As evidenced all over the upfront marketplace, which is wrapping up in entirety either this week or next, sports was the main attraction for any network lucky enough to have it to sell, and a strong driver of advertiser dollars from media agencies looking to place their clients in content that delivers audiences.
Any seller with linear TV inventory needed to use sports to lead the way in pulling in dollars, but they’re feeling the heat from streaming, which has secured a far greater amount of sports rights than even two years ago.
Within sports, undeniably women’s sports continues to attract more eyeballs and ad dollars, having come into its own in the last two years thanks to women’s college hoops, the WNBA and women’s soccer. But other secondary sports have also found new value in the rush to grab rights, from golf to Formula 1, and from tennis to soccer.
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