Magnite launches Live Scheduler to streamline live event advertising

Magnite introduced Live Scheduler on November 18, 2025, establishing a standardized framework for how media owners and advertisers transact on live streaming content. The solution addresses operational challenges that have complicated live event monetization across fragmented streaming environments.

Live Scheduler operates within Magnite's SpringServe platform, enabling media owners to create upcoming live event ad opportunities and share details including event name, timing, sport, league, broadcaster, and concurrency estimates. This structure aims to reduce fragmentation while helping media owners maximize outcomes across live environments. Buyers and demand-side platforms, including Amazon DSP, gain clearer visibility into upcoming live inventory, allowing them to plan and pace campaigns more precisely to reach engaged audiences when attention peaks.

Roku represents one of the first streaming platforms to utilize Live Scheduler, according to the announcement. The timing reflects broader industry momentum around live streaming infrastructure as platforms seek more efficient monetization tools. Magnite's live infrastructure has powered major global sporting events and entertainment programming, with its Live Stream Acceleration technology helping top streaming media owners drive performance improvements.

"Our deep expertise powering live advertising has given us a clear perspective on what the industry needs next, and continues to inform how we evolve our live capabilities," said Adam Soroca, Chief Product Officer at Magnite. "While we introduced LSA to address delivery and optimization challenges, Live Scheduler advances this effort by removing operational barriers. The result is a purpose-built system that empowers media owners and advertisers to make the most of the live programmatic opportunity."

The introduction addresses a fundamental challenge in live streaming advertising: the complexity of scaling programmatic activations for time-sensitive content. Traditional programmatic infrastructure was designed for on-demand inventory with predictable supply and demand patterns. Live events present different requirements, with viewership fluctuating dramatically based on competitive outcomes, breaking developments, or cultural moments that capture widespread attention.

Chris Conetta, Director of Supply at Amazon Ads, acknowledged the technical challenges. "While live events have long been a powerful way for brands to engage with leaned in audiences, the complexity of scaling programmatic activations has posed challenges for advertisers," Conetta stated. "We're excited to work with partners to increase digital-level precision and flexibility for live campaigns to help advertisers better connect with audiences in cultural moments that matter most to consumers."

Disney launched certification programs in January 2025 for live streaming advertising that enable real-time bidding capabilities for live content across both sports and entertainment programming. The certification included partnerships with Google Display & Video 360, The Trade Desk, Yahoo DSP, and Magnite. Those technical specifications required three primary capabilities: infrastructure to handle and respond to bids in real-time within live environments, dynamic pricing that reflects real-time changes in supply and demand, and sophisticated bid density management to handle increased volumes during peak viewership moments.

The market context supporting Live Scheduler's development reflects substantial shifts in viewing patterns. Nielsen data shows streaming officially surpassed combined broadcast and cable viewing for the first time in July 2025. This transition has created complex challenges for media owners and advertisers navigating fragmented digital environments while attempting to replicate the scale and simplicity of linear television advertising.

Charlie Goodman, Head of Video Ad Product at Roku, positioned the technology within streaming's transformation of live television. "Live TV continues to be one of the most powerful mediums for engaging audiences, especially during high-impact moments," Goodman stated. "As Live TV shifts to streaming, monetization is key. Magnite's expanded live capabilities will help Roku connect advertisers to live audiences more efficiently, while Roku's leading identity framework ensures effective ad experiences without compromising viewing quality."

Magnite maintains 99% coverage of the connected television supply market according to Jounce Media's March 2025 Supply Path Benchmarking Report, positioning it as the dominant force in programmatic CTV advertising. This extensive coverage spans direct partnerships with major streaming platforms including Netflix, Roku, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney. The company's SpringServe technology platform represents a unified approach to streaming advertising, combining ad serving and programmatic capabilities that previously required separate systems.

The platform announced machine learning capabilities on October 24, 2025, to optimize ad pod construction for CTV publishers, reducing redundant bid requests. SpringServe's machine learning predicts optimal bid request volumes for each ad break, reducing overhead while maximizing diversity and yield. Traditional programmatic pod construction operated as what Magnite described as a "spray and pray" approach, with publishers issuing multiple bid requests per commercial break to ensure inventory fills completely.

Live sports content provides unique advantages for streaming advertising compared to on-demand programming. The simultaneous large audiences that live events generate represent increasingly rare opportunities in the fragmented streaming landscape where individual viewing sessions typically involve smaller audience segments. The real-time nature of live sports creates advertising environments that more closely resemble traditional television broadcast models while incorporating the targeting and measurement capabilities that digital platforms provide.

FanDuel Sports Network achieved a 25% year-over-year increase in total impressions served through Magnite's SpringServe video platform, according to an announcement made on July 30, 2025. The growth occurred across FanDuel Sports Network's streaming infrastructure as the network accelerated investment in live sports streaming capabilities. The partnership demonstrated significant momentum in live sports streaming monetization as traditional viewing habits continued their digital transformation.

The operational workflow created by Live Scheduler standardizes information sharing between media owners and buyers. Media owners input details about upcoming live events, creating a structured data format that demand-side platforms can ingest and incorporate into campaign planning processes. This standardization contrasts with previous approaches where each media owner might communicate event details through different channels and formats, creating inefficiencies for buyers managing campaigns across multiple streaming platforms.

Amazon DSP recently added Live signals integration into Marketing Cloud on June 16, 2025, introducing comprehensive measurement capabilities for live content. Prime Video's advertising opportunities include traditional video ads, live sports programming, and premium content including upcoming James Bond films and NBA coverage. The integration positioned Amazon Marketing Cloud as a comprehensive measurement solution spanning e-commerce, streaming video, live content, and advertising performance across multiple channels.

Programmatic transactions account for three-fourths of all CTV advertising activity, according to Magnite's analysis. The streaming advertising ecosystem has experienced rapid transformation, with programmatic capabilities expanding across major platforms throughout 2025. Publishers increasingly seek yield optimization tools as CTV budget allocation doubled from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025, according to industry projections.

Magnite reported strong Q1 2025 financial results on May 7, with Connected TV revenue growing 15% year-over-year and overall contribution ex-TAC increasing 12% to $145.8 million. Live sports continued as an important growth driver, with nearly 20 partners using Magnite's live stream acceleration technology. NCAA basketball contributed significantly to Q1 growth, with major upcoming events across MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL playoffs, and college sports. Magnite expanded its international sports portfolio to include opportunities with FIFA Plus, Champions League, and Liga MX.

The introduction of Live Scheduler reflects industry recognition that live streaming requires purpose-built infrastructure rather than adaptations of technology designed for on-demand content. Live events present operational complexities including unpredictable duration, fluctuating viewership, and time-sensitive advertising opportunities that demand real-time responsiveness from advertising systems.

Magnite unveiled the next generation of its SpringServe video platform on April 23, combining its streaming ad server with supply-side platform capabilities. The unified platform streamlined buyers' connection to 99% of US streaming supply according to Jounce Media's March 2025 Supply Path Benchmarking Report. Initial clients included major industry players Disney Advertising, LG Ad Solutions, Paramount, Roku, Samsung, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

The competitive environment in streaming advertising technology continues intensifying as providers develop more efficient monetization solutions. Amazon and Roku announced on June 16, 2025, an exclusive partnership creating the largest authenticated Connected TV footprint available to advertisers in the United States, providing access to an estimated 80 million CTV households. Early testing demonstrated advertisers using the new solution reached 40% more unique viewers with identical budgets while reducing ad frequency by nearly 30%.

Live Scheduler's value proposition centers on operational efficiency and transparency. Buyers gain advance visibility into live inventory, enabling more strategic campaign planning rather than reactive opportunistic buying. Media owners benefit from standardized workflows that reduce manual coordination while maximizing yield through better buyer participation. The system creates a feedback loop where better planning capabilities attract more buyer interest, which in turn increases competition and pricing for live inventory.

The announcement positions Magnite to capture growing demand for live streaming advertising as more premium content migrates from traditional linear television to streaming platforms. Major sports leagues have expanded streaming distribution, with the NBA, NFL, and international soccer leagues all increasing digital availability. Prime Video launched interactive betting integration and artificial intelligence-powered viewing tools for its NBA streaming service ahead of the season start on October 24, 2025.

Technical implementation details remain limited in the initial announcement, but the system's integration within SpringServe suggests it leverages existing platform capabilities for inventory management, reporting, and buyer access. The standardized data format likely enables automated workflows through demand-side platforms, reducing manual processes that have complicated live event advertising at scale.

Industry adoption will determine Live Scheduler's impact on live streaming monetization. The tool's effectiveness depends on participation from both media owners who create event listings and buyers who utilize the advance visibility for campaign planning. Roku's early adoption provides validation, but broader scaling requires widespread implementation across streaming platforms and integration into demand-side platform workflows.

Timeline

• November 18, 2025 – Magnite introduces Live Scheduler for standardized live event advertising transactions
• October 24, 2025 – Magnite announces machine learning-powered ad podding within SpringServe ad server
• October 1, 2025 – Prime Video launches interactive betting and AI features for NBA coverage
• August 26, 2025 – Magnite rolls out Pause Ads across DIRECTV, DISH Media, and Fubo
• July 30, 2025 – FanDuel Sports Network sees 25% streaming ad growth through Magnite SpringServe platform
• June 17, 2025 – Disney inventory becomes available on Amazon DSP through Real-Time Ad Exchange
• June 16, 2025 – Amazon DSP launches Live signals integration into Marketing Cloud
• June 16, 2025 – Amazon and Roku announce largest authenticated CTV partnership with 80 million household reach
• May 7, 2025 – Magnite reports Q1 2025 financial results with 15% CTV growth
• April 23, 2025 – Magnite merges ad server with SSP technology in SpringServe platform
• March 9, 2025 – Magnite dominates CTV market with 99% supply coverage according to Jounce Media
• January 7, 2025 – Disney launches certification for live streaming ads with Magnite as sole SSP partner

Summary

Who: Magnite, the largest independent sell-side advertising company, launched Live Scheduler for media owners including Roku and demand-side platforms such as Amazon DSP. Adam Soroca serves as Chief Product Officer at Magnite, while Charlie Goodman leads Video Ad Product at Roku and Chris Conetta directs Supply at Amazon Ads.

What: Live Scheduler is an industry-first offering within Magnite's SpringServe platform that helps media owners plan, activate, and measure ads around live events through a standardized framework. The system enables media owners to create upcoming live event ad opportunities with details including event name, timing, sport, league, broadcaster, and concurrency estimates, while buyers gain clearer visibility into upcoming live inventory.

When: Magnite announced Live Scheduler on November 18, 2025, building on its existing Live Stream Acceleration technology that has powered major global sporting events and entertainment programming throughout 2025.

Where: The solution operates within Magnite's SpringServe platform, which maintains 99% coverage of the connected television supply market according to Jounce Media's March 2025 Supply Path Benchmarking Report, spanning direct partnerships with major streaming platforms including Netflix, Roku, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney across the United States and international markets.

Why: Live Scheduler addresses the operational barriers and complexity of scaling programmatic activations for live streaming content, turning real-time moments into scalable opportunities by reducing fragmentation and helping media owners maximize outcomes while enabling buyers to plan and pace campaigns more precisely to reach engaged audiences during high-attention moments as viewing patterns shift from traditional broadcast and cable to streaming platforms.