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TikTok extends its partnership with MLS: The move is part of a broader trend of brands investing in sports.

Sports remains a profitable ad opportunity: Two-thirds of Americans are sports fans and over half have made a purchase based on audio ads.

Women's sports viewership continues its upward trajectory with the NCAA women's basketball championship game drawing over 8 million viewers and peaking at 9.8 million, per ESPN ratings. While that figure is down over 2024鈥檚 18.5 million, it represents a longer trend of sustained growth in women鈥檚 sports viewership. This phenomenon can no longer be attributed to one single star athlete鈥擟aitlin Clark鈥攂ut to an overall increase in women鈥檚 sports popularity.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss how March Madness viewership stacked up this year, if women鈥檚 college basketball was able to sustain the bump from the 鈥楥aitlin Clark effect鈥�, and how viewers of women鈥檚 sports are both different and the same. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Paola Flores-Marquez, Vice President of Content Paul Verna, and Vice President of Inclusive Insights Charlene Polite Corley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Sports discussions see growth on Threads: The shift indicates that the platform could be closer to outpacing X than initially thought.

European streaming platform DAZN will spend more on sports rights than any other service worldwide, per February 2025 data from Ampere Analysis.

Digital eclipsed traditional pay TV among live sports viewers in 2023. As that lead grows, the growth of women鈥檚 sports and betting apps provides marketers with opportunities to reach new audiences.

奥辞尘别苍鈥檚 sports advertising is thriving: TV viewership is up 140%, ad spend has doubled, and in-game ads drive 40% more engagement than primetime TV.

This week, marketers look beyond Google Search to YouTube, ChatGPT, and Amazon, while dealing with an influx of consumer data. Meanwhile, women鈥檚 sports are on the rise as advertisers invest more in leagues, teams, and athletes.

Modelo鈥檚 college basketball ad spend grows 48%: The investment highlights the lucrative opportunity of advertising during live sporting events.

As college sports amateurism dies, marketers are increasingly working with student-athlete influencers.

Android Auto chases connected car gaming, while Apple CarPlay bets on sports content and simplified interfaces. Both present new advertising opportunities.

Advertisers are discovering new value in niche women鈥檚 sports: NCAA volleyball, gymnastics, and lacrosse offer passionate audiences, low ad clutter, and high engagement, per EDO.

Netflix sets record with 8.6% of TV viewing as sports fuel broadcast growth: While streaming dominated at 42.6% market share, NFL and college football content helped push broadcast TV up 5% in January.

NWSL secures key women-led sponsorships: E.l.f. Cosmetics and Unwell partner with the soccer league, marking a shift in how beauty and lifestyle brands invest in sports.

Stricter age restrictions and bans on unauthorized gambling links take effect March 19, reflecting both child safety concerns and shrinking sports-betting ad revenue.

The traditional TV bundle will further decay as more live sports embrace streaming.

Google and Meta landed slightly below expectations in Q3, allowing a collection of hungry competitors to inch ahead. But overall, the ad industry remains healthy. Sports events drove streaming and CTV to record gains, and retail media continues to be the sector鈥檚 fastest-growing ad channel.

Amazon expands Prime Video鈥檚 sports portfolio with NBA deal: The addition will boost its live sports offering and create new opportunities for advertisers to run cross-league campaigns.