Observed Signal · Oct 16, 2025 · Interview · Source: Marketecture · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Power of Live Events with Katie Johnson
In this episode of The Advertising Forum, sponsored by Freewheel, Katie Johnson, Senior Programmatic Director at New Engen, Inc., discusses the impact of live events on brands and the role of programmatic advertising. The conversation highlights live sports as a key driver of prime-time engagement, the importance of cultural relevance, and targeting strategies that go beyond broad approaches. Johnson explains how data enables precise audience insights, including consumer affinities, and notes that live events create shared experiences that can be capitalized on through connected TV and other programmatic channels. The episode also covers Freewheel’s support for clients navigating the complexities of connected TV, shifting budgets toward CTV, and the need to reach the right audience in front of the right moment. Takeaways emphasize targeted sports marketing, data-driven decisioning, and the evolving landscape of programmatic for live events.
General industry discussion of live events and programmatic advertising; not a major platform release or earnings report.
Track FreeWheel Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Katie Johnson, Senior Programmatic Director at New Engen, Inc., is featured on The Advertising Forum episode.
- Episode is sponsored by Freewheel.
- Discusses the impact of live events and programmatic advertising, with emphasis on live sports for brands.
- Highlights how data enables precise targeting and consumer affinities in sports marketing.
- Notes Freewheel helps clients navigate complexities of connected TV.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Programmatic Innovation in Live Sports
Marketecture Live features Andrew Casale, CEO of Index Exchange, and Megan Pagliuca, Omnicom Media Group’s Chief Product Officer, discussing how live sports and streaming are becoming increasingly addressable through programmatic. The conversation emphasizes targeting at moment-level signals rather than broad demos, and explains how podding standards and advanced ad requests help mitigate live break spikes. It covers pre-fetching and smarter pacing to stabilize delivery, and notes that sell-side decisioning is now faster and earlier, enabling optimization before bids reach DSPs. The potential modularization of the supply chain is discussed as a means to reduce fees, while AI is highlighted for improving inclusion lists, safety, and creative workflows. Overall, the session points to faster monetization of live inventory and evolving approaches to addressable media across the open internet.
Live Streaming & Programmatic Ads Shape Media's Future
This Marketecture MarketectureTV episode features Dentsu’s Cara Lewis, Chief Investment & Activation Officer, discussing how live streaming intersects with attention and programmatic advertising. The conversation covers how Dentsu utilizes programmatic to make live media more accessible, the growing importance of communal viewing experiences, and how partnerships with FreeWheel are driving innovation across live and on-demand platforms. The hosts, Jeremy Bloom and AdTechGod, guide the discussion around real-time engagement, the attention economy, and the role of live content in brand connection. The episode emphasizes real-time results, social discussion around live events, and the evolving planning required to capitalize on live opportunities in a connected media landscape.
From Kickoff to Goal: Live Sports' Power for Brands
This sponsored analysis explains how live sports streaming in Germany has become a mainstream advertising environment that combines high attention, emotional engagement and measurable outcomes. Citing a Magnite study, the article reports that a majority of viewers now stream live events and that live moments increase ad attention and brand recall. Connected TV (CTV) is the dominant device for live sports, while multi‑screen viewing (second‑screen use, shopping) amplifies reach and response. The piece argues that live sport uniquely blends broad household reach with streaming’s targeting and measurement, creating opportunities for both branding and performance. It also points to tools such as Magnite’s Live Scheduler to help advertisers plan around major live events and cultural touchpoints.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.