Why sportsbooks should bet big on streaming services during the Super Bowl

Originally published on Global Gaming Insider.

By: Shukmei Wong, SVP Omnichannel Media, Involved Media

The number of online sports bettors in the US is expected to surpass 50 million in 2026 and, by 2027, there are projections that more than one-fifth of the US population will place online wagers. This scale of betting adoption increases the value of every major live sports event, especially the Super Bowl, the crown jewel of television advertising.

But for sportsbook advertisers, the biggest Super Bowl opportunity is not linear TV, it’s connected TV (CTV).

Super Bowl week is no longer just a branding moment; it’s a conversion window. The real story isn’t betting brands spending big – it’s how they should spend it: using streaming video to power omnichannel performance that ends with a wager placed on a mobile app minutes later.

Sports betting is still big money on TV

Sportsbooks collectively spent over $130m on national TV advertising in the 90 days around the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl programming in 2025, according to some reports. FanDuel and DraftKings alone accounted for more than half of that spend during the period at $45.3m and $32.2m, respectively.

At the same time, despite notable spending, traditional sportsbook ad volume is down from its peak. ESPN reported a 17% year-over-year decline in the number of traditional sportsbook ads in 2024 and a 44% drop from the 2021 peak.

This decline reflects the maturation of legalized state betting markets and increased competition. Marketers need to dial back broad saturation tactics in favor of smarter media strategies that deliver greater impact through precision targeting.

The shift from linear to streaming

Live sports viewership is increasingly shifting from linear television toward CTV as streaming platforms expand live programming and audiences seek more flexible viewing experiences. Over the past five years, live sports audiences on linear TV declined 25% to 76 million viewers, while live sports streaming audiences grew 61% to 114.5 million, according to recent data.

As viewing fragments across platforms, advertisers can no longer rely on broad linear placement alone to ensure reach, relevance or compliance. Sportsbook marketers must operate within a complex network of state-by-state regulations that require precise control over where ads appear.

The growth of CTV, combined with data-driven buying platforms, makes it possible to reduce wasted impressions and enforce geographic and regulatory safeguards in ways traditional TV cannot consistently support.

Why CTV has become the winning play

Four factors explain why CTV should sit at the center of sportsbook media strategies:

Audience migration 

Super Bowl LIX set a new viewership record last year with an average of 127.7 million viewers across traditional and digital platforms, according to Nielsen. AdMonsters reported that 49% of viewers streamed the game, up from 41.5% the prior year. The growth in streamed Super Bowl viewing reflects a broader shift of live sports consumption towards CTV – where younger, high-value audiences engage. According to a sports viewing study done by Involved Media, betting is most popular among sports streamers aged 18-34 (69%), followed by 35-49 (59%).

Precision targeting 

CTV allows sportsbooks to advertise only in markets where sports betting is legal. Advertisers can tailor creative by market, segment audiences by interests and customer lifecycle stages – from acquisition-focused signup bonuses to loyalty messaging for existing customers. This level of personalization and localization is impossible through linear buys alone.

Identity-linked attribution

Unlike traditional broadcast, CTV can tie household and device identifiers to app installs, deposits and first bets. For performance-driven sportsbooks, that attribution capability turns television from a reach vehicle into a measurable growth channel.

CTV to Mobile Conversion 

CTV serves as the beginning of a full-funnel, omnichannel strategy that can turn ad exposure into immediate action.

• A viewer sees a sportsbook CTV ad during pre-game coverage.

• Identity graphs connect that exposure to mobile devices.

• Paid social and programmatic display retarget that viewer.

• CRM with push notifications to deliver time-sensitive offers before kickoff.

Naturally, this level of data-driven execution must operate within strict responsible-gambling compliance frameworks.

Beyond the Big Game

CTV surpassed linear TV in daily viewing time last year and the gap is expected to widen further. For sportsbooks seeking both scale and measurable performance, streaming environments offer the rare combination of mass reach, targeting precision and attribution.

The sports betting brands winning on Super Bowl Sunday won’t be the loudest ones. They’ll be the most connected – across screens, data and consumer journeys.