Dive Brief:

• Fubo launched a new connected TV (CTV) ad format, The Triple Play, that lets advertisers feature branded video content alongside curated programming and creative assets, per a press release.
• Walmart was the inaugural sponsor of the format, Marketing Dive has learned. The ad unit was used to take over the home screen with elements from its back-to-school campaign, and the branded video included a QR code to make the ad shoppable.
• The new format demonstrates how the sports-first live TV streaming platform is working to attract advertisers. Walmart’s adoption speaks to its ongoing efforts to connect content and commerce.

Dive Insight:

The Triple Play gave Walmart’s back-to-school campaign complete share of voice on Fubo’s home screen from Sept. 6 to 9. The ad format is Fubo’s latest innovation that demonstrates how streaming and CTV platforms can expand advertising opportunities beyond traditional TV spots.

“Traditional 15 and 30 second ad spots have long been staples in TV advertising but CTV has made it possible to expand standard TV ad formats to command more attention and engagement,” said Dina Roman, senior vice president of global ad sales and operations at Fubo, in a statement.

When opening Fubo, users are served an interactive home screen that can, with The Triple Play, combine a branded banner, a custom content carousel and an advertiser’s branded content video in a playlist. The branded video can be supplemented with a QR code, and the advertiser’s mid-roll spots will appear within all of the on-demand content within the custom programming playlist.

The combination of branded content, ad creative and curated programming is intended to help advertisers maximize reach and engagement. In Walmart’s case, the unit was used to take over the home screen with elements from its back-to-school campaign. The retailer’s “School Style Decoded” content was a first-of-its-kind shoppable runway show that launched in July.

Walmart’s inaugural sponsorship of The Triple Play shows how the retailer continues to work to connect commerce and content on its owned platforms and beyond. The company made waves this year with its planned acquisition of smart TV maker Vizio, and its Walmart Connect retail media offering has teamed with Disney Advertising around targeting and measurement.

The Triple Play is Fubo's latest ad innovation. The platform at the NewFronts introduced a suite of four new CTV ad units, including marquee, interactive, pause and enhanced banner ads. Fubo has long worked to solve advertiser identity issues through its adoption of Unified ID 2.0. Separately, it has worked to expand its non-sports offerings, as it did when partnering with Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort Productions.