The advertising world is undergoing a significant transformation, especially within the realm of sports. The increase in biddable inventory is reshaping how brands approach media investment. Mark Zamuner, president of Juice Media, offers invaluable insights into this evolution. With extensive experience in growth strategy, media buying, and analytics, Zamuner has spearheaded campaigns for major brands. Since founding Juice Media in 2020 and leading its acquisition by Altice USA in 2022, his focus has been on enhancing audience targeting, attribution, and optimization through proprietary ad tech.
This Executive Q&A explores the growing accessibility of live sports advertising, the role of advanced analytics, and how advertisers of all sizes can thrive in this competitive landscape. Zamuner shares predictions for connected TV (CTV) advertising and discusses how technology is driving marketing democratization in 2025. The digital transformation of the video ecosystem has led to a significant increase in biddable inventory. The rise of streaming and increased viewership across devices have enabled refined targeting and addressability through data integrations. This growth, coupled with increased viewing time and the proliferation of sporting content, fuels the ecosystem. As a result, brands with geographically limited products or services can now target audiences within premium content like sports.
Zamuner highlights that this shift empowers mid-market and specialist companies to reach relevant audiences previously inaccessible, marking a substantial win for marketing democratization. However, challenges remain, such as understanding entry points into live sports content, managing frequency across diverse deal structures, and assessing potential pricing pressures. While data access and feedback loops are improved, robust test design is crucial for validating learnings and leveraging technology and analytics. Zamuner believes that the ability to narrow-cast advertising particularly benefits mid-sized and SME markets. He anticipates a shift in channel investments from social media platforms to CTV. He also predicts diverse advertising experiences due to generative AI in creative production and more comprehensive ad experiences from publishers. For larger advertisers, a strong identity spine linked to their customer data platform will allow for “winning back” lapsed customers through exclusive offers during premium content engagement.
The interplay between large and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this new market is complex. While the narrowing of audience targeting by larger advertisers might free up inventory for SMEs, the outcome is uncertain. Zamuner emphasizes focusing on key metrics: investment effectiveness, addressable audience size, alternative reach methods, and understanding reach and frequency drivers. He anticipates a busy year with market consolidation, citing NBCU’s Universal Ads as a significant development. Improved transparency in campaign performance across channels and publishers is crucial for increased advertiser investment.