Group C Digital | Marketing + Consulting

Sports TV ad spending in the US to increase by more than $5 billion through 2030

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 22:00:03 -0700

Here’s the deal:

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Live sports are one of the last bastions of the TV monoculture. And advertisers aren’t shying away.

According to recent data from EMarketer, TV ad spending in the U.S. on sports content will grow by more than $5 billion over the next four years, up 27%, from $19.5 billion this year to $24.8 billion through 2030.

These figures include both linear and connected TV (CTV) ad spending across live sports and league events like drafts, as well as related programming like pre- and postgame shows.

But here’s the twist on live sports. CTV is projected to grow at a faster rate than linear: The former will increase from $3.5 billion to $7.2 billion, while the latter will grow from about $16 billion to $17.6 billion, according to EMarketer.

Data debrief:

Sports TV ad spending is further projected to increase at an accelerated pace, growing faster than the overall TV ad market. EMarketer predicts total U.S. TV ad spending to grow 6.6% through 2030. Sports TV ad spend will see a 27% jump.

Of live sports ad spend, the NFL is by far the leader. According to EMarketer, it accounts for nearly half, at 47%. The NBA follows with almost 11%.

But, in general, major sporting events command large sums. The report indicated that this year’s Winter Olympics, NBA All-Star Game and Super Bowl generated over $2 billion in ad sales for NBCUniversal.

Why it matters:

Sports fans aren’t just a scaled audience; they’re a highly engaged one. According to a recent Nielsen survey, over half of fans of major sports leagues say they would choose a sponsor’s product over rival brands.

So it’s not...Read More

CTV Buyers Are Getting The Show-Level Performance Optimization They’ve Always Wanted

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:53:45 -0700

For CTV advertisers, figuring out exactly which shows their ads ran in – and how that impacted performance – is still the Holy Grail.

But streaming platforms typically share either self-declared content categories or incomplete show-level reporting after ad campaigns have run. In many cases, the best a buyer can expect is for the platform to provide a show name for 10% to 15% of impressions purchased, said David Nyurenberg, SVP of digital at InterMedia Advertising.

Ad tech providers, however, are working to reverse-engineer show-level reporting using publisher-provided anonymized content IDs. They’re matching that reporting to conversion logs so advertisers can break down the cost per acquisition (CPA) when they advertise in specific shows. And they’re passing those signals into DSPs to optimize their budget allocations for performance.

InterMedia has been testing such an integration with contextual advertising platform Peer39 and Pontiac Intelligence’s DSP. The solution gave InterMedia show-level reporting for 94% of the impressions it bought for a recent CTV campaign.

Nyurenberg joked that, when he saw the first reporting spreadsheet, complete with CPA breakdowns for individual shows, he teared up. But, he said, the biggest breakthrough was turning those insights into actionable signals that could aid live campaign optimization.

And, he added, given the progress different programmatic players have made with similar solutions, the Holy Grail might finally be within CTV buyers’ reach.

Tracking performance

The solution is based on Peer39’s content ID integrations with streaming publishers.

Peer39 ingests a unique content ID for each streaming program that aired an ad. It...Read More

How to win with generative engine optimization while keeping SEO top-tier

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 11:51:40 -0700

Strategies to make your content AI-ready while keeping it engaging for human readers and visible in the age of generative search.

There’s a new search strategy in town! Generative engine optimization (GEO), the younger sibling of search engine optimization (SEO), has arrived at the station.

There’s a good chance you’re already familiar – if you head to Google and ask it a question, you’ll likely see an AI-generated blurb at the top of your search results.

If you own a business and have spent time...Read More

This upfronts, networks are selling TV measurement

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 12:06:23 -0700

This year’s upfronts are already seeing a return to normalcy, with TV networks back to pitching Madison Avenue in-person, not virtually, for the first time in two years. But like all things since the pandemic, what’s top of mind for both buyers and sellers at this year’s dog-and-pony show has significantly changed.

The future of TV measurement — unsexy as it may seem for something as glamorous as the upfronts — will be the star and central theme of this year’s show. A+E Networks, which was the first to present at this year’s upfronts, has already suggested as much. 

“What we’re learning is that there’s value beyond the GRP or the impression,” Peter Olsen, president of ad sales at A+E Networks, told Deadline on the day it hosted its upfront. “That’s what these new [TV measurement] tools can kind of bring to the fore.”

In other words, TV is no longer consumed exclusively through linear pipes. The...Read More

Case Study: Group C Digital and Simpli.fi Drive In-Person Visits for Grocery Store Chain

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 09:20:31 -0800

MULTI-LOCATION CONVERSION TRACKING

For corporate marketing teams that manage advertising on behalf of a high number of individual stores, campaign management can be complicated and expensive. These brands require partners that can deliver efficient targeting and comprehensive attribution at scale. Recognizing this, a grocery store chain in the Midwest was looking to successfully target local audiences nationwide across 126 storefronts, increase in-person visits, and accurately measure visits by location. The brand enlisted their agency, Group C Digital, to find a top tier programmatic provider that could improve their overall advertising performance.

TRUSTED AGENCY PARTNERSHIP

In late 2019, Group C Digital was in the process of selecting a programmatic partner for all of their clients. First and foremost, the agency wanted a platform that could efficiently drive and accurately measure in-person visits for multiple locations at a time. After careful consideration, they chose Simpli.fi because of the ability to gauge individual store traffic, the flexibility and support of a hybrid service model, and innovative targeting solutions. The partnership has grown over the years, and the agency now works with Simpli.fi for 20 multi-location brands to strategize and execute high-performing advertising campaigns.

CUSTOM CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

On behalf of the grocery store chain, Simpli.fi and Group C Digital planned a comprehensive year-long campaign utilizing Simpli.fi’s Geo-Fencing with Conversion Zones solution. Each...Read More

Your Digital Advertising Budget Explained

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 10:12:02 -0800

Have you ever been handed a digital advertising proposal and not fully understood all the acronyms? From OTT to PPC there are a lot of options, but some tactics are a better fit for your business than others.

VIDEO PRE-ROLL serves up video ads to users on a website or in an app before the video content a user is trying to watch. A good example of this can be found on most local news websites where an ad plays prior to watching a news clip or the weather forecast. Sometimes viewers can skip the ad, and sometimes they can’t. You can ask to purchase non-skippable pre-roll ads. You can also purchase ads like this in the middle or at the end of the video content. These placements are called mid-roll or post-roll. They may cost a bit more but can be more valuable since the viewer is already invested in the content. You’ll typically buy these ads in quantities of 1,000 videos served. This price structure is called a Cost Per Thousand (CPM). The average CPM for video pre-roll ranges from $16-25 per thousand video ads served.

Over-the-top (OTT) refers to any streaming service that delivers content over the Internet. The service is delivered ‘over the top’ of another platform, hence the moniker. These types of ads can be delivered to any device you use to watch a streaming service, including desktops, laptops, mobile/tablet and connected televisions (a TV that is connected to the Internet). These ads are served within or prior to the content the user is watching. These ads are purchased on a CPM basis and range from $35-50 per thousand ads served.

Connected Television (CTV) is simply a subset of OTT targeted toward large screens only. These ads would be served on Internet-connected televisions playing a streaming service through a device like Roku, Sling or Apple TV. Ads here are a bit more expensive since the inventory is more desirable. Expect to pay $40-55 per thousand ads...Read More

What Advertisers Can Expect from Programmatic Advertising in 2021

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 06:59:38 -0800

The array of challenges in 2020 from COVID-19 served as a catalyst for businesses in every industry to reevaluate their operating procedures. While industry experts already predicted a strong growth in CTV advertising throughout 2020, COVID-19 caused it to skyrocket. With consumers spending more time within their homes and across multiple devices, CTV ad spend increased higher than expected due to a surge in connected TV streaming within households. While 2021 undoubtedly will have its own surprises, there are three distinct realities I see happening in the industry moving forward:

Advertisers will Require Increased Agility Across all Media Types

This “agility” has been especially valuable amid the COVID-19 pandemic as digital advertisers have needed to adjust spend, messaging, and creative on a moment’s notice in order to account for rapidly changing conditions in different parts of the country.

We expect advertisers’ requirement for agility will extend long past the COVID-19 pandemic, and that advertisers will increasingly challenge traditional media like linear TV, radio, and print to provide the same flexibility that digital platforms offer.

In addition to precise targeting and rapidly increasing scale, agility is one of the reasons that CTV advertising has seen such strong growth in 2020. In the past, linear TV advertising was typically associated with the “set it and forget it” budget approach, leaving little wiggle room for changes and saddling advertisers with limitations, especially when it came to targeting. In 2020, advertisers quickly moved away from the rigidity of linear TV advertising and have leaned increasingly on agile platforms, like connected TV. In 2021, advertisers will continue this trend, investing in digital platforms including CTV...Read More

Leveraging OTT/CTV to target homebound consumers

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 08:56:32 -0700

During these unprecedented times, businesses are having to shift strategies and explore new ways of generating revenue. At Group C, we are here to help and support our clients in achieving these goals. One area where we believe we can add significant value is helping advertisers and partners leverage OTT/CTV advertising during the COVID-19 outbreak.

With so many people now homebound due to shelter in place orders and social distancing efforts, the amount of time consumers spend viewing streaming media is understandably skyrocketing. Not to mention, the lack of live sports content has also significantly contributed to the streaming surge. With content streaming on the rise, advertisers have a unique opportunity to reach their audience in new ways and on more devices within the home.

At this time, advertisers need an OTT/CTV advertising solution that reaches consumers at the household-level across all devices, as well as the ability to track online conversions and minimize wasted impressions.

ADVANCED OTT/CTV TARGETING WITH THREE DISTINCT METHODS

To make sure we are helping our advertisers and partners leverage OTT/CTV advertising to the utmost, Group C Digital offers a variety of different targeting methods to ensure that you are reaching the right audience, all while minimizing wasted impressions and maximizing ROI. Let’s take a look at some ways this can help you or your advertisers drive revenue during this crucial time.

Addressable OTT/CTV Targeting

As we mentioned previously, more and more consumers are spending the majority of time at home due to CDC and WHO guidelines regarding practicing social distancing and avoiding large gatherings. With so many consumers homebound, along with a Read More

Staying PUT: Consumers Forced Indoors During Crisis Spend More Time On Media

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 13:38:33 -0700

Regardless of whether you call it social distancing, quarantining or retreating to a safe place, heading home amid concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is bound to affect media consumption habits. In fact, staying put in our homes can lead to almost a 60% increase in the amount of content we watch in some cases and potentially more depending on the reasons. Considering that consumers around the globe are already leaning into the growing array of content options and channels, a 60% increase is significant.

Media consumption in the U.S. is already at historical highs. As reported in the most recent Nielsen Total Audience report, Americans are already spending just shy of 12 hours each day with media platforms. What’s more, three-fourths of U.S. consumers are broadening their media options with streaming subscriptions and TV-connected device

CONNECTING DURING CRISIS

During crisis events, however, be it snowstorms, hurricanes or a global pandemic, media users ramp up their media consumption to stay informed, kill time, find solace and stay in touch with others. They also stock their pantries with the necessary food and supplies to help get them through these trying times.

For insight into how consumers adjust during crisis situations, Nielsen analyzed total TV usage (TUT) data during two major crises in recent history: during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and during a major snowstorm in January 2016. Not surprisingly, TUT levels increased significantly during both occasions.

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Texas. During the impacted period, a Nielsen analysis of that market found a 56% increase of TUT use compared with the preceding period and 40% higher than the...Read More

Game Changer: Live Sports and Connected TV

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:16:04 -0700

It's that time of year again. The leaves are turning brown and ready to fall. Kids are all back at school. And you just received $10,000 in pre-empts from your local broadcast buy.

Political ad season is upon us.

If you are like our team, you are looking for ways to get your last minute Q4 heavy-ups into live sports without paying the freight.

We've spent countless hours brokering direct deals with subscription services and networks to secure high-quality inventory in LIVE SPORTS programming including NFL, NCAA Football and Post Season MLB at an affordable price.

View our Pricing Guide for More

Breaking Away from Broadcast

Pay TV may still dominate the sports landscape, but audiences are increasingly shifting to digital video platforms. Additionally, companies like Amazon, Facebook and Twitter are bidding for highly prized US streaming rights for games.

In 2018, both the Super Bowl in the U.S. and the Olympic Games in South Korea saw fewer viewers than expected, and the NFL’s drop in ratings over the past few years has been widely reported. An increase in options for streaming are a big part of the decline, and there are more ways to watch the NFL for free than ever before.

OTT streaming is a complex undertaking for providers, but viewers don’t care. They want streaming solutions that allow them to watch their favorite movies, TV shows, and live sporting events from wherever they are, without the expensive broadcast TV packages that are falling by the wayside.

If you are ready to get in the game and diversify your buy into OTT...Read More