Innovid, a leading independent software platform for connected TV (CTV), linear, and digital advertising, has released a comprehensive report titled “Winning Big with CTV Advertising on Live-Streamed Sports.” The report examines the transformative impact of the shift in sports viewership to streaming and how advertisers can seize new opportunities to engage sports fans in ways traditional TV cannot match.

Key Insights and Findings

• Engaged Audiences with Interactive Ads
  Interactive ads on CTV outperform traditional video ads, delivering an engagement rate 4.5 times higher. QR code usage, a key element in interactive ads, showed an 11% increase in the first half of 2024 compared to all of 2023, with a significant doubling of engagement rates.

• Personalized Ads Drive Deeper Engagement
  Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) ads, personalized to the viewer, earn 20 additional seconds of engagement time compared to standard video ads. This enhanced viewer connection is especially impactful during live sports events, where relevance is crucial.

• CTV Reach and Growth
  CTV campaigns are reaching broader audiences, with average campaign reach more than doubling since 2021. The surge in live-streamed sports viewership is a key driver, fueling the continued growth of CTV as a preferred platform for advertisers.

• CTV vs Linear TV Ad Spend
  While CTV viewership has surpassed linear TV in 2024, ad spend is not yet in proportion. Brands still allocate over 100% more of their budgets to linear TV, with $61 billion spent on traditional TV versus $30 billion on CTV. This gap presents a significant opportunity for brands to capitalize on the rise of streaming.

The Shift in Sports Viewership
As the landscape for live-streamed sports evolves, CTV’s advantages—personalization, interactivity, and advanced measurement—make it an ideal platform for reaching sports fans. Advertisers can deliver more engaging, relevant content while gaining detailed insights into ad performance and ROI, something traditional linear TV cannot match.

Quote from Dani Cushion, CMO of Innovid

"Live-streamed sports on CTV isn’t the future—it’s the present. Brands now have unprecedented opportunities to leverage the massive engagement of live sports with digital capabilities like personalization and measurement. Our latest report is a roadmap for advertisers looking to maximize their impact and ROI in this evolving landscape."

Innovid’s report provides valuable insights for advertisers seeking to optimize their strategies in the rapidly growing space of live-streamed sports on CTV. With personalization and interactive capabilities, CTV is transforming sports advertising, offering brands new ways to connect with and engage audiences while maximizing ad performance.