Google opens Olympic live sports inventory to biddable CTV buys

Live sports advertising is getting more programmatic — and more measurable.

Driving the news. Google is rolling out new biddable live sports capabilities in Display & Video 360, including programmatic access to NBCUniversal’s Olympic Winter Games inventory, ahead of a packed 2026 global sports calendar.

Why we care. Live sports remain one of the few media environments that consistently deliver massive, attentive audiences. By bringing premium sports inventory into biddable CTV, Google is giving advertisers more control, better measurement, and easier activation — without sacrificing reach.

What’s new. Advertisers can now combine Google audience signals with NBCUniversal’s live sports CTV inventory to reach fans on the big screen and re-engage them across YouTube and other Google surfaces. New cross-device frequency management uses household-level signals to limit overexposure, while Google AI-powered cross-device conversion tracking links CTV impressions to downstream purchases — at no added cost.

Google is also simplifying access to live sports through a redesigned Marketplace, allowing marketers to activate curated sports packages in just a few clicks rather than navigating fragmented media buys.

The big picture. As fans move fluidly between connected TV, YouTube, Search and social feeds, advertisers are under pressure to follow attention across screens. Google is positioning Display & Video 360 as the hub that connects those moments, from the living room to mobile.

The bottom line: By unlocking Olympic and live sports inventory inside Display & Video 360, Google is making premium sports advertising easier to buy, easier to measure, and far more accountable.