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How to capitalise on the cultural reach of live sports in Europe

Live sports, especially football (soccer, if you’re an American reader), are deeply embedded in European culture.1 Now, brands aiming to reach sports fans can do so through The Trade Desk’s exclusive partnership with Sky Media.

A football sits on top of a broadcast tower with internet lines emanating out of it. The base of the broadcast tower is a TV remote.

The inventory opportunities within Sky’s Sports Marketplace, accessible via The Trade Desk platform, enable marketers to activate campaigns in high-attention moments. If you’re a marketer keen to reach live sports fans across Europe, keep reading. 

European sports viewership trends 

Football is the most popular sport in Europe, claiming 72% of live sports audiences. Tennis takes second place, with 36% of European audiences watching or following the sport.2 

Download chart 

While our partnership with Sky enables unique reach in the United Kingdom, brands can also activate DAZN and other European publishers to connect with engaged sports audiences in markets across the continent. 

CTV adoption is growing: 

  • 44% of Europeans now watch more streaming TV than linear.3 

  • 25% of Europeans have streamed sports in the past year.3 

  • For Gen Z and millennials, streaming has become the preferred format.3 

New ways to activate sports inventory with Sky 

We are currently the only demand-side platform (DSP) offering access to Sky’s Sports Marketplace. This gives you the ability to connect with sports fans via: 

  • Multi-Event Packs covering football, tennis, golf, and rugby 

  • Streaming inventory on Sky Go, NOW, and Discovery+ (TNT Sports), with Sky Glass and Pluto to follow 

  • Programmatic guaranteed placements on millions of Sky Q boxes (launching later this year) 

These updates make it easier to align with premium content on flexible, data-driven terms. 

Dynamic opportunities beyond the standard TV buy 

The Sky inventory available through our platform offers you more than just access to live premium inventory. It enables a flexible, real-time approach to campaign planning and audience engagement. 

Advertisers can: 

  • Apply advanced targeting to reach specific football-fan segments based on location, behaviour, and team loyalty 

  • Activate first-party or modelled audiences to reengage past customers or reach lookalikes 

  • Focus spend on high-intensity moments, like just after a goal, using agile bidding powered by real-time data 

  • Run interactive ads during live matches or engage viewers on second screens while they stream on mobile apps 

  • Extend brand messaging after the match through highlights, interviews, and related content 

With more premium sports content available programmatically, advertisers don’t have to sacrifice quality for flexibility. We’re giving you a way to buy dynamically with control, precision, and scale. 

Want to activate live sports campaigns across Europe? Talk to your representative at The Trade Desk today. 

Sources: 

1. Sports streaming in Europe, Statista, 18 September 2024. 
2. The Trade Desk Intelligence x YouGov CTV & Video Behaviours Study, June 2023 (slide 12 of “EMEA CTV Consumer Viewing Behaviours” deck).
3. The Trade Desk Intelligence “EMEA CTV Consumer Viewing Behaviours” study.