PubMatic launches AI-powered sports marketplace with game moment curation

Key Points:

• PubMatic’s new Live Sports Marketplace allows ad buyer clients to target key moments during live sports in real-time.
• PubMatic has partnered with FanServ at launch, allowing marketers to buy opportunities against major franchises like the NFL, NHL, MLB and WNBA, and teams like the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians.
• The Live Sports Marketplace aims to address key challenges with sports advertising, including low engagement during irrelevant game moments and managing unpredictable audience spikes.

Independent ad tech firm PubMatic has introduced a new AI-powered Live Sports Marketplace aimed at revolutionizing programmatic advertising for live sports across streaming platforms.

The offering enables advertisers to target high-impact moments in real-time, leveraging proprietary technology that analyzes live game data to deliver granular, event-level curation.

The platform debuts with FanServ as its launch partner, providing immediate access to premium sports content from the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The partnership also includes exclusive local programming for teams such as the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, and Cleveland Guardians.

“FanServ was built by fans, for fans, and now, with PubMatic, we’re redefining how brands reach and engage fans through programmatic sports advertising,” said FanServ CEO Brad Friedman. “This partnership is about more than just access, it’s about precision and possibility.”

“By combining FanServ’s deep sports expertise with PubMatic’s unique event-level curation, we’re empowering brands to connect meaningfully at the exact moments that matter most, across every platform they love,” added Ben Goodfriend, the Vice President of Demand Partnerships at FanServ.

The launch comes as PubMatic reports significant momentum in its sports advertising business. Live sports activity on its platform more than tripled in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. The company has already surpassed its total 2024 live sports volume, setting the stage for another record-breaking year.

In addition to FanServ, the new marketplace offers access to major sports publishers and platforms, including MLB, Spectrum Reach, Fubo, DirecTV and Roku. Coverage spans professional leagues like MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, and WNBA, along with alternative and international sports such as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), NASCAR, Formula 1 surfing, tennis, cricket, and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Live Sports Marketplace addresses persistent challenges in programmatic sports buying, such as inefficient ad placements during low-engagement moments and the inability to scale during audience spikes. PubMatic’s solution introduces several key features:

• Event- and Channel-Level Targeting: Advertisers can target specific teams, games, or pivotal moments using AI-driven insights across fragmented streaming environments.
• Dynamic Scheduling: The platform continuously imports live TV schedules, allowing advertisers to engage viewers in real time.
• Infrastructure Resilience: PubMatic’s proprietary tech stack is built to handle sudden surges in viewership, ensuring smooth ad delivery even during peak moments.
• Automation and Scalability: Designed for future growth, the marketplace supports automated deal creation and reporting to streamline campaign management.

“This revolutionary technology and premium partnership with FanServ transforms fragmented live sports inventory into programmatically accessible, of-the-moment opportunities, setting a new standard for precision and impact in digital sports advertising,” said Nicole Scaglione, the Vice President of Connected TV and Online Video at PubMatic.

Live sports viewership is expected to reach more than 114 million TV viewers this year, according to research from eMarketer. At a time when the industry is rapidly shifting away from traditional TV, PubMatic says the Live Sports Marketplace aims to position it at the front of this transformation by offering advertisers the tools they need to continue delivering impactful campaigns when audiences are the most engaged.