The Streaming Season Is Just Getting Started: NFL, MLB, and the CTV Playbook

Pumpkin spice season might be around the corner, but for advertisers, fall means football, playoffs, and streaming-fueled sports fandom.

The traditional calendar is back in full swing:
NFL season kicks off in September
MLB heads into the postseason
NHL returns in October
NBA tips off later this fall

But here’s the big shift: more fans than ever are watching on Connected TV (CTV)—and advertisers no longer need a linear contract or an $8 million Super Bowl spot to get in the game.

Streaming Is Where the Sports Fans Are

Let’s look at the scoreboard:

• Thursday Night Football viewership on Amazon Prime rose 11% YoY in 2024, with 13.2M average viewers entering Week 9.
  
• YouTube will stream its first NFL game for free globally in September 2025, marking a massive leap in accessibility—and scale.
  
• MLB.TV recorded 14.5 billion streaming minutes, a 14% increase year over year, and engagement on digital and social channels is surging—especially among younger fans.
  
• Peacock’s Olympic performance showed just how eager viewers are to stream tentpole events, setting the stage for NHL and NBA returns.
  

So while linear still owns some marquee moments, the momentum is crystal clear: CTV is where the next generation of sports viewership is happening—and it’s measurable, scalable, and brand-safe.

What Makes CTV Sports Different?

1. Precision Targeting

With Viant’s Household ID™ Technology, advertisers don’t have to buy broadly. Instead, you can target:

• Fantasy football players
  
• College town superfans
  
• Streaming-first sports households
  
• Lapsed customers who need a reminder (or a reason to root again)
  

2. Omnichannel Reach

Streaming sports isn’t confined to the big screen anymore. Fans engage on:

• CTV
  
• Mobile
  
• Desktop
  
• Social
  
• DOOH (digital out-of-home)
  

Viant’s omnichannel DSP helps you coordinate messaging across all touchpoints—with frequency control and identity resolution built in.

3. Real-Time Measurement

No more guessing if your ad worked. With Viant, you can measure:

• Incremental site visits
  
• In-store or stadium foot traffic
  
• Lift in ROAS or iROAS
  
• Cross-device conversion paths
  

You can even apply contribution attribution to understand which channels and tactics actually influenced outcomes—not just who showed up last.

Why Now Is the Time to Plan

With the NFL season kicking off, now’s the perfect time to test CTV’s performance around live sports. Whether you’re running regional creative for local teams or national spots tied to tentpole moments, fall sports give you a runway of:

• High engagement
  
• Predictable scheduling
  
• Context-rich environments
  
• Loyal, emotionally invested audiences
  

And just around the corner? NBA and NHL seasons, college football rivalry weeks, and holiday tentpole games—all of which can be activated programmatically.

TL;DR: Live Sports + CTV = Your Next MVP Campaign

CTV isn’t just where fans are tuning in. It’s where advertisers are winning—with:

• People-based targeting
  
• Emotional and contextual alignment
  
• Full-funnel measurement
  

So whether you’re all in on Sunday football or looking to drive Q4 lift during the MLB playoffs, Viant’s CTV playbook is built for advertisers who want outcomes—not just impressions.