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Sports betting
$167B wagered in 2025
Americans legally wagered $167 billion in 2025, producing $16.96 billion in operator revenue. Online betting is live in 31 states plus DC, roughly 200 million people.
The map
Online in 31 states plus DC.
39 states plus DC allow sports betting in some form. 8 are retail only. Wisconsin has signed and not launched online betting.
The two category leaders are also its two biggest TV advertisers.
The read
What matters in this market.
New York is 16% of the market
$26 billion wagered in 2025, the largest single state. Illinois ($15.5B) and New Jersey ($12.2B) are second and third.
Live sport is the best adjacency in US media
NFL games were more than 80 of the 100 most-watched US broadcasts in 2025. Super Bowl LX peaked at 137.8 million viewers.
The leaders bought their lead on TV
FanDuel and DraftKings are the biggest TV advertisers in US gaming. Below the top 5, almost nobody is on TV at scale while everyone fights the same social auctions.
Political inventory is clearing
Midterm money crowded swing-state linear through November 3. Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada are betting states, and early-2027 inventory there is back on the market.
Largest markets by 2025 handle
| Market | Handle | Note |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $26B | About 16% of the national total |
| Illinois | $15.5B | Number 2 |
| New Jersey | $12.2B | Number 3, and the iGaming pioneer |
| All others | ~$113B | 28 states plus DC |
Why TV here
Built for this category.
Planned to the sports calendar
NFL season, March Madness, and the promotional window around each new state launch. Timing is most of the strategy.
Trust converts deposits
46% of US adults rank TV the most trustworthy ad channel; 19% say the same of social. In a deposit-led category, that gap shows up in conversion.
The media
What you can reach.
How it's bought
Four routes in. Two are yours.
Most US networks need a US-registered entity, US credit or a US agency of record (AOR) before they'll take an order. Element Media Direct is a US company and can be that AOR.
| Route | Timing | Read |
|---|---|---|
| The upfront | 12 to 18 months ahead | Big annual commitments. The wrong door for a market entrant. |
| Scatter | 2 to 13 weeks ahead | Your linear entry. Flexible, market-priced, includes local DMA buys. |
| Programmatic CTV | Days | Fastest way in. Geo-fencing built in. Minimums around $25K to $50K. |
| Managed service | Weeks | Direct with Hulu, Peacock, Amazon and YouTube. Minimums around $100K. |
What it costs
Directional CPMs.
CPM is cost per thousand impressions. These are typical 2026 ranges; your plan gets real quotes.
| Format | Typical CPM | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Live sport (NFL, NBA) | $9 to $40+ | The most expensive inventory in US TV, and the strongest betting adjacency |
| Broadcast primetime | $6.50 to $30+ | Mass reach and the trust that comes with it |
| Premium CTV | $6.50 to $30 | Geo-fenced, measured, brand-safe |
| Programmatic CTV | $4 to $23 | The workhorse of a compliant launch |
| National cable | $2 to $18 | Efficient frequency |
| AVOD (Tubi, Pluto, Roku) | $3 to $15 | Cheap incremental households |
| Local broadcast and cable | $1.50 to $10 | State-level and DMA-level reach at regional cost |
Live in 30 days
Signature to on air.
Map and plan
Legal map confirmed. Target states, audiences and budget set. A plan across linear DMAs and CTV. Creative brief agreed.
Produce
Script to finished spot. Broadcast-ready creative is included, with compliance and responsible-gaming elements built in at production.
Clear and book
Network clearances secured. CTV built with state geo-fencing. Linear placements booked.
Launch and measure
CTV goes live and linear flights start. The measurement baseline is set on day one.
Measurement
TV you can hold to a number.
Weekly reporting on cost per first-time depositor (FTD), by state, daypart and creative. If TV isn't paying back, you'll hear it from me first.
Geo-level incrementality
Matched-market tests across DMAs and states. The cleanest way to show TV caused the growth.
Impression-level CTV data
Every impression logged by household geography, feeding cost per first-time depositor (FTD) by state, daypart and creative.
Spike analysis
Minute-by-minute response in downloads, site traffic and branded search after each linear spot.
Marketing mix modeling (MMM)
TV's contribution read alongside every other channel, so budget follows evidence.
The US TV Playbook for Gaming OperatorsFree download
The US TV Playbook
All 7 categories mapped. Who can advertise where, how US TV is bought, what it costs, and how to measure it so finance signs off.
Contact
Tell me what you're trying to do in the US.
You'll talk to me directly. If TV isn't the right next dollar for you, I'll say so.