Direct Sports Network

What Direct Sports Network does

Direct Sports Network (DSN), founded in 2003 and headquartered in Irvine, California, is a private media company operating a Connected Television (CTV) advertising platform that aggregates team-branded sports programming across hundreds of apps. Its content library is licensed directly from teams across the NFL, NHL, MLS, and NASCAR, totaling more than 300 on-demand channels with at least 10 hours of new programming added daily. DSN reports 3 million monthly unique viewers, of whom 77% are Millennials aged 18–34 and 91% are male. The platform is natively distributed across Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, mobile, and Smart TVs from nine manufacturers including Hisense, Sony, and TCL.

DSN's core differentiator is a patent-pending ad-serving technology that guarantees fewer than five minutes of ads per viewing hour via single-spot pods, contrasted against competitors such as Hulu that exceed 16% ad loads. The company sells advertising primarily on a CPCV (Cost Per Completed View) basis, guaranteeing 100% ad view completion or no charge, alongside a CPM option. Customers include major agencies and brands such as Mindshare (GroupM), Genesis (Hyundai), and Leo Burnett (Publicis), with go-to-market executed through a 'Try Before You Buy' product-led preview program. DSN leadership comprises CEO Richard Gillam, CIO Claud Staples, marketing director Megan Bennett, and engineering director Narayanan Ramanathan. Revenue, funding, and ownership details are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Direct Sports Network

Legal name

Direct Sports Network

Website

https://directsportsnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Direct Sports Network is a Connected Television advertising platform that aggregates team-branded NFL, NHL, MLS, and NASCAR programming into hundreds of CTV apps, selling CPCV-priced video ads to brand advertisers seeking to reach cord-cutting Millennial sports fans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Connected TV Advertising Platform

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sports Streaming Platforms (MPAKAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAE), League/Team-Owned Digital Broadcast Networks (MPAKAOAC)

Keywords

• CTV advertising platform
• Connected TV advertising
• Sports video network
• Brand-safe video ads
• Team-branded CTV apps

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. CTV Video Advertising: DSN generates revenue through advertising delivered on its CTV platform. The primary pricing model is CPCV (Cost Per Completed View), which guarantees advertisers full ad view completion. Alternative CPM (Cost Per Mille) pricing is also offered but with lower completion guarantees. The platform enables brands to run video ad campaigns across team-branded CTV apps via a single Insertion Order.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Direct Sports Network (DSN) is a Connected Television (CTV) advertising platform that aggregates hundreds of team-branded sports apps across NFL, NHL, MLS, and NASCAR into a single network. Advertisers buy video ad campaigns via a single Insertion Order (IO) that runs across all team-branded CTV apps, distributed natively on Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, and major Smart TV brands. DSN monetizes this audience of 3 million monthly unique viewers (77% Millennials, 91% male) through CPCV and CPM video advertising, supported by proprietary patent-pending ad technology enforcing responsible ad loads under 5 minutes per hour and 100% view-completion guarantees.

Product overview

Direct Sports Network (DSN) is a unified CTV advertising platform that aggregates team-branded content across hundreds of team-specific apps, enabling advertisers to run video ad campaigns targeting sports fans through a single IO. The platform distributes content across multiple streaming platforms (Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, Smart TVs) and offers proprietary ad technology with responsible ad loads (less than 5 minutes per hour), CPCV pricing, and brand-safe content sourced from NFL, NHL, MLS, and NASCAR teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Direct Sports Network (DSN) CTV Advertising Platform A brand-safe CTV advertising platform that delivers sports programming from team-branded apps to viewers across multiple streaming platforms, enabling advertisers to reach millions of sports fans with video ad campaigns through a single Insertion Order (IO).
• Team-Branded CTV Apps Individual team-specific connected TV applications within the DSN network, providing exclusive programming from sports teams across NFL, NHL, MLS, and NASCAR, allowing advertisers to target viewers based on team affinity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 million monthly unique viewers, 77% Millennials (18-34), 91% male
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Amazon Fire TVcoreTechnology or IntegrationDSN is accessible on Amazon Fire TV platform, allowing viewers to access team-branded sports content through the Fire TV ecosystem.
• RokucoreTechnology or IntegrationDSN is accessible on Roku streaming platform, providing distribution through Roku's CTV ecosystem of users.
• Apple TVcoreTechnology or IntegrationDSN is accessible on Apple TV platform, enabling distribution to Apple TV users seeking sports content.
• XboxcoreTechnology or IntegrationDSN is natively integrated on Xbox gaming consoles, providing access to sports programming in living room environments.
• Smart TV Manufacturers (Hisense, Hitachi, Insignia, Philips, Sharp, Sony, TCL, Toshiba)coreTechnology or IntegrationDSN is natively integrated into Smart TVs from multiple manufacturers, enabling direct-to-TV content delivery without additional devices.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• fuboTV: fuboTV is a sports-first live TV streaming platform that aggregates sports content for cord-cutters and offers advertising-supported tiers. It is directly comparable to DSN because both target sports fans on CTV with ad-supported models, though fuboTV is live-TV focused while DSN is on-demand team programming.
• Pluto TV: Pluto TV is a leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service owned by Paramount, distributing themed channels across CTV platforms. Comparable to DSN as a free, ad-supported CTV network aggregating content across Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Smart TVs.
• Tubi: Tubi is a free ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox, offering on-demand movies and TV across CTV devices. Comparable to DSN as an AVOD CTV platform monetized through advertising and distributed across the same CTV platforms (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Smart TVs).
• DAZN: DAZN is a global sports streaming platform distributing live and on-demand sports content to consumers on CTV and mobile. Comparable to DSN as a sports-focused streaming service targeting engaged sports fans, though DAZN is subscription-led rather than ad-supported.

Broad incumbents

• ESPN+: ESPN+ is Disney's direct-to-consumer sports streaming service, bundling ESPN linear content with on-demand sports. It is a broader incumbent competing with DSN for sports fan attention on CTV, with significantly more content depth and Disney's distribution leverage.
• NFL+: NFL+ is the NFL's official direct-to-consumer streaming service offering live local and primetime games plus on-demand team content. It is a league-owned platform that overlaps directly with DSN's NFL team-branded content strategy and represents both a content source and a competitive threat.
• Roku: Roku operates the leading CTV operating system and ad platform, distributing free ad-supported channels (Roku Channel) alongside third-party apps including DSN. Comparable because Roku is both a critical distribution partner and a competitor building owned CTV sports and entertainment content.
• Amazon Fire TV Channels: Amazon operates Fire TV Channels, a free ad-supported streaming service on Fire TV devices, plus Thursday Night Football on Prime Video. Comparable to DSN as both a distribution partner and increasingly a direct competitor for sports content on CTV.

Emerging players

• The Roku Channel: The Roku Channel is Roku's owned free ad-supported streaming service featuring live linear channels and on-demand content across sports, entertainment, and news. Comparable to DSN as an AVOD CTV channel aggregator monetized through advertising on the same devices.
• Xumo: Xumo is a free ad-supported streaming service owned by Comcast/Charter, distributing themed linear and on-demand channels across CTV devices. Comparable to DSN as a FAST-style CTV network monetized through advertising and distributed via Smart TVs and streaming devices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Direct Sports Network