Fox Opens Its Live Sports Inventory to Local Advertisers

Fox Television Stations is opening its premium streaming sports inventory to local advertisers through a partnership with ad-tech firm Madhive. The deal gives small and medium-sized businesses access to high-engagement audiences that were previously difficult to reach.

• Flipping the switch: The partnership plugs Fox’s sought-after CTV inventory, including live NCAA college football games, into Madhive's Local Live Sports Marketplace. The integration acts as an extension of Fox’s own FLX targeting platform, giving advertisers access to a marketplace with over 16 premium sports products.
• Targeting the superfan: Madhive is deploying its Maverick AI layer to help advertisers move beyond broad viewership. The company says its AI will analyze viewer behavior and content cues to help brands target specific and often hard-to-find fan audiences.
• Main Street meets Monday Night: Fox’s head of digital sales, Michael Page, said the goal is to let every local advertiser “align with the biggest sporting moments.” For Madhive, the partnership serves to "level the playing field" for local businesses, according to its president, Jim Wilson.

The move is part of a broader trend where technology is breaking down the barriers to premium television advertising. By enabling programmatic access to live sports, the deal challenges the traditional ad-buying model and gives local players a spot in a game once dominated by national brands. This sports deal builds on a previous collaboration from early 2024, when Fox became a launch partner for Madhive’s political ad marketplace.