FuboTV has launched enhanced custom audience segments for advertisers, to target viewers across the virtual MVPD’s content portfolio.
The sports-focused live TV subscription streaming service, which also offers news and entertainment programming, said it can create custom audience segments informed by viewership behavior. Advertisers can target viewers based on the exact content and amount of time spent watching across the platform. For example, viewers can be segmented as light, moderate or heavy users of specific sports, leagues or content genres based on hours watched.
“That means you can follow an NFL fan or purchase intender across any of our networks and serve them an ad wherever they’re watching on the fuboTV platform,” said Diana Horowitz, fuboTV SVP of advertising sales, during Thursday’s NewFronts presentation.
Addressability was cited as a top priority, with fuboTV noting its ad inventory is 100% addressable, with the ability to target contextually using first-party addressable data or by segments.
FuboTV users also like to watch sports content on a big screen, with 94% of current fuboTV content viewed on TVs and 89% watched live.
Horowitz also told advertisers that its sports-focused audience is more engaged, citing stats that 62% of sports streamers discovered new products because of streaming ads, compared to 53% of total adults.
A main theme of the presentation that she reiterated was “following the audience” across content on the platform.
“One of the key differentiators of CTV is the ability to target and reach desired audiences with precision in a brand-safe, big-screen environment,” Horowitz said in a statement. “fuboTV is equipped with more tools than ever before to help advertisers follow our audience across a wide range of premium content using our first-party addressable data. Not only can we target contextually and demographically, but we can also identify audiences based on viewership behavior and preferences to tailor campaigns to specific fans, no matter what type of content they’re watching.”
As part of its ad tech efforts, the company recently acquired Edisn.ai, an AI-based platform that can identify celebrities, logos and athletes, helping to create more targeted ads. It also provides better detection of ad breaks and the potential for integrated connected TV e-commerce.
In 2021 live TV streaming service surpassed 1.1 million paid subscribers, up 106%. And the platform is reeling in more advertising dollars, with ad revenue increasing 153% year over year in 2021 to nearly $74 million. The fourth quarter of 2021 alone was the strongest for advertising in fuboTV’s history, generating $25.9 million, up 98% versus Q4 2020. Still the vMVPD posted net fourth quarter and full-year 2021 losses of $112 million and $383 million, respectively.
FuboTV reports first quarter 2022 earnings later today, May 5.
At the start of May, fuboTV ditched its lowest-cost plan and officially migrated subscribers to its Pro plan, which costs around $5 more per month.