Beyond the Game: How to Reach NBA and NHL Fans All Season Long

Writer: Kerri O’Connor
Date: September 24, 2026

Estimated reading time: 4-minute read

What you’ll learn:

• Why the advertising opportunity to target basketball and hockey fans extends well beyond live game broadcasts.
• How in-game ad inventory along with pre-game and post-game coverage can work together to reach sports fans across the funnel.
• How CTV, OLV, and display ads can help brands stay visible as basketball and hockey fans move between screens and devices.

THE GAME IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE FAN EXPERIENCE

A major basketball matchup or hockey rivalry game may concentrate enormous fan attention into a few hours. But the opportunity to reach that audience does not begin at tipoff or puck drop, and it does not disappear when the final buzzer sounds.

Fans engage with sports content throughout the day. Before a game, they may check schedules, predictions, and lineups. Afterward, they continue following the action through recaps, commentary, and other sports coverage.
For advertisers looking to build brand visibility during basketball and hockey seasons, focusing exclusively on live game broadcasts means missing other valuable moments of fan attention. Instead, a broader, full-funnel strategy can help brands build a presence around how fans consume different sports content before, during, and after the games –– across multiple screens and environments.

WHY ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES EXTEND BEYOND THE LIVE GAMES

Basketball and hockey fans do more than watch games. They follow players, schedules, and much more throughout the season.

That ongoing interest creates multiple opportunities for advertisers to engage audiences when the games are already top of mind. For example, a fan may watch a live game on connected TV (CTV), check scores on their mobile during a break, read post-game analysis on a desktop, and stream highlights later.

These behaviors give advertisers more than one way to remain relevant throughout the basketball and hockey seasons without relying exclusively on live-game impressions.

The length of the NBA and NHL seasons create recurring advertising opportunities. From opening night and regular-season matchups to rivalry games and championship coverage, advertisers can build campaigns around the many moments that excite fans.

OWN EVERY MOMENT AROUND THE GAME

Before the Game
Pre-game coverage and contextual targeting can help advertisers engage audiences while interest is building. For example, an advertiser could appear alongside content about an upcoming matchup, a player storyline, or the teams competing that evening.

This creates an opportunity to reach them as they prepare to watch the game and establish brand awareness before premium live inventory even begins.

During the Game
Live, in-game inventory gives advertisers an opportunity to reach fans while their attention is focused on the action. Through premium programmatic partnerships, Simpli.fi provides access to sought-after basketball and hockey streaming inventory across national broadcasts and regional sports networks.
These placements can anchor a broader sports advertising strategy, connecting brands with audiences during key moments of the game. From there, complementary programmatic opportunities and surrounding media can help extend reach beyond the live game and reinforce messaging across channels and devices.

Think of the game as the center of the media plan, not the entire media plan.

After the Game
Fan attention often continues long after the game ends. Advertisers can extend campaigns into these moments rather than ending engagement with the live broadcast. Online video (OLV) and display placements can help brands reconnect with audiences as they watch post-game shows, read sports articles, or follow commentary and social conversations about the game results.

Post-game placements can also reinforce messaging seen during live coverage. This creates greater continuity across the broader viewing experience and gives audiences another opportunity to connect with the brand.

HOW ADVERTISERS CAN ENGAGE WITH BASKETBALL AND HOCKEY FANS

The NBA and NHL create valuable opportunities for brands to connect with highly engaged basketball and hockey fans. The following examples provide a glimpse of how advertisers can build impactful touchpoints around these moments:

Capture Basketball Fans Bouncing Between Screens

A fan in San Francisco may watch a live basketball game on a CTV screen while checking player statistics on their mobile phone. After the game, they might watch highlights or read a game analysis on their laptop.

For advertisers, this creates opportunities across multiple screens to reinforce brand messaging at each stage of the basketball fan’s journey. While live inventory can capture attention during the game, OLV and display ads can extend reach across the content that fans engage with before and after the game.

Engage With Hockey Fans Gliding Across Devices

A New York fan may stream pre-game coverage before watching a live hockey matchup, check scores on their mobile during the game, and watch highlights online later that evening.

A brand can support this fan journey by appearing across live in-game inventory, CTV, OLV, and display placements. Contextual targeting also helps place these ads alongside relevant content such as match previews, highlights, and post-game coverage.

FOLLOW FANS ACROSS SCREENS, NOT JUST GAME BROADCASTS

Sports consumption increasingly involves multiple screens and content formats. That’s why a cross-screen strategy helps advertisers stay present across those touchpoints.

Simpli.fi’s CTV capabilities combine audience insights and location intelligence to help sports advertisers reach fans across premium streaming environments.

Programmatic media extends that presence into the websites, apps, and digital environments that fans visit throughout the basketball and hockey seasons, while OLV can reach fans through the video content they consume beyond live games.

Sports brands can also connect ad spend to measurable business outcomes with Simpli.fi’s data-driven approach.

Follow the fan journey across screens instead of treating each channel as a separate campaign audience.

Rather than planning each channel independently, advertisers can use live sports inventory, CTV, OLV, and display together to build a more connected advertising strategy around the basketball and hockey fan journey before, during, and after the games.

Talk to our team about reaching basketball and hockey fans across live games and beyond. Contact us at hi@simpli.fi.

NBA and NHL are registered trademarks of the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League, respectively. Simplifi is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by either league.

Kerri O’Connor Senior Manager, Content Marketing | Simpli.fi Kerri O’Connor is a strategic product marketer with deep expertise in digital advertising, audience engagement, and campaign performance. As a Senior Manager of Content Marketing at Simpli.fi, she leads go-to-market strategy, messaging development, and product adoption for innovative ad tech solutions. Kerri brings a strong background in programmatic media, digital strategy, and client enablement, translating complex industry trends into clear, actionable marketing. She excels at blending data with storytelling to drive results and help brands connect with the right audiences. A passionate storyteller and data-driven marketer, Kerri is committed to helping brands navigate the evolving digital landscape and maximize their marketing impact.