#sports-advertising

#sports-advertising

Programmatic media buying is expected to account for the majority of growth in the CTV market in 2026. This year alone, over 90% of CTV ad dollars were transacted through programmatic pipes. That data isn't surprising. Programmatic has solved a real problem by helping brands reach TV viewers with targeted precision at much lower costs. But precision isn't the same as presence.

Amazon's advertising unit on Wednesday introduced its roster of presenting sponsors for the opening season of Prime Video's NBA coverage, a clutch of top-tier sports spenders that includes the likes of AT&T, Mercedes-Benz and State Farm. As part of a series of signings that will help defray Amazon's annual $1.8 billion rights payment to the NBA, the online retailer/streamer has landed AT&T as the title sponsor of its new halftime show ( The Half).

2026 will be a massive year in sports, and the race is on for advertisers to reach sports viewers.

"In a increasingly divided world, there are a few things that can bring people together, and sports is one of them," Gorman says in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "Brands want to surround themselves with those moments that people are finding joy in."

Experts caution that junk food sponsorship of sports should be banned to protect children's health against the advertising influence of major food brands like Cadbury and Pepsi.