"The Super Bowl has grown from a football game into one of the biggest cultural moments for brands," said our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian in a recent episode of “Behind the Numbers.” The Super Bowl maintains its advertising relevance in an increasingly fragmented media landscape because it delivers something increasingly rare: A massive, diverse audience engaged in a shared cultural moment.

Live sports command major leverage; NBCUniversal is using scale and bundling to defend pricing power as sports rights costs surge and distribution fragments.

Disney is getting an edge with an NFL-ESPN deal that protects it against digital video pressure from rivals like YouTube.

Streaming takes nearly half of TV viewing in a new record, driven by sports and major cultural hits, proving live events still dominate TV.

NFL viewership favors broadcast as traditional TV draws the biggest audiences, but streaming’s ad effectiveness is unmatched.

Super Bowl campaigns aren’t one-size-fits-all; brands are now splitting between full-scale TV buys and multi-channel activations that extend beyond the broadcast.

Fragmented habits define the sports consumer in Canada, where fans juggle platforms, formats, and betting styles. Engagement is high, but attention and spending are spread widely—forcing marketers to compete for moments rather than dominance.

Lululemon athletica’s CEO Calvin McDonald will relinquish his role on January 31, 2026 to an as-yet-unnamed successor. Whoever that person is will face the task of restoring the brand’s authority in a category it once dominated—particularly in North America, where sales have been stagnant or negative for seven straight quarters. Whoever takes the helm at lululemon should look to refocus the brand on its athleisure roots. The company needs to make sure that its core product lines are resonating with consumers before devoting significant resources into other categories like footwear, where it faces a tougher path to building credibility amid entrenched competition.

YouTube TV will offer over 10 new, genre-specific subscription bundles in 2026, with one option focused on sports, per a company announcement. YouTube TV Sports Plan will give users access to major sports networks and broadcasters that the pay TV provider offers, including NBC Sports Network, all ESPN networks and ESPN Unlimited, and FS1. Advertisers who thrive will rely on an omnichannel approach that keeps track of where viewers are watching while simultaneously accounting for the enduring relevance of linear to reach sports audiences.

Magnite launched a Live Scheduler tool on Tuesday, an industry-first asset that enables media owners to seamlessly plan, execute, and evaluate ad campaigns around live events. Live Scheduler turns chaotic, real-time tentpole events into a predictable, scalable, and programmatic marketplace—giving advertisers the opportunity to capitalize on major cultural moments without as much unpredictability.

Broadcast TV’s share of viewing declined YoY in October despite inching up slightly from the prior month thanks to the NFL season, per Nielsen’s total TV/streaming estimates. Meanwhile, streaming continued to increase its viewership share—highlighting how live sports viewers are increasingly shifting to digital. Those who thrive in the shift to digital will steadily increase budgets for sports streaming while still maintaining some investment in cable and broadcast to reach the many live sports viewers who continue to watch through traditional channels.

Disney and YouTube TV struck a new carriage agreement late Friday, ending a nearly two-week clash that made more than 20 Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC, unavailable on the pay TV service. The outcome reinforces that YouTube is one of the most powerful forces in digital video, pay TV, and streaming. With a pay TV audience that eclipses its competitors and a viewership that is increasingly moving to digital platforms, YouTube TV is well positioned to capture sports-hungry audiences and the advertisers eager to reach them.

Amazon’s Prime Video maintains an average monthly ad-supported reach of more than 315 million viewers globally, the company announced at its 2025 unBoxed event. Amazon’s high-intent shopper base and ability to lead users through the entire marketing funnel offer a distinct advantage.

Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC, have officially been removed from leading pay TV platform YouTube TV after Disney and Google failed to resolve a distribution dispute. Even as YouTube TV gives subscribers access to a large number of non-Disney channels, its ad effectiveness could be harmed without as broad of a sports portfolio—necessitating cautious investment.

Lululemon announced a deal with the NFL to sell fan apparel for all 32 teams. The collection will include men’s and women’s clothing, along with accessories. Lululemon, like Abercrombie & Fitch and Best Buy before it, sees the NFL partnership as an opportunity to appeal to the league’s massive and engaged fanbase. In lululemon’s case, it has a strong chance of winning over the growing numbers of women who, thanks to Taylor Swift, are tuning in more often to games, and looking for stylish ways to rep their favorite teams.

YouTube TV could lose access to Disney networks October 30, including ESPN, Disney Channel, and ABC, as Google and Disney enter a deal-renewal standoff. YouTube TV will become an increasingly risky investment for advertisers if a deal is not reached by the deadline, especially as advertisers turn to sports as a key channel to reach vast audiences but struggle with sports rights fragmentation.

The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) is considering including ads on player uniforms in the 2026 season, per the Associated Press. Current rules prohibit commercial logos on uniforms unless the logo is of the apparel or equipment manufacturer. Marketers should keep an eye out to see if the offering progresses, but approach the format with caution if it gets approved.

Linear TV ad spending grew in Q3 despite total TV ad impressions declining, per iSpot data. Ad spend increased 4% YoY, reaching $8.77 billion—but total impressions fell 2.7% to 1.67 trillion. Total ad minutes rose 2.4% YoY to 5.3 million, driven by the rise of sports inventory. Marketers must understand that a successful ad strategy requires a balance— investing in linear to drive outcomes while slowly shifting toward CTV for better targeting and to align with audience viewing habits.

YouTube TV is in a dicey position after it lost access to Univision networks and reached a temporary extension with NBCUniversal as a total blackout looms. Brands should prepare for fragmentation and adapt accordingly. Looking to CTV and OTT platforms with more stable sports offerings—like Prime Video and its 11-year deal with the NBA and WNBA—will provide a cushion amid uncertainty.