Key Points
- Transmit and Fandango have partnered to introduce new advertising opportunities during live sports and entertainment programming.
- The partnership allows advertisers to sponsor key moments during live matches without adding traditional commercial breaks.
- The technology is being used during Bundesliga soccer matches streamed free on Fandango in the United States.
Versant’s Fandango-branded streaming platform has partnered with advertising technology company Transmit to introduce new sponsorship opportunities during live sporting events without adding traditional commercial breaks, the companies announced on Thursday.
The technology is being used during Bundesliga soccer matches streamed on Fandango in the United States, allowing advertisers to place sponsorship messages around significant moments during live competition, Versant said in a statement.
Rather than relying on scheduled advertising breaks, Transmit’s technology identifies events such as substitutions, momentum changes, official reviews and other moments when audience engagement may increase. Advertisers can then place sponsorship messages alongside the live programming without interrupting the game itself.
The partnership is being introduced as Fandango expands its sports programming, including coverage of Germany’s Bundesliga soccer league: Under the league’s U.S. distribution arrangement, USA Sports will carry more than 300 Bundesliga matches during the 2026-27 season. At least 30 matches will air on USA Network, while the remaining games will stream free on Fandango.
“The opportunity in streaming isn’t simply to replicate the traditional television model online. It’s to create entirely new experiences for fans, advertisers, and content partners,” Versant President of Digital Platforms and Ventures Will McIntosh said in a statement.
Transmit CEO Seth Hittman said the technology is intended to identify advertising opportunities as they develop during live events, rather than requiring sponsors to rely on predetermined commercial inventory.
“Everyone understands the value of a FIFA World Cup hydration break,” Hittman said. “It’s one of the most effective sponsorship moments in sports because it’s part of the experience, not an interruption to it. We’re taking that same philosophy and applying it dynamically across live sports. Instead of creating value according to a schedule, we’re identifying it in real time.”
The companies said the approach could generate additional advertising revenue from streaming sports while limiting interruptions to viewers.
Versant was spun out of Comcast’s NBC Universal earlier this year, comprising the company’s former cable networks business (except Bravo, which NBC Universal retained) and digital platforms like Fandango. The company also owns a multicast business called Free TV Networks.
Earlier in the week, Versant said it earned $1.59 billion in overall revenue during the third quarter (Q3) of the year, including $373 million in advertising revenue, down 5.3 percent compared to last year on a carve-out basis.
