As fall football takes center stage, fans are bringing the action into their living rooms like never before—and YouTube is leading the charge. While mobile used to dominate digital sports consumption, a significant shift is underway: viewers are increasingly turning to Connected TV (CTV) to watch their favorite plays, postgame breakdowns, and highlight reels. Over the past three years, CTV viewership of YouTube’s sports content—including football—has soared by 130%, with a 30% year-over-year increase in watch time on big-screen devices. This trend is redefining what it means to “watch sports at home.”
The broader growth of YouTube’s sports category supports this momentum. In the past year alone, viewers consumed over 35 billion hours of sports content on the platform—a massive 45% increase from the year prior. NFL-related content has played a pivotal role in this surge, as fans now treat YouTube as a primary viewing destination—not just a supplement. Whether it’s catching every touchdown, watching film breakdowns, or re-living game-day moments, audiences are showing up on the biggest screen in the house with expectations of full-scale, immersive content.
For advertisers, this creates a powerful new playing field. CTV doesn’t just deliver scale—it delivers attention. With fans leaning into long-form viewing sessions on their smart TVs and streaming devices, the opportunity to serve impactful, brand-safe, and high-quality video ads is greater than ever. Advertisers can now meet audiences at the intersection of premium content and living room comfort—where engagement is high, distractions are few, and football fandom is at full throttle.
Looking to break through this fall football season? Get in touch with VuePlanner to craft a YouTube strategy that puts your brand in front of engaged viewers on the biggest screens. We’ll help you tap into the power of CTV and sports content to drive deeper attention, broader reach, and real results. Let’s make this season your most impactful one yet.