FanServ, the Sports-only Private Marketplace powering PlayFly’s Home Team ADvantage, is stepping up the game for live sports advertising. The company today announced Stadium, a platform designed to help advertisers plan and execute campaigns across local sports inventory with unprecedented precision and scale. FreeWheel, the leading streaming ad technology provider, has been named the preferred ad serving partner for the platform.
The move comes as live sports increasingly migrate to streaming platforms, creating both new opportunities and complex challenges for advertisers seeking to reach fans in real time.
Unlocking Local Sports for Advertisers
With Stadium, regional networks like Victory+ can now present their inventory to a wider range of buyers, creating a marketplace that links local sports audiences with brand campaigns. Advertisers gain the ability to activate across teams, regions, and objectives, effectively removing the guesswork traditionally associated with live sports campaigns.
“FanServ is a true pioneer in the evolving landscape of digital sports rights,” said Joe Leavitt, Chief Revenue Officer at Victory+. “Their ability to connect publishers and advertisers in new and effective ways gives brands greater opportunities to reach fans exactly where and when they’re watching.”
Brad Friedman, CEO of FanServ, emphasized the platform’s role in solving a long-standing industry problem. “Local sports teams are an integral part of TV and digital viewership but are often challenged by targeting and scale issues. With the Stadium platform, we’re not just eliminating siloes but infusing the insights brands deserve to maximize campaign impact.”
FreeWheel Powers Seamless Ad Execution
As FanServ’s preferred ad serving partner, FreeWheel provides the technical backbone to ensure campaigns run smoothly and efficiently. Its adaptive ad server, predictive pacing, and intelligent decisioning allow networks to scale capacity, optimize campaign delivery, and monetize inventory more effectively.
“From the Olympics to the NFL, March Madness, and the WNBA, FreeWheel helps networks activate advertising across platforms and devices,” said Greg Bel, VP and Head of Supply at FreeWheel. “Our partnership with FanServ extends that capability to local and regional markets, giving advertisers a seamless way to engage fans of their hometown teams.”
Key Features of the Stadium Platform
The platform combines strategic planning, advanced targeting, and data-driven insights:
- Strategy: Campaigns begin with inputs like geography, team targeting, and market status.
- Objectives: Advertisers prioritize outcomes such as reach or efficiency.
- Available Inventory: Filter placements by Fan Group to match geo, team, and market criteria.
- “Scout” Recommendation Engine: Matches strategy to inventory, scoring options and generating proposals.
- Relevant Impressions: Focus on impressions that matter, considering geography and timing.
- Deliverability: Ensures campaigns can run as planned with sufficient inventory.
- Fan Groups: Defines audiences via a mix of geo, team, and market data.
By combining these tools, Stadium allows advertisers to plan campaigns that are not only precise but measurable, bringing transparency to a space historically plagued by fragmented data and limited targeting.
Why This Matters
As streaming continues to disrupt traditional sports media, advertisers face a choice: rely on broad, generic campaigns or embrace technology that makes every impression count. Stadium positions FanServ as a central hub for connecting local sports audiences with brands, scaling campaigns from regional to national levels without sacrificing accuracy.
In a crowded marketplace where live sports rights and audience attention are increasingly fragmented, FanServ’s approach offers advertisers both clarity and control—while giving regional networks a way to unlock previously untapped revenue opportunities.
