Sports advertising is entering a new phase—one where ads don’t just follow the game; they react to it. Genius Sports, the data and technology company behind some of the world’s most advanced sports analytics, has signed a global partnership with Publicis Sports to supercharge FANHub, Genius Sports’ AI-driven sports advertising platform.
The goal: to match brand messages with real-time fan emotion, game flow, and high-intensity moments—turning the drama of sports into precision-targeted marketing opportunities.
For advertisers trying to break through fragmented viewing habits and declining attention spans, this is the holy grail. And for Publicis Sports, it’s another move to expand its footprint in connected media, identity-based targeting, and sports-specific audience intelligence.
A New Formula: Emotion + Data + Timing
FANHub is built around one central idea: ads should move at the speed of the game.
The platform layers machine learning, proprietary data signals, and verified sports fan identity graphs to surface what Genius Sports calls “moments of passion”—the exact instants when fans are most emotionally tuned in.
These aren’t generic sports audiences or broad TV buys. These are behaviorally mapped, authenticated fans targeted by what they’re watching, how engaged they are, and what’s happening on the field.
For brands, that opens up a new category of media activation—one that blends storytelling, adrenaline, and precision targeting.
Josh Linforth, Chief Revenue Officer at Genius Sports, framed the shift succinctly:
“We’re ushering in a new era in sports advertising, one where emotion, data, and creativity converge. FANHub enables brands to be part of the moments that ignite passion and stay with fans for life.”
This is notably different from legacy sports advertising, which often relies on static placements purchased months in advance. FANHub aims to turn every unbelievable play, rivalry spark, or shock upset into a dynamic opportunity.
Three Pillars Behind the Partnership
The Genius Sports–Publicis Sports collaboration is built on three core strategic pillars, each meant to reshape how advertisers interact with live sports environments.
1. Moment-Driven Activation
Using Genius Sports’ live data rights and real-time fan sentiment analysis, brands can trigger automated campaigns synced with:
- Game-winning shots
- Record-breaking plays
- Last-second drama
- Major upsets
- Momentum swings and rivalry spikes
Rather than ads being pre-programmed, they become situational and responsive—offering relevance that fans actually feel.
2. Immersive Ad Innovation
This includes:
- Context-aware placements baked directly into live broadcasts
- Augmented reality overlays
- Second-screen interactive experiences
- Dynamic formats that adapt to on-field events
Think of an AR ad that reacts to a buzzer-beater—or a mobile activation that lights up when a player breaks a record.
This is where Publicis’ creative depth and Genius Sports’ data infrastructure converge.
3. Measurement and Sports Media Intelligence
Forget the outdated “was the game on when the ad aired?” metric.
The new measurement stack connects:
- Emotional engagement
- Real-time behavior
- Brand recall
- Sales lift
- Multi-channel identity tracking
- Attribution tied to specific game moments
It’s a much-needed overhaul in an industry where measurement is still catching up to real-time consumption.
Suzy Deering, CEO of Publicis Sports, put it this way:
“Sports are one of the few places where emotion, community, and culture collide in real time. Our goal is to create experiences that feel as alive and responsive as the game itself.”
Why This Partnership Matters Now
Sports remains one of the last truly communal viewing experiences—one of the few places where audience attention is both massive and live. But the way fans watch sports is changing:
- Multiple screens
- Interactive chat and social feeds
- Betting overlays
- Streaming with layers of data
- Personalized commentary
Fans aren’t passive. They’re engaged, multitasking, and emotionally tuned in. That’s the environment FANHub is built for.
The partnership also addresses a major pain point in today’s marketing world: the gap between what fans feel and what advertisers know. If platforms can capture real-time emotional spikes, they can deliver ads at the peak of relevance—without being intrusive.
This is especially valuable in an era when traditional TV ratings fluctuate and attention has become a moving target.
Publicis Sports Gets a Major Data Upgrade
Publicis Sports brings its own firepower to the equation—especially through Epsilon’s identity graph and Sponsorship Intelligence data. But combining that with Genius Sports’ proprietary signals gives Publicis a near-end-to-end stack:
- Identity
- Behavior
- Context
- Emotional triggers
- Live game data
- AI-powered activation
- Closed-loop measurement
This is a major expansion of Publicis’ Connected Media offering, giving its clients a powerful new way to plan and execute campaigns across every device and platform.
For major sports advertisers—be it beer brands, betting companies, telcos, automakers, or payments players—this offers a far more competitive and data-rich alternative to traditional planning.
Joining the Genius Sports Innovation Council
As part of the partnership, Publicis Sports will join the Genius Sports Innovation Council, an advisory group composed of top sports leagues, broadcasters, and technology leaders.
The council’s mission is to shape the future of:
- Real-time ad tech
- AI-powered fan engagement
- Broadcast augmentation
- Next-generation sponsorships
- Smart measurement frameworks
Given that Genius Sports works with entities like the NFL, NBA, Premier League, and NCAA, this is a significant step for Publicis Sports to help guide the direction of sports media technology globally.
The Bigger Picture: The Future of Sports Ads Will Be Alive, Adaptive, and Emotional
This partnership is more than an ad-tech upgrade—it’s a glimpse into what the future of sports media will look like.
In the next phase of digital advertising:
- Ads won’t interrupt the game; they’ll reflect it.
- Media won’t be bought in blocks; it will be orchestrated moment-by-moment.
- Fan emotion won’t be inferred; it will be measured and activated in real time.
- Brands won’t be passive sponsors; they’ll become part of the narrative.
Genius Sports and Publicis Sports are betting big on this vision—and if FANHub delivers on its promise, this could become a new default for global sports advertisers.
