Sports Media Spend Trends: The Real Money Moves in 2025

Let’s talk about where the real money is going in sports media right now—because the numbers are in, and they’re turning heads.

According to Guideline’s latest ad spend intelligence, the sports media market surged +14.7% year-over-year in Q1 2025. With a rapidly evolving landscape, from traditional broadcast to booming digital channels, it’s clear that the media game is changing—and fast.

The Top Four Sports Dominate the Media Spend Pie

Just four sports—NFL, NCAA Basketball, NBA, and NCAA Football—now control a staggering 87.4% of total sports media spend, spanning both digital and broadcast channels. And that pie just grew significantly.

• Television still dominates with 84.1% of the total spend, showing that linear remains a powerhouse for reach.

• Digital is catching up fast, reflecting how fans are increasingly consuming sports content on multiple platforms.

No shock here: the NFL continues to lead, pulling in nearly 40% of all sports media dollars. That boost is largely due to the Super Bowl’s March timing this year, which helped drive a surge in spend.

The Breakout Story: College Sports Are On Fire  

The biggest headline? College sports are exploding with growth.

While NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball still hold smaller overall shares—just 7.4% and 22.1%, respectively—they’re posting massive YoY gains:

NCAA Football

• +71.8% growth in TV spend

• +74.4% growth in digital spend

NCAA Basketball

• +28.8% TV growth

• +29.9% digital growth

This isn’t just reallocated budget—it’s total market expansion, signaling growing advertiser confidence and value in college sports media.

Why It Matters for Advertisers and Media Planners

The growth in college sports isn’t just a trend—it’s a strategic opportunity. Whether you’re a buyer, planner, or seller in the sports media ecosystem, now is the time to rethink your strategy:

• Shift spend toward emerging value in college sports

• Build cross-platform media plans that reflect fan behavior

• Take advantage of growing inventory in digital video and programmatic sports media buys

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The game is changing—are you playing to win?

Dive Deeper: Watch the Full Breakdown on LinkedIn

We break down all the key data and what it means for sports media investment in our new video.

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Ready to Put the Data to Work?

Guideline partners with agencies, brands, and investors to deliver unmatched insight through verified ad spend data. Learn how our proprietary data helps teams predict performance, optimize strategies, and stay ahead of the market.

Contact our team to learn how Guideline’s verified ad spend data can help you uncover growth opportunities, optimize media investments, and stay ahead in the fast-moving world of sports advertising.

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