Ringier Advertising and DAZN: The ball has to hit every screen
Live sports still bring people to the screen at the same moment. With the exclusive commercialisation of DAZN in Switzerland, Ringier Advertising aims to unlock this attention for advertisers. Soeren Beermann and Haruka Gruber talk to m&k about the last great media campfire, programmatic precision, and campaigns that extend far beyond the final whistle.
Read the full interview from the September issue of m&k Magazin here.
When the ball is rolling, different laws still apply in the media world. Series can be watched later, movies can be paused, and news can be read at any time. A goal, however, brooks no delay. It happens now – and anyone who misses the moment gets the replay, but not the same feeling.
This simultaneity makes live sports an exceptional format in an increasingly fragmented media world. Ninety-two percent of sports consumption is live. At the same time, smartphones and tablets have long accompanied the action on the big screen. Over 75 percent of viewers use an additional device during a game. The sporting moment no longer takes place on just one screen but unfolds across multiple platforms.
It is precisely in this playing field that Ringier Advertising and DAZN are positioning their new partnership. Ringier Advertising exclusively handles the commercialisation of the sports streaming platform’s advertising inventory in Switzerland. Behind this is much more than just the sale of additional advertising space: it’s about connecting a global sports offering with a locally rooted media ecosystem – and about the question of how brands can use those moments when attention doesn’t need to be laboriously generated but is already there.
«In an era where content is increasingly consumed on-demand, live sports are among the last formats that generate guaranteed, simultaneous attention.»
Soeren Beermann, Head of Sales Third Inventory and Acquisition Ringier Advertising
Soeren Beermann (Ringier Advertising), Haruka Gruber (DAZN), sports are now considered the last great “campfire” of the media world, bringing people to the screen at the same time – is this simultaneity becoming the real strategic value of live sports?
Haruka Gruber: Absolutely. That is one of the core values of live sports. In a fragmented, on-demand media world, there are very few moments that people truly experience simultaneously, and sports are the strongest of them. This simultaneity creates not only reach, but above all relevance and emotion. For platforms like DAZN, this means we don’t just offer content; we orchestrate collective experiences. And that’s exactly where the highest level of attention for brands is generated.
Soeren Beermann: Exactly, we can only agree with Haruka on that: In an age where content is increasingly consumed on-demand, live sports are one of the last formats that generate guaranteed, simultaneous attention. For clients, this significantly simplifies campaign planning, as reach peaks are clearly predictable and target groups can be addressed precisely. The exclusivity of DAZN content increases its relevance both in the advertising market and with the audience – the ideal starting point for effective advertising and emotional brand experiences.
At first glance, the partnership looks like a classic commercialisation deal. Why is it actually much more than that?
Haruka Gruber: Because we are not just bundling inventory; we are connecting ecosystems. On one side, a globally scalable, digital sports offering with enormous data and content depth; on the other, a locally deeply rooted media and commercialisation network. This is crucial because sports today function both globally and hyper-locally. This partnership makes it possible to bring both together and develop completely new, integrated advertising experiences from it. That’s why attractive DAZN content, such as highlights, and DAZN as a brand will also be highly visible on Ringier platforms like Blick.ch and kicker.ch. A win-win!
Soeren Beermann: Win-win sums it up perfectly. For us, the exclusive commercialisation of DAZN in Switzerland means a clear strategic positioning at the forefront of the rapidly growing CTV and streaming market. Besides the obvious aspect – integrating live moments for our advertising clients – this deal primarily gives us the opportunity to rethink the user journey within our brands and to specifically enhance our campaign ecosystems. Haruka has already teased some of these approaches.
Ringier Advertising is increasingly focusing on thematic commercialisation rather than individual brand titles. With DAZN, is sports now definitively becoming a strategic anchor within this approach?
Soeren: No, sports has always been one of the central themes of our commercialisation. Anyone with Blick and blue News in their portfolio already has this theme firmly anchored. With DAZN, however, we are now gaining the ideal flagship brand in the sports CTV sector. DAZN is far more than just another title in the portfolio – rather, the platform functions as a “digital stadium” within the Ringier sports ecosystem. This integration completes our approach of accompanying users along their entire customer journey: from reading the morning news (Blick) and researching statistics (sport.ch/kicker) to the live experience on DAZN.
Ninety-two percent of sports consumption is live. What does this exceptional simultaneity specifically mean for brands and advertising effectiveness?
Haruka Gruber: Live sports mean maximum attention at a moment when the recipients are not “leaning back” but “leaning in.” Studies show that a large proportion of viewers actively perceive advertising during live sports and find it more relevant than in other environments. For brands, this creates a rare combination: reach, emotion, and context. And through digital delivery, we can now also extend and personalize these moments based on data.
Soeren Beermann: Exactly. With live sports, we are moving away from the passive broadcasting of linear TV. CTV clearly wins the advertising acceptance comparison because content and ads are delivered more relevantly, instead of addressing a broad mass non-specifically. For advertisers, this means: campaigns in CTV achieve a higher impact per contact, as viewers no longer perceive ads merely as a necessary evil or a welcome break, but increasingly as tailored information.
If one reinterprets Sepp Herberger’s old adage – “The round thing must go into the square thing” – and the square thing can be any screen today: Is Connected TV precisely the place where sports is unleashing its new power?
Haruka Gruber: Connected TV is the place where the worlds of classic television and digital precision finally unite. For a long time, live sports was the last bastion of linear TV. Exactly this is now massively shifting to streaming environments. This creates completely new possibilities: addressable advertising, interactive formats, measurable impact in real time. For us, CTV is therefore not just a distribution channel, but also a space for innovation in advertising and user experience.
Soeren Beermann: The fascination of live sports remains unchanged – only the broadcast slot is shifting. In CTV, the visual power of linear television and today’s technological possibilities merge into an experience that makes emotions accessible anytime, anywhere. For advertisers, this creates a highly effective environment that reaches target groups flexibly and with strong context.
«The rules of the game are changing fundamentally: we are moving away from the scattergun approach. Thanks to programmatic addressability, target groups can now be reached precisely based on sport, device, and individual interests.»
Soeren Beermann, Head of Sales Third Inventory and Acquisition Ringier Advertising
Live sports were long considered the domain of classic TV spots. What changes when this environment suddenly becomes programmatically addressable?
Soeren Beermann: The rules of the game are changing fundamentally: we are moving away from the watering-can principle. Thanks to programmatic addressability, target groups can now be precisely addressed according to sport, device, and individual interests. For advertisers, this means: spots no longer have to reach the broad masses, but can be targeted specifically at relevant, segmented audiences. This creates new opportunities for content and format-specific adjustments. At the same time, advertising clients benefit from maximum efficiency in delivery and high transparency in quality assurance – all without projections.
Over 75 percent of viewers use a smartphone or tablet in parallel during a game. Do you already conceive of campaigns today as an interplay of live image, social media, and real-time communication?
Haruka Gruber: Definitely. Sports have long ceased to take place on just one screen. Fans comment, share, and react in real time. This is also very evident within the DAZN FanZone, our fully integrated 2nd-screen solution where you can interactively engage with DAZN and other users during the live game. For brands, this means campaigns must be conceived as a connected experience. We see very clearly that the greatest effect occurs where the live image, social amplification, and data-driven extension intertwine. DAZN has a clear advantage here due to its strong social reach and content production.
Soeren Beermann: I would even go a step further: for us, the second screen is not just an additional channel, but the place where fans process the live moment. This is where they comment, discuss, share, celebrate, or even argue. That’s exactly why it’s not enough to simply play a campaign in parallel on multiple screens. It needs to have a dramaturgy around the live moment. For brands, this means: what happens before the game, during the game, and after the game? Where can a brand create real added value – through context, activation, entertainment, or community mechanics? So it’s not about more touchpoints, but about better moments.
With football, NFL, NHL, UFC, darts, or golf, sports are increasingly becoming a constant companion rather than a single event. Is sport thus becoming an always-on medium?
Haruka Gruber: Very clearly so. In the past, there were individual highlight events. Today, sport is a year-round, global continuum. Different competitions, leagues, and sports create new relevant moments every day. Streaming reinforces this effect because content is available and combinable at any time.
Soeren Beermann: For us, the focus has previously been on major sporting events – such as Schwingen, football or ice hockey world championships, and the Olympic Games. Through the collaboration with DAZN, live sports now become a permanent part of media planning all year round and at the same time open up access to new target groups.
How does DAZN specifically fit into the existing Ringier ecosystem – for example, in interplay with Blick, blue News or your DOOH activities?
Soeren Beermann: With DAZN in our portfolio, we can offer advertisers a continuous user journey. With our sports brands Blick, blue News and the joint venture kicker, we cover the sports topic comprehensively both in print and online. DAZN expands this ecosystem by also bringing the content to the “big screen” in the living room. We are still currently examining whether and in what form advertising content can also be adapted for DOOH.
In the future, fans will need multiple subscriptions to follow all of top-tier European football. Do you see this fragmentation as more of a challenge or an opportunity?
Haruka Gruber: Both. It can become more complex for users, but for providers and advertising clients, a much more differentiated ecosystem is emerging. Fragmentation also means specialization and thus the ability to reach target groups much more precisely.
Soeren Beermann: Fragmentation is a real challenge – but has long been part of user behavior. Consumers are used to maintaining multiple subscriptions in parallel and switching between platforms situationally. We are convinced that strong content plays the decisive role and puts the subscription hurdle into perspective. For advertisers, this opens up an opportunity: budgets can be allocated differently across various providers and target groups. The result is more diverse touchpoints and different impact contributions depending on the environment.
To be specific: what, in your view, is the greatest immediate benefit of this deal for Swiss advertisers and brands?
Haruka Gruber: Access to highly attentive, emotionally involved target groups, combined with the ability to address these target groups based on data and across platforms. This is a combination that has never existed in this form in classic TV.
Soeren Beermann: We provide advertisers with access to an exclusive live sports inventory that is programmatically controllable and at the same time carries a very high level of emotionality. Specifically, this means: brands can deliver their campaigns in a targeted and efficient manner – precisely in those moments when user attention and involvement are at their highest.
What specific advertising offers are available to Swiss advertisers – perhaps particularly innovative ones?
Haruka Gruber: We offer the full spectrum: from classic integrations around the live stream with an 80% big-screen share, to addressable CTV campaigns, to branded content, sponsoring, and social amplification, especially on YouTube. The combination of DAZN OTT and DAZN YouTube inventory maximizes incrementality. A particularly good example of innovative formats is our DAZN FanZone. There, we combine live sports with interactive elements like live chats, reactions, or community features, thus creating an environment where fans don’t just watch, but actively become part of the experience.
Can we also look forward to new advertising products or innovative formats as part of this partnership – perhaps even things that have not yet been announced today?
Haruka Gruber: Definitely. The development is clearly moving towards interactive, personalized, and integrated experiences. We are only at the beginning of what is technologically possible, especially in the interplay of live data, personalization, and creative formats.
If Sepp Herberger said, “After the game is before the game,” does digital sports marketing today follow the motto “After the campaign is before the optimization”?
Soeren Beermann: Basically, yes. We provide the necessary KPIs and data for analysis. However, the ongoing optimization of the campaigns is the responsibility of the clients, though we provide advisory support with our feedback.
