Sports content isn’t slowing down. It’s now the second-largest genre on FAST channels, and one of the most sought-after categories in CTV. With fans tuning in across dozens of platforms and devices, advertisers are following suit.
According to eMarketer, 105 million U.S. adults watched live sports on CTV in 2024, a number expected to grow another 21% by 2027. But as lucrative as sports content may be, buying it programmatically remains riddled with risk.
Inventory may look like premium content on the surface, but a lack of transparency often leaves buyers in the dark:
- What sport is this?
- Which teams are playing?
- Is the event live or just a recap?
Marketers are forced to bid blindly on placements that may not align with campaign goals or brand safety standards.
The Complexity of CTV Sports Buying
CTV is booming, but the infrastructure supporting programmatic sports advertising is still catching up. In a single week, more than 1.6 billion bid requests were made for sports-related content, yet fewer than 18% included such basic information like team or league affiliation. Even sophisticated DSPs struggle to distinguish a nationally televised NCAA game from low-priority filler content.
This lack of clarity undermines targeting, inflates costs, and compromises campaign performance. As Peer39 CEO Mario Diez explains, “The connected TV landscape is splitting into two distinct arenas, creating a complex environment where advertisers and publishers need to fine-tune their strategies. In both of these environments, there’s one common stream – the need for better signal clarity.”
It’s that signal clarity, across content, placement, and performance, that Peer39 delivers.
From Guesswork to Granular Control
Peer39 equips advertisers with program-level controls, allowing them to zero in on the exact moments that matter. Whether it’s a live college football matchup or a pregame commentary show, brands can tailor their CTV buys with remarkable precision by combining targeting and exclusion strategies, such as:
- Targeting specific leagues and teams via custom keyword matching
- Avoid overblocking—exclude News or Kids content without cutting off entire channels
- Control by genre, mood, ratings, or advisory tags for true contextual alignment and safety and suitability
This capability is essential in today’s fragmented viewing landscape. A single WNBA game, for instance, was broadcast across more than 1,900 endpoints—from local affiliates to FAST channels.
Cutting Through the Clutter of Fake CTV
Beyond context, placement quality remains a persistent concern. The rise of programmatic CTV has also opened the floodgates to non-TV inventory. This includes screensavers, mobile apps, and “ambient” content that technically qualifies as CTV but offers no real engagement.
Peer39’s Brand Suitability Controls include Safe from Fake Content and Verified Valid Channels categories to keep advertisers off these placements entirely. In fact, Peer39-powered campaigns can limit exposure to fake content to just 0.9%, compared to over 20% in the open exchange. The result is a significant lift in both quality and buyer confidence.
Transparent Performance, Actionable Insights
Peer39 doesn’t just improve the buy; it enhances how buyers are able to measure success. The comprehensive CTV Quality Score, available directly in their Analytics Dashboard, consolidates key metrics like:
- Completion rate
- Sensitive content exposure
- User-generated content detection
- Known channel verification
This transparency empowers media teams to optimize in-flight, back performance with data, and ensure campaigns deliver on both reach and resonance.
The Future of CTV Sports Advertising Is Clear
FAST platforms, streaming sticks, smart TVs, and virtual MVPDs are reshaping the way fans consume live events — and advertisers must keep pace. But premium content demands premium standards for clarity, safety, and accountability.
Peer39 makes that possible by giving advertisers the ability to confidently align their brand with the moments fans care about most.
When the game is on the line, your media strategy shouldn’t rely on guesswork.
With Peer39, you don’t just bid. You bid smarter.
Curious how your CTV sports campaigns stack up—and where they could be optimized?
Explore Peer39’s CTV solutions to discover how you can unlock transparent performance metrics, avoid wasteful inventory, and make smarter programmatic decisions across every live game, channel, and moment that matters.
