From the Field to the Funnel: How Live Sports Power CTV and Retail Media’s Next Play
We’ve entered the thick of sports season — the NFL season is dominating, MLB playoffs are in full swing, and women’s sports are consistently capturing historic levels of attention. The WNBA’s expansion with the Golden State Valkyries, its first new team in 17 years and more franchises in Cleveland and Philadelphia on the way, underscores a cultural momentum that brands can’t ignore. And with so many fans streaming live sports across screens and devices, the opportunity for marketers is enormous.
But the real playbook isn’t just about buying ad space. It’s about harnessing the convergence of connected TV (CTV) and retail media to create campaigns that resonate with fans in the moment and drive measurable outcomes long after the final whistle.
Live Sports Still Matter
Algorithms serve up endless on-demand content, but live sports remain the unscripted drama viewers show up for in droves. You can binge a series whenever you want, but you can’t time-shift the suspense of a playoff game tied with three minutes to play. That in-the-moment, communal energy makes live sports one of the last real examples of appointment viewing, and one of the most valuable opportunities for brands.
Historically, sports sponsorships and ad buys were judged on partnerships, reach, and frequency. Those factors still matter. You don’t build brand equity without repeated exposure. But retail media has changed the game by layering commerce data and measurable outcomes onto those impressions. Suddenly, it’s not just about being seen during the game; it’s about proving that the fan who saw your ad actually became a customer.
Traditional broadcasters once relied on Nielsen ratings as their compass. Streaming giants, by contrast, wield a treasure trove of behavioral insights: what viewers watch, how often and what else they engage with. Pair that with retail data (searches, purchases, browsing behavior) and the possibilities multiply.
That’s why Amazon and Netflix’s landmark NBA and NFL streaming deals were watershed moments. Streamers’ aggressive push into live sports is no accident. It’s a bid to own the most powerful feedback loop in media: connecting what people watch with what they buy.
The Power of Convergence
Think of retail media and CTV as teammates like Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. They run the same play from different positions. And like any great team, the real magic happens when the two work together.
Retail media ensures accountability, from sponsored product ads at the bottom of the funnel to retailer display and on-site video. CTV, meanwhile, delivers premium appointment storytelling and unmatched reach, especially in live sports.
Together, they mirror the consumer journey in real life. A fan sees a personalized CTV ad during a WNBA game, later searches for the product online, clicks a sponsored placement, then encounters the campaign again on a news site before finally making an in-store purchase. Or picture a traveler researching cruises on their laptop at lunch, only to see a cruise line’s CTV ad that evening during the big game.
That reinforcement across screens nudges people closer to conversion, particularly in categories with longer consideration cycles like travel, appliances or luxury goods. And when done thoughtfully, it avoids the dreaded “ad stalker” effect by creating instead a seamless, confidence-building path that feels like a natural extension of consumer curiosity.
Measuring Smarter, Not Just Faster
Retail media today is a patchwork of platforms and siloed measurement systems. The Holy Grail is faster, more unified measurement that connects all those dots. CTV, with its scale and premium placement, is central to making that vision a reality.
But with so much data at their fingertips, marketers face another pitfall: leaning too heavily into performance mode. Measuring campaigns purely by return on ad spend (ROAS) is a trap, especially for established consumer brands. Performance is only part of the story. Brand building, or the intangible equity that influences a consumer's choice between products, remains important. And live sports, with their cultural cachet and emotional pull, remain one of the best stages to build that equity.
Meanwhile, the competitive landscape is shifting almost as quickly as sports standings. Mergers, acquisitions and new ad-supported tiers from players like Netflix have concentrated power in fewer hands while opening fresh avenues for advertisers.
For marketers, consolidation means both challenges and opportunities. Buying dynamics are evolving, with upfront deals, programmatic options and exclusive partnerships shaping where and how brands appear.
At the same time, more platforms embracing ads expands inventory and allows brands to reach audiences that were previously out of bounds. The key here is differentiation: using each platform strategically rather than treating them as interchangeable ad slots.
Measuring CTV as Part of the Whole
The bigger picture is integration.
CTV can’t be evaluated in isolation. It must be understood as part of a cross-channel, full-funnel strategy. Success might mean anything from driving in-store traffic to reinforcing brand awareness. The right KPIs depend on the brand and category, but the principle is universal: measure holistically, not in silos.
And while over-frequency once plagued CTV (no one wants to see the same pharma ad dozens of times during the Knicks’ inevitable deep run into the playoffs this season), platforms are getting smarter at managing it. Reach and frequency remain the building blocks of effective campaigns.
As live sports increasingly blur the lines between screens, the future points toward faster, more actionable and multi-channel data. Fans aren’t just watching; they’re second-screening on phones and laptops, ready to engage in real time. That creates a golden opportunity: capturing attention across devices and linking exposure to measurable actions. Think of it like Twitter’s early days when live tweeting enhanced the viewing experience but now infused with the ability to tie that behavior directly to conversion data.
The caution is to set realistic expectations. CTV won’t deliver 100% ROAS every time. But if goals are clearly defined, whether brand building, customer acquisition or driving sales, marketers can measure success in ways that match strategy with outcomes. Rather than evaluating CTV in isolation, it is important to look at the full consumer journey across all touchpoints, from sponsored products and display to offsite video and CTV. Viewed holistically, this approach helps marketers understand how product discovery and engagement across channels ultimately drive sales.
Keeping the Momentum Going
Ultimately, the convergence of CTV and retail media is about balance: blending storytelling with science, reach with precision and performance with brand equity.
For marketers, the playbook comes down to three essentials. First, invest in live sports as a cultural touchstone that continues to command real-time attention. Next, leverage retail media’s accountability to tie exposure to measurable outcomes. Finally, measure holistically to keep long-term brand building in view, even for performance optimization.
As fans stream more sports than ever, the brands that thrive will be those that play the game with both strategy and finesse by connecting with audiences in the heat of the moment and carrying that momentum all the way to checkout.
[Editor's note: This is a contributed article from Criteo. Streaming Media accepts vendor bylines based solely on their value to our readers.]
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