FuboTV reports success for advertisers using Unified ID 2.0

Dive Brief:

FuboTV has seen improved performance among advertising campaigns transacted through The Trade Desk’s Unified ID 2.0 (UID 2.0) identity platform, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
Compared to the year prior, the sports-first streamer saw a 61.5% increase in advertising spend, a 25% increase in ad impressions and a general increase in CPMs for campaigns using UID 2.0.
FuboTV’s reported success with UID 2.0 could boost marketer sentiment and credibility around the alternative targeting solution as many in the industry seek a replacement for third-party cookies and other identifiers.

Dive Insight:

FuboTV’s use of UID 2.0, a cookie alternative created by The Trade Desk, appears promising as the world of data-driven marketing remains in flux. UID 2.0 has buy-in from a number of publishers, brands and agencies, but isn’t the only cookie replacement vying for support from marketers. That means positive case studies could be important to spurring adoption in a competitive field, particularly on high-growth channels like connected TV (CTV)

FuboTV embraced UID 2.0 in early 2021, making it the identity solution’s first CTV partner. Today, FuboTV is reporting success on both the buy and sell side of its ad operations, with a spend growth rate 112.8% faster than its available impressions. This finding suggests it has been able to maximize available inventory with more precise ad-serving.

Success with UID 2.0 could help FuboTV position itself as a data-optimal, cost-efficient platform for advertisers. In a specific case called out in the release, an unnamed e-commerce retailer with a large first-party customer relationship management (CRM) data set was able to reduce cost-per-action by 9%, drive up conversion rates by 25% and improve return on ad spend by 14% using UID 2.0.

FuboTV’s early work with UID 2.0 is happening during a boom time for CTV. Ad spending on the channel is expected to grow to $21.2 billion this year, more than doubling from the period between 2020 and 2022, according to research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

“CTV is a proving ground for new approaches to identity with ID solutions such as Unified ID 2.0, which are aiming to create a more consistent advertising experience across digital media,” said Ash Gangwar, general manager of TV partnerships at The Trade Desk, in a statement.

FuboTV continues to work on setting itself apart from others with data and tech integrations. In November of last year, FuboTV fully integrated with Dentsu’s people-based identity and data platform M1 to help it match first-party subscriber data with advertiser’s CRM data. In December, it acquired Edisn.ai for contextual targeting capabilities. Most recently, it partnered with Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort Productions to tap into the agency’s advertiser relationships and creative expertise while stretching beyond sports offerings.

FuboTV saw a strong second quarter, reporting double-digit year-on-year growth in North America. Advertising revenue was up 32% to $21.7 million, while paid subscribers jumped 41%, per its latest earnings report.

The Trade Desk reported revenue of $377 million in Q2, a 35% YoY increase. A growing list of agencies, streaming services, brands and ad-tech firms are backing the UID 2.0 offering. In July, Disney Advertising integrated its Audience Graph with UID 2.0 using its Clean Room technology, allowing advertisers to activate their first-party data against Disney’s content.