Paramount Introduces Automated Ad Buying for Live Sports Starting with UFC

2026-01-22 companies

New York, Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
On January 24, Paramount initiates real-time automated ad buying for live sports. Debuting with UFC, this marks the first time marketers can secure guaranteed programmatic spots in premium streaming coverage.

Automating the Octagon: A Strategic Shift

Paramount (Nasdaq: PSKY) officially announced on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, that it is implementing live, in-game programmatic advertising for its sports portfolio, a move designed to modernize how marketers access premium live inventory [2][6]. The initiative is set to launch on January 24, 2026, coinciding with the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on the Paramount+ streaming service, headlined by the UFC 324 bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett [2][6]. This development allows advertisers to utilize real-time bidding technology to secure commercial placements during live broadcasts, a capability previously unavailable for Paramount’s sports properties [1][2]. To facilitate this private marketplace, the media conglomerate has established partnerships with major demand-side platforms (DSPs), including Amazon DSP, Google’s Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk, and Yahoo DSP [1][6].

Inventory Segmentation and Revenue Architecture

The introduction of programmatic sales creates a bifurcated inventory strategy for Paramount’s UFC coverage. The new biddable inventory will be available specifically for the UFC’s “numbered events preliminaries” and U.S. Fight Nights [3][4]. Conversely, the high-profile main cards for numbered events will remain exclusive to “Streaming Fixed Units,” a format that guarantees advertisers specific placement, such as the first slot in a commercial break, akin to traditional linear TV buying [1][4]. Jay Askinasi, Paramount’s Chief Revenue Officer, noted that this dual approach is intended to widen the aperture for advertisers, combining the engagement of live sports with the “agility, optimization and precision of digital” [2][4]. This structure allows Paramount to maintain premium pricing for its most coveted slots while increasing fill rates and efficiency for the significant volume of content surrounding the main events [1].

Leveraging Rights Deals and Industry Trends

This monetization strategy follows a substantial financial commitment by Paramount Skydance, which secured exclusive U.S. rights to UFC events in a seven-year deal valued at $7.7 billion, signed in August 2025 [3][4]. By integrating programmatic capabilities immediately upon the deal’s broadcast debut, Paramount aims to maximize the return on this investment through diversified revenue streams. The move mirrors a broader trend across the media landscape, where competitors are increasingly automating live sports sales. Notably, NBCUniversal successfully executed the first programmatic Olympics in 2024, achieving record ad sales, while Disney and Prime Video have similarly introduced biddable opportunities for live events to capture real-time audience attention [1]. Paramount’s adoption of this model signals a definitive industry-wide transition away from manual direct-sold exclusivity toward automated, data-driven transaction models for live sports [1][5].

Sources

Programmatic advertising Live sports