The rise of live event streaming presents a significant opportunity for advertisers, but executing programmatic ads during these high-stakes moments introduces unique challenges that require both technical solutions and human collaboration.
With major sporting events like the Olympics and NFL games increasingly shifting to streaming platforms, the advertising industry is racing to adapt programmatic capabilities to meet the demands of live content.
“We’re seeing a lot of live events coming to streaming which is a huge opportunity,” said Katie Millington, executive director, head of demand integrations at FreeWheel, in this video interview with Beet.TV.
Technical hurdles in live environments
One of the primary challenges for programmatic advertising in live environments involves creative approvals. The time-sensitive nature of live events means there’s little room for error when an ad fails to receive proper approval.
“In the middle of a live event, if a creative doesn’t get approved, then we’re going to be running a house ad, and that’s not an effective viewer experience,” Millington explained. “That’s going to allow the publisher to kind of miss out on that revenue opportunity.”
To address this issue, FreeWheel has developed an integration enabling advertisers to pre-approve their creatives with demand-side platforms. The company is also testing a feature called “podding” that allows advertisers to make decisions on entire ad pods rather than individual spots.
The human element remains crucial
Despite the industry’s push toward automation, Millington emphasized that human collaboration remains essential for successful programmatic execution during live events.
“As much as we want to automate live, there are so many opportunities for collaboration and communication,” she said. “Leveraging the human element in automation is really important.”
Publishers need to communicate anticipated viewership numbers well in advance and manage creative assets more effectively. This includes identifying which creatives will run during live events and ensuring they receive approval ahead of time.
Expanding opportunities beyond premium moments
The high cost of advertising during premier live events like the Olympics can be prohibitive for many brands. FreeWheel has observed significant growth in this area, with a 90% increase in new advertisers over the past year.
Millington suggests that content surrounding major events presents valuable opportunities for brands with smaller budgets.
“Creating the opportunity for brands to be part of the conversation during these cultural events with content that shoulders around a live event itself I think is one way,” she noted.
This approach mirrors traditional linear TV strategies, where pre-game and post-game content provides additional inventory at more accessible price points while still allowing brands to associate with major cultural moments.
According to recent announcements, FreeWheel has unveiled new capabilities specifically designed to enhance programmatic transactions during major live streaming events, including the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
You’re watching Beet.TV coverage from Programmatic Activation Summit 2025, presented by FreeWheel. For more videos from this series, please visit this page .
