Paramount is making a bold move to reshape how premium sports advertising works by introducing guaranteed programmatic placements during live sporting events on its streaming platform. Beginning January 24 with the debut of UFC programming on Paramount+, the company is opening the door for marketers to purchase real-time, in-game commercial inventory with the precision of digital buying and the prestige of premium live sports.
This represents the first time Paramount has offered guaranteed placements through programmatic channels within its live sports portfolio. The initiative marks a significant departure from traditional sports advertising models, where premium inventory has historically been restricted to direct sales with fixed pricing and limited flexibility. By blending guaranteed placements with programmatic purchasing, Paramount is attempting to solve a longstanding tension in media buying: how to maintain the scarcity and prestige of live sports while meeting advertisers’ growing expectations for digital efficiency and real-time optimization.
The infrastructure supporting this offering involves partnerships with major demand-side platforms including Amazon DSP, Google Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk, and Yahoo DSP. These platforms will provide access to a private marketplace where advertisers can bid on inventory tied to UFC numbered event preliminaries and U.S.-based Fight Nights. However, Paramount is maintaining a tiered approach to inventory, with main cards for numbered events remaining exclusively reserved for direct sales through what the company calls Streaming Fixed Units—a premium ad product guaranteeing specific placement within high-profile programming.
Paramount’s investment in this capability comes as the company deepens its commitment to sports content. The company has committed $7.7 billion over seven years for exclusive U.S. media rights to the UFC, securing access to 13 annual numbered events and 30 Fight Nights. Select numbered events are also expected to air on CBS, extending the reach of UFC programming across Paramount’s linear and streaming platforms. This substantial financial commitment signals that sports content will be central to Paramount’s streaming strategy and advertising revenue model moving forward.
The programmatic offering for UFC represents an evolution of Paramount’s broader streaming advertising strategy. The company recently introduced Streaming Fixed Units across premiere episodes of scripted series like Tulsa King, Landman, and Mayor of Kingstown, where ads run in predetermined positions such as the first slot in a commercial break during the initial days following a program’s release. By extending this concept to live sports, Paramount is attempting to balance the scarcity and premium nature of marquee events with the efficiency advertisers increasingly expect from digital media.
Jay Askinasi, Paramount’s chief revenue officer, characterized the initiative as underscoring the company’s “commitment to media modernization, expanding opportunities for marketers to show up during the biggest and buzziest moments of scaled audience attention.” He emphasized that bringing guaranteed positions to the streaming sports stage, both directly and programmatically, widens opportunities for more advertisers to tap into the passion and engagement of live sports with greater agility, optimization, and precision.
Paramount’s move positions the company alongside other premium publishers bolstering their programmatic offerings in live sports. NBCUniversal delivered the first programmatic Olympics in 2024, helping the company set a record for ad sales at the event. Meanwhile, publishers such as Disney and Prime Video are also providing biddable opportunities in live events, reflecting an industry-wide trend toward allowing advertisers to activate within the biggest moments of games as they happen.
The first test of this new advertising model arrives with UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett on January 24, when the UFC makes its highly anticipated debut on Paramount+. For advertisers seeking premium placement in live sporting events, this represents a new opportunity to reach audiences during peak moments of engagement and attention—without waiting for traditional upfront buying seasons or accepting the inflexibility of historical sports advertising models.