Streaming advertising: What is it actually?

The term streaming advertising (often also called connected TV or CTV) refers to the display of video ads within digital content that is streamed via the Internet. Streaming & Media Strategy

“The special feature: The advertising is not linked to a fixed broadcasting schedule, but to the individual user.”

Stephan M. Czaja, Social Media One

Thanks to state-of-the-art data analysis, we know who is sitting in front of the screen and can adapt the ad accordingly. This is performance marketing on the big screen.

Commercials without zapping away: The “lean-back” experience

One of the biggest advantages of streaming advertising is its high level of acceptance. As many ad-financed subscriptions are significantly cheaper, users accept short, relevant ad breaks. Unlike on the web, where ad blockers or fast scrolling make ads invisible, in streaming the ad is usually viewed in full. The completion rate here is often over 95%. In combination with marketing consulting, we develop concepts that utilize precisely this undivided attention.

• Pre-roll: Advertising before the start of the movie
• Mid-roll: Short interruptions in the middle
• Pause ads: still images when the user pauses the movie
• Interactive overlays: direct purchase via remote control
• Sponsorship of entire series marathons

Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+ & Co.

The presence on Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+ & Co. is a game changer for your branding. It is fundamentally different from traditional TV advertising, which is often only perceived as background noise. Compared to radio advertising or large-scale OOH (Out of Home) advertising, streaming offers the opportunity to place interactive and highly personalized video ads directly in the living room of your target group. As an agency, we control your campaigns with pinpoint accuracy to achieve maximum impact.

Targeted advertising instead of broadcasting schedules:

Sports events and live streaming

Live sport is the last great bonfire of media consumption. When millions of people watch a top game at the same time on platforms such as DAZN or Amazon Prime, enormous advertising opportunities arise. Here we combine streaming ads with advertising at sporting events. Whether through digital overlays during the live broadcast, classic spots during half-time breaks or stadium advertising captured by the cameras – the visibility is huge.

Event sponsoring in the digital age

Strategic event sponsorship in the streaming sector makes your brand the official partner of the fan experience. This creates an emotional bond that purely functional advertising cannot achieve. We coordinate the placement of your brand in an environment that breathes passion and loyalty. This can be perfectly flanked with UGC content on social media to extend the fan experience.

Targeting: Surgical precision

The biggest lever in streaming is targeting. We don’t just book “airtime”, we buy “audiences”. Do you want to reach young families who are interested in sustainable furniture? Or technology enthusiasts who are looking for a new smartphone? Linking first-party data from streaming services with your own store data (e.g. from the email funnel) creates a highly efficient approach.

TV streaming vs. traditional TV

While traditional TV often works according to the “watering can principle”, TV streaming allows granular targeting. We can target campaigns according to zip codes, household income, interests or even previous purchasing behavior in the e-commerce sector. This reduces wastage and massively increases the ROI of your advertising spend.

• Geo-targeting at neighborhood level
• Behavioral targeting (interests & hobbies)
• Contextual targeting (suitable for the movie genre)
• Retargeting of website visitors to the TV
• A/B testing of different spot versions

Streaming services & costs

The costs for streaming advertising are more flexible than many people think. Instead of rigid fixed prices, we often work with the CPM model (price per thousand contacts). This means that you only pay for actual impressions. Prices vary depending on the platform, exclusivity of the content and depth of targeting. As an agency, we negotiate with the major networks on your behalf and ensure the best prices.

Example: Campaign budgeting

Even with moderate budgets, impressive results can be achieved in streaming, as the quality of the contacts is significantly higher than with short social media clips. A well thought-out Google Ads strategy also catches the search queries that arise when users have seen your ad on TV.

• Exclusive access to premium inventory (Blockbuster)
• Transparent billing according to impressions
• Scalability from local to national
• Complete control over the frequency (frequency capping)

Spot production for the big stage

A streaming commercial must be of high quality. It runs between Hollywood productions and must not look like a cheap advertisement. Our photo and video production experts create spots that are visually impressive and at the same time use the sales psychology of modern marketing. We make sure that the content can also be adapted for YouTube Ads or TikTok Ads.

Synergy with social media & performance

Streaming advertising unfolds its greatest power in combination. A user sees your ad on Disney+ during a family evening. The next day, they are reminded of the product by Instagram ads on their smartphone. This multi-touchpoint approach ensures an enormous increase in the conversion rate. We link these channels to create a seamless customer journey.

Retargeting to the TV screen

Did you know that we can target users who have visited your store with a spot on their next streaming evening? This cross-device retargeting is one of the sharpest weapons in modern marketing. It strengthens branding and drives users back into your sales funnel.

Streaming Advertising Agency & Contact

Why choose Social Media One as a partner for your streaming campaigns? As an advertising agency, we are always “cutting edge” thanks to our numerous cases and own brands in the double-digit million range. We first test new formats ourselves before recommending them to our clients. An agency not only saves you time in the complex planning and booking process, but also optimizes your costs through professional media buying and technical expertise.

Ready for the big screen? Let’s bring your brand into the living rooms of your target group together.

• Contact agency
• TikTok strategy for video synergies
• Webpush as a supplement to the video impulse

Sports marketing: What makes it successful?

At its core, advertising for sporting events is about transferring the “spirit” of sport to the product. The target groups in sport are loyal, passionate and eager to consume. But to really reach these people, a simple logo on an advertising banner is no longer enough. What is needed is integrated communication that picks up fans where they are: In the stadium, in front of the TV watching streaming advertising or on their smartphone.

Emotions as conversion drivers

Sporting events offer an environment in which consumers’ ad blockers are switched off. When the favorite team wins, the willingness for brand interaction is at its highest. We use these psychological windows of opportunity to use professional marketing advice to create campaigns that ignite precisely at these moments of happiness. The goal: more reach, more leads and a significant boost in sales.

• Authentic brand integration instead of disruptive interruption
• Using the live atmosphere for real-time marketing
• High viral potential through fan content
• Strong identification through regional or national ties
• Long-term image enhancement through loyal partnerships

Everything starts with planning, whether it’s stadium advertising or streaming ads.

Sponsoring: focus on strategic partnerships

Sponsorship is much more than patronage – it’s a hard-hitting business tool. As a specialized agency for event sponsoring, we analyze which club, which athlete or which event fits your brand values exactly. Is your brand more suited to exclusive equestrian sports or mass-market soccer? The choice determines the ROI (return on investment).

Athletes as brand ambassadors

Booking sports stars offers instant social proof. When a world-class athlete uses your product, their discipline and success is projected directly onto your brand. We take care of the entire process: from scouting and contract negotiations to producing content for YouTube ads or exclusive Instagram campaigns. A prominent face can often increase the effectiveness of your Facebook ads threefold.

Stadium advertising and on-site presence

Despite all the digitalization, the stadium remains the place where the magic happens. The visibility on the perimeter advertising not only reaches the fans on site, but also millions on the screens thanks to the TV broadcast. In combination with classic TV advertising, this creates an omnipresence that makes your brand the market leader in terms of perception.

Digital perimeter systems and virtual carpet ads

Technology in stadiums is developing rapidly. Modern LED boards allow animated messages that direct the viewer’s eye in a targeted manner. Even more innovative are virtual carpets or overlays that only appear in the TV picture. This allows us to target advertising differently from region to region – a user in Germany sees a different advertisement than a viewer in Asia, while both are watching the same game. This is e-commerce marketing at the highest technical level.

• LED perimeter advertising (animated and eye-catching)
• Static banners at strategic junctions
• Video wall spots during the breaks
• Promotional campaigns in the stadium perimeter
• VIP box branding for B2B networking

The digital extension: social media & content

A sporting event lasts 90 minutes, but the digital campaign runs 24/7. We use the “hype” surrounding an event to tell a story through TikTok ads and Instagram Stories. We rely heavily on UGC (user-generated content). When fans share their experiences in the stadium and your brand appears organically, it’s the most honest form of advertising.

Retargeting for sports fans

Did you know that we can later target users who were in the vicinity of the stadium online? Through geo-fencing and intelligent retargeting, we build the bridge from the physical experience to the purchase in your online store. Anyone who has seen a banner in the stadium will be shown the appropriate Instagram ad in bed in the evening. This loop is the key to high conversion rates.

Measuring success in sports marketing

In the past, sports marketing was often a “gut feeling”. We are changing that. Using modern analytics tools, we measure your brand’s visibility on TV, interaction rates on social media and direct traffic growth during game time. We link this data to your Google Ads strategy to ensure that every search query for your brand name leads to a sale.

KPIs in focus

• TV reach and advertising equivalent value
• Social media engagement (likes, shares, comments)
• Traffic peaks on the website during the event
• Conversion rate of sponsored landing pages
• Brand lift studies for image improvement

Integrated campaigns: The interplay

Advertising at sporting events works best when it is part of a bigger picture. A TV spot prepares, the banner in the stadium reminds, the influencer on the sidelines creates trust and the web push notification after the game provides the final incentive to buy. We coordinate all these channels so that your message doesn’t get lost in the noise but reaches the customer clearly.

Advertising is also possible in front of the stadium and event:

Sports marketing agency: Your advantage & contact

Why Social Media One as a partner for sports marketing? As a holistic marketing agency, we manage our own brands in the double-digit million range and know exactly how emotions are converted into sales. We are “cutting edge” because we transfer the latest trends from TikTok and AI marketing directly into the world of sports. An agency saves you time, nerves and ensures significant cost savings in media planning through professional planning.

Ready for your brand’s kick-off? Let’s plan the next big thing in sports marketing together.

• Contact agency
• Influencer events for sports brands
• Retain customers from sporting events

Stadium advertising: What is it actually?

Stadium advertising encompasses all advertising formats within a sports facility or event arena. While static banners used to dominate, digital LED perimeter advertising is now the gold standard. These systems allow for animated graphics that draw the attention of spectators in a targeted manner. Since sports broadcasts are among the most watched content worldwide, advertising in the stadium is de facto a hybrid form of outdoor advertising and television campaign.

Emotional connection through live experiences

In a world full of digital distractions, the stadium offers an environment in which attention is focused. Fans identify extremely strongly with their club and the partners present there. Through sound marketing advice, we develop concepts that position your brand as part of this positive experience. Whoever is present on the sidelines at the moment of a goal or victory is deeply anchored in the subconscious of the target group.

So why stadium advertising?

1. Hundreds of millions of contacts through TV reach
2. Local anchoring with fans on site
3. High acceptance of the advertising message
4. Perfect stage for cross-media campaigns
5. Increased social proof through a professional environment

LED perimeter advertising: The star on the sidelines

The LED board is the centerpiece of modern sports marketing. It offers flexibility that would be impossible with static advertising media. We can change motifs in real time, react to match events or play out different messages for different target groups. In combination with AI-controlled video technologies, the board becomes an interactive communication tool.

TV relevance and visibility

A decisive factor when booking perimeter advertising is TV visibility. We analyze camera angles and broadcast times to ensure that your brand not only shines in the stadium, but also in the close-up of the TV cameras. This is advertising at sporting events at the highest level. The high frequency of the overlays during a game achieves a branding effect that hardly any other medium can offer with this intensity.

Commercial instead of stadium? Learn more about here:

• Book TV advertising

Everything starts with planning, whether it’s stadium advertising or streaming ads.

Various formats: From banner advertising to DOOH

In addition to the LED banner, there are numerous other formats that we coordinate for you as an agency. Classic banner advertising at strategic points such as the stadium perimeter or the grandstand entrances provides orientation and a permanent presence. Modern DOOH also includes huge video walls in the corners, on which emotional spots are shown before kick-off or during the half-time break.

Pillars and screens in the arena

We use digital steles in the VIP areas and promenades of the stadiums. Here we reach a target group with high purchasing power in a relaxed atmosphere. This can be perfectly combined with an Instagram consultation: we ask the fans on site to post pictures with a specific hashtag, which we then show live on the screens in the stadium. This creates a bridge between the physical world and social media.

• LED strips (1st and 2nd row)
• Static advertising banners (back gate, grandstand)
• Video wall ads (full-screen spots)
• Floor graphics (cam carpets) in the TV picture
• Digital screens in the VIP boxes

Stadium advertising as part of the cross-channel strategy

Stadium advertising should never stand alone. The true power unfolds when the impulse from the stadium is extended digitally. When a fan sees your LED board, they should be reminded of your product at the same time on their smartphone through TikTok Ads or Instagram Stories. We use geo-fencing to target users in the vicinity of the stadium with digital ads.

From the stadium directly to the online store

With exclusive discount codes on the boards or QR codes on static banners, we direct traffic straight to your e-commerce channel. This turns a branding contact into a measurable sales lead. If you use stadium advertising cleverly, you can use it as a massive reach accelerator for your entire marketing funnel.

Step 1: Collect e-mails

Step 2: Use emails for remarketing

Costs and booking of stadium advertising

The prices for stadium advertising vary depending on the sport, league and coverage. A match in the Bundesliga with a top club requires a different budget than advertising in the regional handball league. As an agency, we take care of the negotiations with the clubs and marketers for you. Thanks to our numerous cases and the bundled volume, we secure attractive conditions and the best placements for you.

What is important for a media buy

It’s not just the duration of the insertion that counts, but the quality of the environment. We make sure that your brand appears in moments of high attention. We compare the costs per contact (CPM) in the stadium with those of Google Ads or YouTube advertising to ensure efficient budget allocation.

• Analysis of TV reach per minute of play
• Checking exclusivity in your industry
• Combination with event sponsoring packages
• Creation of high-resolution content for LED boards

Where do you actually do stadium advertising?

Top 10 stadiums in Germany

Where do you actually advertise to reach many people?

• Signal Iduna Park (Dortmund) – 81,365 seats
• Allianz Arena (Munich) – 75,024 seats
• Olympiastadion Berlin – 74,475 seats
• Veltins-Arena (Gelsenkirchen) – 62,271 seats
• MHPArena Stuttgart – 60,449 seats
• Deutsche Bank Park (Frankfurt am Main) – 58,000 seats
• Volksparkstadion (Hamburg) – 57,000 seats
• Borussia-Park (Mönchengladbach) – 54,057 seats
• RheinEnergieStadion (Cologne) – 50,000 seats
• Red Bull Arena (Leipzig) – 47,069 seats

Influencers & celebrities in the stadium

One lever that is often used is inviting influencers to events. If a creator with a wide reach reports from your box and your stadium advertising can be seen in the background, the effect is multiplied. As an influencer agency, we coordinate these visits and ensure that the organic reach on social media perfectly matches your physical presence. This increases trust in your brand enormously.

UGC content from the curve

When fans shoot videos in the stadium and your brand happens to appear on the LED board, valuable user-generated content (UGC) is created. We develop strategies to promote this content and use it for your own purposes on TikTok or Instagram. This is authentic marketing that no traditional advertising agency can offer on its own.

Stadium advertising agency & contact

Why choose Social Media One as a partner for your stadium and perimeter advertising? We are a full-service marketing and advertising agency that knows exactly how to turn reach into cash flow thanks to our own successful brands in the tens of millions. We are always “cutting edge” as we test and implement new technologies immediately. An agency saves you massive costs in planning, coordination and design. We take the work off your hands so that you can concentrate on your core business.

Let’s bring your brand to the pitch and use the emotions of sport for your success.

• Contact us directly
• YouTube strategy for sports brands
• Book keynotes on sports marketing trends

What is a paywall?

A paywall is a digital barrier that restricts access to online content and forces users to pay for access. You’ve probably tried to read an article on a news website only to be prompted to subscribe after a few lines. This is exactly what a paywall is. It is used by publishers and media houses to generate revenue while funding high-quality journalism.

How does a paywall work?

• Access restriction: Users only see part of the content and have to pay to read the rest.
• Different models: There are hard, soft and metered paywalls (metered = measured).
• Use on websites: Mainly on news portals, magazines and specialized websites.

Types of paywalls

• Hard paywall: All content is behind a barrier. Only subscribers have access.
• Soft paywall: Some content is free, some only for paying users.
• Metered paywall: Users can read a limited number of articles per month for free before they have to pay.

Why use a paywall?

A paywall helps publishers and media companies to monetize their content without having to rely solely on advertising revenue. For you as a reader, a paywall often means access to high-quality and exclusive content that is not otherwise available. Compared to models such as pay-per-view (PPV) or pay-per-article, a paywall offers the opportunity to generate regular revenue and build long-term customer relationships.

Comparison with other models

• Advertising: Free access for users, but dependent on advertising revenue, which can fluctuate.
• Subscription: Regular income, access to all content, no paywall.
• Pay-per-view (PPV): One-off payment for access to exclusive live events or content, often more expensive per event, but with no long-term commitment.
• Pay-per-article: You pay for individual articles instead of for the entire access.

Important KPIs for paywalls

In order to evaluate the success of a paywall, certain KPIs are decisive:

• Conversion rate: How many users switch from free to paid content?
• Retention rate: How many users stay with a subscription after the first month?
• ARPU (Average Revenue Per User): The average revenue per user.
• Churn rate: The proportion of subscribers who cancel their subscription.
• LTV (Lifetime Value): The value of a customer over the entire period of its use.

Calculation example: Costs for a paywall

Suppose you regularly read articles on a news website:

• Paywall: A monthly subscription costs €10. For regular readers, this is cheaper than individual purchases.
• Pay-per-article: Each article costs €2. If you read five articles a month, you also pay €10.

A subscription is often cheaper for frequent readers. For occasional readers, it can be cheaper to pay for individual articles. The pay-per-view model, on the other hand, offers a flexible payment option for one-off content, such as live events, while paywalls are more suitable for regular readers.

This is a paywall

A paywall is an effective method of monetizing digital content and offers publishers a way to finance independent journalism. It is particularly attractive to users who want to read high-quality and exclusive content on a regular basis, but can be a deterrent if access is too restricted. It is important to monitor the right KPIs to measure and adjust the success and profitability of a paywall strategy.

What is pay-per-view?

Pay-per-view (PPV) is a payment model where you only pay once for access to special content, such as sporting events, concerts or films. Unlike subscriptions such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, you only pay if you want to watch a specific event or program.

The model is primarily used for live events such as boxing matches, UFC fights or wrestling in order to monetize exclusive content.

How does PPV work?

• Payment per event: One-off costs for access to special content.
• Exclusive broadcasts: Often used for live events that are not included in subscriptions.
• Easy access: Available via TV providers or online streaming platforms.

Why use PPV?

PPV is ideal if you only want to pay for content that really interests you. It offers flexibility and the advantage of not being tied to a subscription. For providers, it means direct revenue without long-term customer commitments.

Comparison with other models

• Subscription: Monthly payment, unlimited access, no exclusive events.
• On-demand purchase: Similar to PPV, but content is often available for longer.
• Paywall: Access to articles or videos only for paying users; often in the form of subscriptions or per article.
• PPV: Higher price per event, but no recurring costs.

Sample calculation: How much does PPV cost in comparison?

Imagine you want to watch three sporting events a month:

• Pay-per-view (PPV): Each event costs €20. For three events you pay 60 € per month
• Subscription (e.g. DAZN): €30 per month for unlimited access to many events and content
• Paywall (e.g. articles): One article costs €2. For ten articles per month you pay 20 €

If you watch regularly, a subscription can be cheaper. But if you only want to watch one or two specific events, PPV offers more flexibility and potentially even savings because you’re not paying for unused content. With paywalls, you only pay for the specific content you want to consume, which is an alternative to PPV for other types of content.

That means pay-per-view!

PPV is ideal for occasional viewers and fans of exclusive live events. It allows for targeted spending without a long-term commitment, but can be expensive if you consume content regularly. A subscription could be more cost-effective in such cases. Paywalls, on the other hand, offer a flexible payment option for text-based or multimedia content and complement the PPV model in the digital monetization landscape.