The NBA tips off its new season on Oct. 20, and advertisers have plenty to be excited about. Basketball fans aren't just watching. They're acting on the ads they see. Last season, ads during NBA games drove 9.6x as much impact as the average ad on primetime broadcast and cable, up 23% year over year. During the Finals, that number reached 132x.
For sports betting brands, that engaged audience is a major opportunity. The key is showing up at the right moment, in the right format. Our 2025-26 Basketball TV Outcomes Report breaks down what worked last season. Here is everything betting brands need to know before tip-off.
1. Timing is everything for Sports Betting ads
How viewers engage with sports betting ads shifts as the season heats up. During the regular season, in-game ads did best, beating the typical primetime Sports Betting ad by 50% and outperforming the average NBA pre-game ad by 12%.
In the playoffs, pre-game became the main event. Postseason games may draw more casual fans, who could be more open to placing a bet before tip-off. That made pre-game the stronger slot: during the playoffs and Finals, pre-game ads were 56% more effective than in-game ads.
The takeaway for betting brands: lean into in-game placements now, and plan to shift toward pre-game coverage when the playoffs arrive.
2. Sponsorships have never been more important
The 30-second spot isn't going anywhere, but it's no longer the only way to show up during a live game. More sports are moving to streaming — and networks and streamers are rethinking the traditional ad break with interactive ads and sponsored features built right into the broadcast. Basketball fans have already seen it in action, with bet-tracking integrations showing up in NBA coverage.
More formats mean more decisions for advertisers, and more pressure to prove what's working. As Marketcast CMO Kerel Cooper explained to eMarketer, the question is shifting from "How many people did we reach?" to "Did we move people with our campaign?"
3. EDO is already measuring what's next
New formats need new measurement, and sponsorships have long been the hardest TV ad unit to measure at scale. That's why we built Sponsored Ad Outcomes™. It uses AI to automatically detect on-screen sponsorships during live broadcasts, from halftime segments to sponsor billboards, and connects them to the ad-driven engagement that's proven to predict future sales.
And the early results show that placement makes all the difference. We measured all 1,443 on-screen sponsorships from nationally televised games during the 2025-26 NFL season. The results showed that placement matters just as much as frequency. Halftime studio show segments were 198% more effective than the average NFL sponsorship, and sponsor billboards beat the average by 28%.
If the NFL is any indication, sponsored content is becoming a more strategic play in live sports advertising. And as these formats show up in basketball, brands will need outcomes data to know which placements are worth the investment. See what actually works in NFL sponsorships.
Your home for actionable live sports outcomes
Whether it's a 30-second spot at tip-off or a sponsored halftime segment, a live sports investment is only as valuable as the outcomes it drives. EDO gives brands the actionable outcomes they need to see what's working and adjust before the season is over.
Want the full picture of last season? Download our 2025-26 Basketball TV Outcomes Report, learn more about Sponsored Ad Outcomes™, and follow the top NBA ads all season long at edo.com/top-ads.