Observed Signal · Mar 10, 2026 · Product & Technology Development · Source: ExchangeWire · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Programmatic Advertising Opens Live Sports to All Advertisers
In a Q&A, John Matthews, Executive Director of Advanced Advertising at Foxtel Media, explains how programmatic advertising has opened access to live sport—allowing smaller advertisers to buy into events that were historically reserved for large sponsors. Matthews cites strong momentum in video: IAB Australia reported 18.3% year‑on‑year growth for VOD in 2025 and video now accounts for 29% of digital ad spend in Australia. He highlights operational challenges for programmatic in live sport (latency, massive simultaneous ad requests, disparate measurement and creative specs) and Foxtel’s approach: A/B testing new ad products, prioritising total hours viewed as a KPI, and seeking non‑intrusive formats. Matthews also notes industry needs for easier buying and standardisation (citing Pause Ads as an example) and says Foxtel’s acquisition by DAZN last year brings engineering resources for faster product innovation.
Discusses programmatic expansion into live sports and operational solutions (A/B testing, latency tradeoffs) that affect video ad inventory, buyer access, and product development in OTT/CTV environments—relevant to adtech strategy and inventory growth.
Track DAZN 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
- John Matthews is Executive Director of Advanced Advertising at Foxtel Media.
- IAB Australia reported 18.3% year‑on‑year growth for VOD in 2025 and video now represents 29% of all digital ad spend in Australia.
- Programmatic has expanded access to live sport inventory, enabling small and regional advertisers to buy into large sporting events.
- Foxtel runs A/B tests for every new advertising product and uses total hours viewed as a north‑star metric.
- Foxtel was purchased by DAZN last year, giving Foxtel access to a larger global engineering team for product development.
Connected Companies & Entities
6 Entities mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related 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.
Ben Affleck's AI Knowledge Goes Viral
Ben Affleck, the actor who sold his AI filmmaking startup to Netflix for a reported $587 million, has gone viral for demonstrating deep understanding of AI technology in recent interviews. He discussed machine learning, neural networks, and even admitted to writing Python scripts. Affleck detailed his journey from analog to digital film, his use of AI in visual effects, and his creation of a proprietary dataset for ethical AI filmmaking. He also visited OpenAI and used his celebrity status to access emerging tech. Affleck addressed AI's potential, expressing concerns about its effect on education and learned helplessness rather than existential threats. He used AI in his movie 'Animals' and emphasized the additive nature of AI in filmmaking.
Netflix Orders New Bridgerton Spinoff About Violet
Netflix has ordered a new Bridgerton spinoff series focusing on the matriarch Violet Bridgerton and her romance with Viscount Edmund Bridgerton. The announcement was made via the official Bridgerton Instagram account. Shonda Rhimes will executive produce, co-write, and showrun alongside Nicholas Nardini. The series does not yet have a title. Existing seasons 1-4 of Bridgerton and the first spinoff 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story' are currently streaming on Netflix. Season 5, centered on Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Stirling, is in production.
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.