The Super Bowl 2025 Programmatic Advertising Playbook

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The Super Bowl has always been the ultimate stage for advertisers, with millions of viewers glued to their screens for the ads as much as the game itself. But in 2025, the advertising playbook has shifted. With 70% of Super Bowl viewers engaging with multiple devices during the game, creating campaigns that bridge the gap between storytelling on Connected TV (CTV) and real-time actions on mobile is more important than ever.

This article explores how advertisers can maximize their Super Bowl campaigns by combining CTV’s storytelling power with programmatic tools for real-time optimization and seamless multi-device engagement.

 

The Multi-Device Super Bowl Audience

Super Bowl viewing habits have evolved. Viewers engage with secondary devices during the game, often browsing social media, shopping apps, or interacting with complementary content (scoring, predictions, e-sports, etc.).

For example, a viewer might watch a captivating CTV ad for a new sports drink during halftime and simultaneously browse reviews or product details on their mobile device. This behavior underscores the importance of crafting campaigns that resonate across screens, ensuring a seamless user experience from awareness to action.

By understanding these multitasking behaviors, advertisers can align their messaging and formats to the natural flow of the audience’s journey—connecting emotional storytelling on CTV with actionable engagement on mobile. This combination ensures brands can engage audiences where they’re most attentive and ready to act.

 

Why CTV Is the Cornerstone of Super Bowl Campaigns

Today’s Super Bowl audience is more connected than ever, and streaming platforms have definitively taken the lead as the preferred choice for live sports. An impressive 74% of connected TV (CTV) users in the U.S. confidently embrace streaming live events, demonstrating a shift away from traditional linear TV.  Brand advertisers are reallocating their budgets to target these engaged audiences where they are most active. Consequently, CTV is rapidly gaining prominence, with U.S. ad spending projected to exceed $34 billion by 2025. This growth is driven by high ad completion rates, precise targeting capabilities, and a wide range of inventory options.

Connected TV (CTV) advertising spending in the United States from 2019 to 2027 Statista BRAVE

Key Benefits of CTV for Super Bowl Advertising:
  1. High Completion Rates: CTV ads boast completion rates exceeding 90%, making them ideal for delivering immersive, long-form storytelling. These ads set the stage for mobile channels to deliver the final nudge toward conversion.
  2. Cross-Device Integration Benefits: Campaigns combining CTV and mobile can achieve up to 30% higher ROI than standalone channels.
  3. Data-Driven Personalization: Platforms like Roku and Samsung Ads use first-party data to target high-intent viewers.
  4. Scalable Reach: Advertisers can reach broad audiences while tailoring messages to specific segments.

By meeting viewers where they are—across multiple screens—advertisers can drive both awareness and action simultaneously.

 

The Journey from CTV Awareness to Mobile Action

Cross-device tracking bridges the gap between CTV’s emotional resonance and mobile’s immediacy.

The Super Bowl CTV – in-app user journey:
  1. Awareness on CTV: A 30-second CTV ad runs during halftime, showcasing the brand, products, and special game-day discounts.
  2. Engagement on Mobile: Cross-device tracking identifies viewers exposed to the ad and serves them follow-up mobile ads, encouraging subscriptions or purchases.
  3. Conversion: Users complete the desired action, such as ordering food or signing up, with mobile metrics tying back to the CTV exposure.
The Role of Data Cleanrooms in Super Bowl Advertising

Privacy-first solutions like cleanrooms enable advertisers to track user engagement across devices while maintaining compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. By integrating CTV and mobile data, brands can measure campaign performance holistically and optimize strategies for future campaigns.

 

Creative Strategies for CTV and In-App Campaigns during Super Bowl 2025

Crafting creative that resonates across CTV and mobile is essential to campaign success. Here’s how to make every impression count:

  • Shoppable Formats: Use shoppable CTV ads to turn storytelling into instant conversions. QR codes or clickable CTAs make it easy for viewers to act immediately.
  • Playable Ads: Enhance engagement with gamified app ads tied to game-day moments, such as a halftime trivia contest linked to product discounts.
  • Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO): Tailor messaging to match audience behavior and campaign goals in real time. For instance, a food delivery app can run location-based CTV ads promoting game-day offers, followed by mobile ads encouraging immediate orders.

4 Actionable Tips for Super Bowl CTV and In-App Advertising

  1. Start with Storytelling on CTV: Use CTV to build brand awareness and emotional connections with long-form, high-impact ads.
  2. Leverage Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO): Adapt ad creatives in real-time to reflect game-day moments, ensuring relevance and resonance.
    Example: A beverage brand updates its mobile ad creatives during the game to match team-specific celebrations, boosting engagement by 15%.
  3. Extend Campaigns Across Devices: Use cross-device attribution to create seamless transitions from CTV awareness to mobile actions, such as app downloads or website visits.
    Example: A sportswear brand combines a CTV awareness campaign with push notifications and retargeted mobile ads, resulting in a 25% increase in conversions.
  4. Use Privacy-Compliant Attribution Tools: Integrate first-party data and cleanroom technology to track user journeys without compromising privacy.

 

Looking Ahead: Programmatic Innovation Beyond the Super Bowl

Advertisers can leverage Super Bowl insights gained from multi-device campaigns to inform year-round strategies. Here’s what’s next:

  • AI-Powered Personalization: Predictive analytics and machine learning will enhance real-time optimization, delivering hyper-relevant content to high-intent users.
  • Interactive Ad Formats: Shoppable CTV ads and QR codes will further bridge the gap between awareness and action.
  • Omnichannel Campaigns: Combining programmatic channels like CTV, PrOOH, and programmatic audio will redefine how brands engage with audiences across touchpoints.
  • Privacy-First Tools: Securing effective targeting while adhering to strict data regulations.

By integrating programmatic strategies with CTV and mobile, brands can deliver campaigns that not only engage during the game but also leave a lasting impact.

 

Conclusion

The Super Bowl 2025 presents a unique opportunity for advertisers to engage audiences across devices, blending the immersive storytelling of CTV with the immediacy of mobile. By leveraging programmatic tools like DCO, cross-device tracking, and privacy-compliant attribution, brands can create campaigns that resonate deeply and deliver measurable results.

Ready to elevate your Super Bowl strategy? Embrace the power of programmatic CTV and multi-device engagement to ensure your brand stays top of mind—not just during the game, but long after.