Paramount Will Use UFC to Kick Off Programmatic Live Ad Sales in Sports Events

UFC fighters have many moves, but none of them will keep marketers from buying programmatic inventory in their coming events backed by Paramount Skydance,. The company said Wednesday it would offer live, in-game programmatic buying for select commercial units in what it called “marquee sporting events,” starting January 24 with the debut of UFC matches on Paramount+. The decision marks the first time advertisers can purchase a guaranteed, real-time placement in Paramount’s streamed sports. “This initiative underscores Paramount’s commitment to media modernization, expanding opportunities for marketers to show up during the biggest and buzziest moments of scaled audience attention,” said Jay Askinasi, Paramount’s recently-installed chief revenue officer, in a statement. “By bringing guaranteed positions to the streaming sports stage, both directly and programmatically, we’re widening the aperture for more advertisers to tap into the passion, energy and engagement of live sports with the agility, optimization and precision of digital. Paramount has a big bet riding on its alliance with UFC, agreeing to pay $7.7 billion over seven years for exclusive U.S. rights for all UFC events. Under terms of the deal, Paramount gains access to UFC’s full slate of 13 annual marquee numbered events and 30 Fight Nights. Select numbered UFC events are supposed to be simulcast on CBS. UFC is, like its sibling WWE, controlled by TKO Group. Paramount recently introduced a different kind of ad inventory known as “streaming fixed units” that give advertisers who buy them the same ad placement in the premieres of new episodes of top shows including “Tulsa King,” “Landman” and “Mayor of Kingstown.” When an advertiser buys the unit, it it is also buying a guarantee that Paramount will run the ad in a fixed place, such as the first spot in a commercial break, for the first seven days after the episode debuts. The company is working with Amazon DSP, Google’s Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk and Yahoo DSP to offer private marketplace, biddable ad inventory for UFC’s full slate of “numbered events preliminaries” and U.S. Fight Nights. All “numbered event main cards” will exclusively be sold as streaming fixed units.