Evertz

This new feature enables sports streaming services to boost their ad inventory.

Burlington, Canada and Bergen, Norway. March 22nd 2024: Ease Live, an Evertz company, has announced the launch of contextual on-stream advertising capability for live sports through its interactive graphics platform. This enables leagues, teams, media companies, and other sports content providers to target local markets or granular groups with contextual ads that run on connected TVs, tablets, and mobile devices, in addition to the conventional advertisements stitched into a live video stream. Ease Live empowers broadcasters and other rightsholders streaming live sports events via over-the-top (OTT) or Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) services to interact with fans through a pioneering graphical overlay that already delivers live game and player stats, play-by-play analysis, league standings, and other real-time information.

Ease Live’s new on-stream advertising capability allows media companies distributing live sports to deliver targeted display and video ads directly to their viewers through the interactive graphical overlays. The result is they can now increase their ad inventory and even sell sponsorship of crucial moments such as each home run in a baseball game, every goal in a soccer match, or pivotal three pointers or slam-dunks in a basketball game – creating a multi-million-dollar ad sales opportunity across the sports streaming industry.

“The launch of on-stream advertising through our interactive platform opens up tremendous opportunities for media companies broadcasting or streaming live sports. We enable them to increase their ad inventory and monetize key game moments by providing new sponsorship and advertising opportunities when we know their audiences are engaging and watching,” said Kjetil Horneland, Chief Executive Officer of Ease Live. “As sports rights costs continue to climb, rightsholders are more than ever looking to optimize revenues, and having ads that can be hyper-localized or even targeted all the way down to specific user groups is a gamechanger for those seeking to make the most of their investment.”

Because they are integrated into the graphical overlay that sits over the existing TV, OTT, or D2C service, the contextual advertisements that Ease Live enables don’t require any changes to broadcast production or OTT content workflows. Ease Live simply integrates with Google Ad Manager and provides full impression reporting of the interactive ad units.

Interactive ad units sell at much higher CPMs than the traditional video ads broadcasters and other rightsholders stitch into their video today. The number can be up to 4 times higher.

“By integrating sponsorships with key game moments like a home run or a three-pointer, users are more engaged in the content, resulting in higher impressions.” Horneland adds. “We can slot in contextual ads across all devices – smart TVs, mobiles, tablets, etc. – but do it in a way that enhances the fan experience.”

Ease Live also enables contextual advertising via second-screen apps, downloaded during the game with a QR code to enable fans watching through a linear broadcast to engage interactively on a mobile device – checking stats, replays, and other facts while enjoying the sponsored ‘game moments ’as they watch the main action on the big screen.

Sports leagues, broadcasters, and others across the globe have embraced Ease Live’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution. The interactive graphics platform gives media companies streaming live sports, news, and entertainment events the necessary tools to create, build, and deliver real-time interactivity to millions of fans across multiple platforms.

Ease Live’s edge-rendered graphic overlays add interactive experiences to existing connected TV, OTT, and D2C services. With Ease Live, viewers can engage through polls, trivia, and other real-time digital interactions without leaving the event feed. Interactive overlays have enabled streaming service operators to boost viewing duration and engagement by over 50%, increasing the value of the new inventory.

Ease Live will be showcasing its contextual advertising capability at 2024 NAB Show, which takes place April 13-17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Booth SU2027) – along with its other live interactive engagement solutions and its latest sports packs for Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Tennis and more. To set up a meeting with the Ease Live team, email hello@easelive.tv.