NEED FOR (BRAND) SPEED
3 ways tech is putting brands in pole position with sports fans
Live sport = live opportunity. Here’s how brands are using real-time data and dynamic creative to turn sports moments into marketing wins.
It’s summer, but it’s sport that’s helping brands get into the heat of the moment. From viral celebrations to unexpected upsets, live sporting moments unite audiences like nothing else. In a fragmented media landscape, these events offer rare, undivided attention, emotionally charged engagement – and up to 3x higher brand performance.
For any brand, whether involved in sport or not, that’s marketing gold – if they play it right. Today’s fans expect more than ads: they want connection, purpose and real-time participation. The Societal Sync study shows that more than half (56%) of consumers expect a brand to respond to cultural moments within 48 hours; 76% expect it within a week.
Brands that show up authentically and quickly can see a 23% jump in purchase intent among new customers. Moreover, if the content is aligned to a brand’s unique first-party inputs or perspectives, this strategy can boost purchase intent by 2-3x compared to broad cultural content and general content, respectively, and search intent 2x versus the latter.
That’s a big win. And now, what used to be the turf of big-budget giants is open to everyone. With new sports marketing tech, any brand can tap into the action, with speed, relevance and scale.
Hear more from Mastercard and Sportradar on the 23% rule: why acting in the moment matters
It’s democratizing access to one of modern marketing’s biggest arenas of opportunity, explains Ralf Ollig, vice-president of product, Sportradar ad:s: “Think of sports as a timeline of moments – tentpole, micro, milestone. Every one of them is an opportunity. But brands don’t need to buy the whole timeline anymore. With data and tech, they can pick their moments and own them,” he says.
So what are the three ways that sports marketing tech is leveling the playing field? And how can brands use it to get in the game?
jump in purchase intent among new customers for brands that show up authentically and quickly.
of consumers expect a brand to respond to cultural moments within 48 hours
SECTION 1 USE DATA TO SPOT YOUR MOMENT BEFORE IT HAPPENS
In the past, big brand teams used to huddle up around screens during the Super Bowl or the World Cup, ready to drop a tweet or send out a creative ad when something big happened. Fast, yes. Scalable or affordable? Not so much. Now brands can harness predictive insights to identify potential high-impact sports moment opportunities, before they’ve even played.
For example, Sportradar’s data-led platform lets brands tap into over 20 years of sports insight to predict the likelihood of key events, whether that’s a team victory, a player record, or even a major upset. That data can trigger automated, on-brand creative exactly when attention is peaking. [More on which, in point 3, later…]
And these planned for moments don’t need to be the big, cultural tentpoles on the sports calendar that everyone knows are coming – think the World Cup final, or the Olympics opening ceremony. The data can also pinpoint emotional, attention-grabbing ‘micro-moments’ like a golfer sinking a surprise hole-in-one; or milestone hero moments that stir fan emotion, such as a player’s final match or record-breaking performance.
This creates space for meaningful, shareable, and community-focused activations – from celebratory offers to emotive storytelling that taps into legacy and loyalty. The key, says Ollig, is defining “the moments that matter to your brand – how you want to leverage those and how you want to show up authentically and meaningfully in the sports conversation.”
A CTV mock ad timed around the end of the 2nd quarter of an ice hockey match, and linked to a potential milestone scoring record about to be broken
SECTION 2 REACT FAST AND STAY CULTURALLY RELEVANT
Speed is of the essence when sports marketing is in play. That 23 percent purchase intent boost when they brands react in the moment? It drops to five points if they show up one to two weeks later.
Marketing tech can be configured to sports audiences and include real-time tools to connect with fans in planned and unplanned moments, when attention and emotion is at its peak. The integration of real-time sports data into the latest demand-side-platform (DSP) and dynamic creative optimization (DCO) technologies updates creative messages as the action unfolds, ensuring real-time and contextually relevant advertising.
Brands can also analyze traffic and conversion differences by city, so they can optimize campaigns and double down where impact is strongest.
For example, Sportradar tracks data from 500 million devices monthly, to measure traffic and conversions as well as recall and intent. A recent digital-out-of-home campaign for a sports-adjacent brand in Ireland boosted site visits by 53%, and increased ad recall, brand awareness and purchase intent, to lower conversion costs by 73%.
A social ad triggered in real-time by a goal, and with live sports data integrated
“When brands show up consistently across a season, it builds credibility, so it feels like a story – a consistent narrative between brand and consumer – not a stunt.”
Ralf Ollig, vice-president of product, Sportradar ad:s
Maybe a global coffee brand triggers a ‘late night legends deserve coffee’ offer to mobile users near 24-hour cafés when a tennis match runs past midnight. This sort of activation links time, place, and product together in an emotional moment, without needing big sponsorship ties to the event.
Or perhaps a rideshare app boosts local offers when a basketball game goes into overtime – showing time-limited ride discounts as fans leave the arena. It connects directly to fan behavior and shows the app’s value: easy rides, and no price surge driven by demand.
Consistently reacting to viral moments like this gives brands authenticity and a real “right to play,” says Ollig: “When brands show up consistently across a season, it builds credibility, so it feels like a story – a consistent narrative between brand and consumer – not a stunt.”
SECTION 3 ACTIVATE WITH DYNAMIC CREATIVE THAT MEETS THE MOMENT
In a world where attention is fleeting and expectations are sky-high, the combination of bespoke marketing tech and live sports data are helping brands ditch generic ads for real-time, relevant creative that really connects. And for younger audiences, that’s a game-changer.
According to YouGov, 59% of Gen Z expect ads to entertain them, compared to just 37% of Baby Boomers. They want ads that feel like content, not interruption. Increasingly, that means dynamic, moment-driven creative that aligns with the action they’re watching.
Informed by live sports data, DCO technology enables brands to activate automated, data-driven creative across multiple channels that adapts to live play, tailoring messages to the platform, audience, and moment.
Take a snack brand, for example: it can prep DOOH and social creative to trigger if a Formula 1 driver unexpectedly takes pole position. ‘Celebrate the pole with a bowl!’ messaging could instantly pop up near supermarkets and petrol stations. It’s timely, entertaining, and it makes the product naturally fit the moment.
A DOOH ad updates in real-time when a team scores a third home run, offering a free burger to those that download the fast food app
“To guide their creative, marketers need to think about where they naturally fit in this space... ”
Ralf Ollig, vice-president of product, Sportradar ad:s
Or imagine a mobile gaming brand triggering ad delivery the second a red flag interrupts a Grand Prix. With second screen use surging during live sports, this is prime time to drive downloads and engagement.
“To guide their creative, marketers need to think about where they naturally fit in this space,” says Ollig.. “So, a meal kit brand could align with the pre-game ritual. Or an energy drink brand could trigger dynamic ads during high-intensity moments. Then use the tech to amplify that fit through smart targeting and creative.”
PREPARING FOR THE ACTION
Sports moments happen every second. The real question: is your brand ready to meet them? Start small: pick a moment, set a trigger, test the message. Then scale what works. Because now, any brand can play in the big leagues.
For more advice on turning sports into a winning moment for your brand, contact Sportradar.