Kelly and Sean break down how advertising is evolving across major sports—from the Olympics to the NFL and NBA—and why streaming continues to reshape how brands reach audiences.

In this episode, Kelly and Sean take a closer look at how advertising is shifting across the sports landscape in early 2026, using recent data and real-world examples to unpack what’s changing and why.

They begin with a lighter moment on sports viewing habits before moving into a structured breakdown of major events and leagues, including the Olympics, NFL, NBA, and NHL. From there, the conversation focuses on one consistent theme: streaming is expanding quickly, while traditional TV remains steady but slower-growing.

The Olympics serve as a strong example, with streaming now accounting for a significantly larger share of ad revenue compared to prior years. At the same time, linear TV still plays a meaningful role, showing that audience behavior is evolving rather than fully shifting.

Kelly and Sean also discuss how advertisers are adapting their buying strategies. One standout approach is multi-sport programmatic buying, where brands target audiences across a range of sports content instead of focusing on a single league. This method offers flexibility and efficiency while still capturing engaged viewers.

The episode closes with a look at which industries are increasing investment in sports—such as tech and pharma—and which are showing more caution, along with a brief outlook on what upcoming global events may mean for the market.

Key Topics Covered

• How sports remains one of the strongest areas for live viewing
• Growth in streaming vs traditional TV across major events
• Olympics advertising trends and shifting viewer behavior
• NFL, NBA, and NHL ad performance insights
• The rise of multi-sport programmatic buying
• Why streaming bundles are becoming more common
• Category trends: tech, pharma, retail, and auto
• What to expect heading into the World Cup

Want deeper insights into sports and advertising trends? Reach out at press@guideline.ai

to learn more.

If you’d like access to the benchmark report or want to suggest a topic for the next part of the programmatic series, reach out to press@guideline.ai.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations on advertising, media strategy, and cultural marketing moments.

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In part two of their programmatic advertising series, Kelly and Sean shift from the demand side to the supply side, breaking down what SSPs are, how they function, and what the latest Q1 data says about where programmatic is heading.

They begin with a practical explanation of the supply-side platform: the technology publishers use to make ad inventory available to buyers in the programmatic marketplace. If DSPs help advertisers buy, SSPs help publishers sell. From there, the conversation moves into one of the more striking shifts in the market — the growing role of programmatic in connected TV.

Sean explains how streaming inventory has moved away from direct sales and toward a more automated buying model. Just a few years ago, only a minority of CTV dollars flowed programmatically. Today, many platforms are approaching a much more balanced split, and some are already heavily programmatic.

Kelly and Sean then zoom out to the broader Q1 picture. They discuss how programmatic growth has moderated from the very high levels seen a year ago, why that slowdown makes sense, and what factors are contributing to it — from market maturity to slower expansion in ad-supported streaming inventory.

The episode also touches on category-level changes, with pharmaceuticals standing out as a notable growth area, and closes with a look at the biggest DSP players globally, including DV360, Trade Desk, and Amazon.

Key topics include:

• What an SSP is and how it works
• The relationship between DSPs and SSPs
• Why CTV inventory is shifting toward programmatic
• The move from direct buying to automated buying in streaming
• What Q1 data says about global programmatic growth
• Why programmatic growth has slowed from prior highs
• Category-level changes, including pharma growth
• Market share shifts among major DSPs
• What to watch for in the rest of the year

Chapters

00:00 Intro and spring break recap
01:25 Why this is part two of the programmatic series
01:55 What an SSP is
04:32 Supply-side trends in programmatic
06:13 Why CTV is moving toward programmatic
08:56 Platform-level shift in streaming inventory
12:06 Q1 programmatic growth trends
14:19 Category changes in Q1
15:11 Major DSP market share shifts
16:16 Outlook for the rest of the year
17:49 Closing thoughts and what’s next

If you’d like access to the benchmark report or want to suggest a topic for the next part of the programmatic series, reach out to press@guideline.ai.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations on advertising, media strategy, and cultural marketing moments.

And if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, a quick rating or review helps more people discover the show.

Retail media networks have quietly become one of the most important forces in advertising.

In this episode, Kelly and Sean break down what retail media actually is, why it’s growing, and where it may be heading next.

At its core, a retail media network allows retailers to sell advertising using their own customer data—whether that’s on their website, app, or even in-store screens. Companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Target are leading the way, using shopper behavior to deliver highly targeted ads.

But the real story is in the growth.

Retail media accounted for roughly 15% of total U.S. media growth last year, making it one of the most impactful drivers in the industry.

So why is it working?

Two major factors:

• High purchase intent – Ads reach consumers already in buying mode
• Closed-loop measurement – Platforms can directly connect ad exposure to purchases

From an advertiser perspective, that combination is hard to ignore.

The episode also explores how the space is evolving:

Key trends shaping retail media

• Amazon continues to dominate, driving about 40% of retail media ad revenue
• Traditional retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Target remain strong
• New entrants—like Uber, Instacart, and airlines—are entering the space
• Over 50 large-scale retail media networks now exist in the U.S.

At the same time, signs of maturity are starting to appear:

• Fewer new network launches in 2026
• Slowing user growth as adoption approaches saturation
• Increased competition for the same audiences

So where does growth come from next?

Sean outlines three emerging directions:

1. Offsite advertising – Using retail data to sell ads beyond owned platforms
2. Audience matching & data partnerships – Expanding targeting capabilities
3. Continued expansion from existing players – Rather than new entrants

The takeaway: retail media isn’t slowing—but it is changing.

Key Topics

• What retail media networks are (simple explanation)
• Why brands are shifting budgets into retail media
• Amazon’s dominance and growth outlook
• The rise of Walmart, Kroger, and big-box players
• New entrants like Uber, Instacart, and airlines
• Why closed-loop attribution is driving adoption
• The rapid growth in retail media networks (50+ in the U.S.)
• Signs of market maturity and saturation
• What’s changing in 2026
• Future growth drivers: offsite, data partnerships, audience targeting

Chapters

00:00 Intro & Trader Joe’s story
03:10 What is a retail media network?
05:38 Why retail media is growing
08:01 Key advantages: targeting + attribution
09:49 Major players (Amazon, Walmart, grocery)
11:18 Growth of new entrants (Uber, Instacart, airlines)
12:22 Market saturation & slowing expansion
13:37 User growth limits
14:46 Future growth strategies
19:04 Key takeaways
19:29 Closing thoughts

If you’d like access to the benchmark report or want to suggest a topic for the next part of the programmatic series, reach out to press@guideline.ai.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations on advertising, media strategy, and cultural marketing moments.

And if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, a quick rating or review helps more people discover the show.