Why Award Shows Are a Big Deal for Marketers (And How CTV Wins the Night)

Why Award Shows Matter for Marketers

Let’s be honest — award shows aren’t just about who wins Best Actor or whether someone’s speech goes way over the time limit (cue the orchestra music). For marketers, these events are prime-time gold, offering massive audiences, cultural relevance and an engaged viewership glued to both the big screen and their second screens.

With streaming reshaping how people watch, award shows have evolved from a linear TV-only affair into a multiscreen, multi-platform and multi-opportunity marketing event. It’s no longer just about expensive TV spots — brands can now engage viewers before, during and after the show through strategic CTV campaigns, interactive content and data-driven targeting.

In other words: You don’t need a $7 million Super Bowl ad budget to make a splash during award season — you just need the right digital strategy.

How Advertisers Can Win Big During Award Show Season

1. Build Pre-Event Buzz Like a Hollywood Trailer

Just like a blockbuster movie hypes its release weeks in advance, marketers should start engaging award show audiences before the big night.

Winning Strategies:
🎬 Tease your campaign early with countdown-themed CTV ads.
📢 Leverage influencers and entertainment media partnerships to generate excitement.
📱 Retarget users engaging with award-related content to stay top of mind.

🚀 Pro Tip: Use AI-powered audience segmentation to find the biggest entertainment fans across CTV platforms and deliver your ads at the perfect moment.

2. Engage Viewers During the Live Event (Because Nobody Watches Alone Anymore)

Award show viewership is no longer a one-screen experience — people are tweeting (or is it x-ing?), posting and meme-ing in real time while they watch. (If there’s a controversial win, you can bet Twitter will explode before the next award is even announced.)

Winning Strategies:
📺 Run programmatic CTV ads in-stream to capture highly engaged audiences.
📊 Launch interactive ads that let viewers vote, scan or shop directly from their screen.
🐦 Pair CTV campaigns with real-time social media activations to maximize visibility.

📊 Stat Alert: In 2023, 87% of viewers used a second screen (mobile/tablet) while watching live award shows. A cross-device strategy isn’t optional — it’s essential.

3. Ride the Post-Show Hype Like a Red-Carpet Afterparty

Once the last Oscar has been handed out and the internet has decided who got robbed, there’s still work to do. This is the time to retarget engaged viewers, reinforce key messaging, and capitalize on post-event buzz.

Winning Strategies:
🔁 Retarget award show viewers with follow-up content and special offers.
📺 Repurpose CTV ad creatives into snackable post-show content.
🎤 Recap and engage—join trending conversations and turn engagement into conversions.

🚀 Example: A fashion brand promoting its red carpet-inspired collection can use CTV retargeting to reach viewers post-show, driving traffic to an exclusive landing page.

CTV Advertising vs. Linear TV: And the Winner Is…

We’re calling it now — CTV takes home Best Performance in Award Show Advertising.

Here’s why:

1. Better Targeting = Smarter Ad Spend

📡 CTV: Uses first-party data and behavioral insights to deliver ads to the right audience.
📺 Linear TV: Sprays ads across broad demographics and hopes for the best.

2. Cost Efficiency & ROI

📡 CTV: Ads reach high-intent viewers, reducing wasted spend.
📺 Linear TV: Expensive with no guarantee that your audience is paying attention.

3. Interactivity & Engagement

📡 CTV: Clickable, interactive and tailored experiences for viewers.
📺 Linear TV: Passive viewing with zero interactivity.

4. Measurable Performance & Real-Time Adjustments

📡 CTV: Tracks engagement, conversions and view-through rates in real time.
📺 Linear TV: “Hope we made an impact?” (Data? What data?)

🎬 Final Verdict: If you want to reach the right audience, track performance and maximize ROI, CTV is the clear winner.

The Streaming Shift: How Award Show Viewership is Changing

If you still need proof that CTV is the future, just look at the latest award show ratings:

🏆 Golden Globes 2025 – The ceremony pulled in 10.1 million viewers across CBS and Paramount+, holding steady with last year’s 9.4 million. But here’s the real kicker: live-streaming viewership jumped 9% year-over-year, proving that streaming is a growing medium for awards show viewership.

🎵 Grammys 2024 – The 66th Annual Grammy Awards crushed it with 16.9 million viewers, marking a massive 34% increase from 2023. What made the difference? Streaming. Paramount+ reported a 173% increase in Grammy viewership compared to 2023, showing just how much audiences are shifting to digital platforms.

Translation? Brands investing in CTV campaigns during award shows will have a serious advantage.

Final Thoughts: Maximize Award Show Advertising with CTV

Award shows are no longer just about one big TV ad — they’re about strategic, data-driven and cross-platform engagement that keeps brands top of mind before, during and after the event.

🎯 Start early with pre-event campaigns.
📡 Engage live audiences with CTV and social activations.
📊 Leverage real-time data & retargeting to drive post-show conversions.

🚀 Want to take your award show ad strategy to the next level? Viant’s AI-driven DSP delivers people-based targeting, omnichannel reach and real-time analytics to make your CTV campaigns award-worthy.