to tie up substantial advertising dollars months in advance based on projected ratings that can't account for shifting marketing conditions or evolving consumer behaviors. Moreover, upfronts prioritize broad exposure over targeted outcomes, focusing on securing impressions among broad demographics rather than driving meaningful action among likely customers.
Unified, Flexible Media Buying
However, programmatic buying provides advertisers with the flexibility that today's media landscape demands. Just as streaming platforms enable audiences to engage with content on their terms, programmatic advertising allows advertisers to buy media on their terms. Advertisers seeking to capitalize on the benefits of live sports and events can leverage programmatic solutions to simplify media planning and buying across the vast and fragmented media landscape, driving measurable impact at scale.
Moreover, as audience attention increasingly shifts toward streaming, live sports and events are a critical component of any advertising strategy and driving success in today's digital-first world.
The Cadent Promise
The future belongs to advertisers who can navigate complexity while maintaining focus on what matters most: reaching all the right audiences on all the right screens at all the right moments. At Cadent, we understand the complexity of navigating evolving consumer habits and fragmentation. With our AI-powered predictive platform, we enable advertisers to deliver exceptional performance across all media—including streaming—by breaking down silos between digital and TV to deliver measurable outcomes at scale. Now a Disney Live Certified DSP, Cadent unlocks access to Disney's premium live sports and entertainment, further enabling advertisers to connect with audiences in all the moments that matter most.
To learn more about leveraging live sports and events in your next campaign, please contact us.