AdGrowthWeekly | Issue No. 40

The National Football League is defending its media strategy as regulators examine the shift toward pay TV and streaming, stating that roughly 87% of its games still air on free broadcast television, with 100% of local games available over-the-air. The league continues to dominate U.S. viewership, accounting for 86 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts in 2025, with individual games regularly drawing 15 to 25 million viewers. Sunday Night Football has held the top primetime spot for more than 15 consecutive years. The NFL’s media rights deals, valued at over $100 billion, now include both traditional broadcasters and streaming platforms, reflecting a distribution model that spans free and subscription-based access.

The National Basketball Association regular season generated approximately $760 million in national TV ad spend, as average viewership increased 16% year over year across ESPN, TNT, and ABC. The season delivered more than 15 billion ad impressions from over 8,000 commercial airings, with nationally televised games consistently drawing larger audiences compared to the previous year. Several marquee matchups contributed to higher overall averages, helping drive demand for premium ad inventory during key time slots. As audiences grew, networks were able to command stronger pricing, particularly around high-profile games and primetime windows. The combined increase in viewership and ad spend reflects continued demand for live sports programming across national television.

The National Football League is nearing a five-game streaming deal with YouTube, expanding its digital inventory as part of a broader shift in media rights distribution. The package is expected to include standalone games created after schedule changes, such as international matchups and holiday windows. YouTube already pays about $2 billion annually for NFL Sunday Ticket under a seven-year, $14 billion deal, and a 2025 international game streamed on the platform drew approximately 19.7 million global viewers. NFL games remain the most-watched content in the U.S., regularly averaging 15 to 25 million viewers, while the league’s total media rights agreements exceed $100 billion, with an increasing share allocated to streaming platforms alongside traditional networks.

NBCUniversal reported a 4.7% increase in core advertising revenue, with Peacock contributing a larger share of total ad volume. Peacock now reaches more than 30 million monthly active users in the U.S., with the majority on ad-supported tiers, driving growth in impressions and digital ad inventory. The platform has expanded into live sports, including the NFL and Premier League, increasing both engagement and advertiser demand. As streaming usage rises, NBCU indicated that digital ad gains are helping balance slower trends in linear TV, where audiences remain fragmented. The update reflects a continued shift in ad revenue mix, with connected TV and streaming accounting for a growing portion of total advertising performance.

Paramount Global is updating its upfront strategy under new ad leadership, emphasizing combined reach and unified measurement across its portfolio. The company is positioning its ad-supported ecosystem, which includes Paramount+ and Pluto TV, as a single buying platform delivering tens of millions of viewers across streaming, alongside its broadcast and cable networks. Pluto TV reaches more than 80 million monthly active users globally, while Paramount+ continues to expand its ad-supported tier, increasing both inventory and total impressions. The revised pitch focuses on consolidating audience data and simplifying transactions, as advertisers prioritize cross-platform reach and standardized measurement heading into upfront negotiations.

Fox Corporation is rolling out an AI-driven upgrade across its advertising portfolio, applying machine learning to campaign targeting, delivery, and measurement across its broadcast, cable, and digital inventory. The system is designed to process audience data tied to billions of annual ad impressions, enabling more precise segmentation and real-time optimization. The rollout includes deeper integration with Tubi, which reaches more than 80 million monthly active users and delivers billions of streaming hours annually, adding scale to Fox’s ad-supported ecosystem. The upgrade also enhances cross-platform measurement, as advertisers increasingly look to unify performance across linear and connected TV. The move aligns with broader industry adoption of AI tools to manage large-scale campaigns and improve efficiency across growing digital inventory. ON THE MOVE