Drew Groner, svp, head of sales and marketing, DIRECTV Advertising
Live sports remain one of the last true appointment-viewing experiences — audiences don’t just tune in; they plan their schedules around it. That kind of attention is increasingly rare in modern media, and it is precisely why advertising inventory during live sports commands a premium.
However, every new rights deal in which leagues and teams change distribution channels adds another app, another login and another siloed audience, creating a headache for buyers trying to reach fans at scale. The old sports advertising playbook, organized around rights holders and individual networks, simply doesn’t work anymore.
Continue reading this article on digiday.com. Sign up for Digiday newsletters to get the latest on media, marketing and the future of TV.
Rakuten Optimism 2026 brought together more than 1,000 global advertisers, publishers, agencies, and industry leaders in Phoenix for two days of insights, innovation, and connection. From headline sessions and expert panels to the Golden Link Awards Gala and the debut of Mirai, Rakuten Advertising’s advanced AI optimization agent, the event showcased the ideas, partnerships, and technologies shaping the future of affiliate and performance marketing.,