Thanksgiving week has evolved from a holiday viewing tradition into one of the most valuable battlegrounds in media – where live sports, connected TV, and deal promotions converge to capture audience attention.
With 2025 shaping up to be the fiercest fight yet – as major sports events go head-to-head with cultural juggernauts like Stranger Things Season 5 – this report examines what worked last year and what it reveals about the battles ahead. The Thanksgiving 2025 Playbook: Sports and Black Friday Wins uses MPV™ and $MPV™ data to show which campaigns – from the NFL and NBA to MLS, Premier League, College Football, and Black Friday streamers – turned visibility into value.
A follow-up report later this year will unveil how 2025’s major releases and live events play out – and which campaigns ultimately won the Thanksgiving visibility battle.
Key Insights:
🏈 NFL Tops the Rankings: The league’s top three placements landed in the top 2% of all U.S. promotions, driving $536K $MPV™ and extending reach through spin-offs like Madden NFL and NFL Icons.
📱 YouTube Wins on Simplicity: Sunday Ticket on iPhone outperformed NBA promos with $246K $MPV™, with a flexible CTAs beating hard-sell offers.
⚽ Apple TV Scores Big: Exclusive MLS rights powered standout campaigns, each hitting MPV™ 24 and delivering strong $MPV™ returns.
🏆 Consistency Keeps Sports Visible: Premier League and College Football stayed top-of-screen through frequent, dedicated row placements from the likes of Peacock and USA Network.
🛍️ Black Friday Drives Streamer Wins: Max’s six-month $2.99 deal led the pack ($109.9K $MPV™), proving duration and placement drive results.
From the field to the feed, Thanksgiving week showed how timing, creative, and control shape who dominates the screen. Dive into the full report for the data behind this year’s biggest sports and streaming wins.
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