How FOX Made a National Programming Push Feel Local Across Hockey Markets

Key results

• 10.43 million CTV impressions delivered
• 182,527 fans reached in-arena
• 4 million unique users reached
• 35.21% OTT incremental lift over linear TV
• 99.46% video completion rate

THE CHALLENGE

Building tune-in across local markets

FOX wanted to promote a slate of midseason originals—Best Medicine, Memory of a Killer, and Extracted Season 2—across key local markets.

The challenge was creating awareness at scale while still making the campaign feel local. 

A standard tune-in campaign can deliver impressions, but FOX needed a way to make its programming feel present in local communities, support affiliate stations with market-specific activation, and connect the shows to an environment where audiences were already engaged.

Minor league hockey offered a live, local environment that could carry FOX’s programming beyond a standard media placement. To make the most of that opportunity, FOX sought a campaign that would bring its programming into the arena and extend its message across premium sports viewing environments. 

THE SOLUTION

Turning hockey games into local FOX events

FOX partnered with Cast Iron Media to create FOX Night at the Rink, a sponsored arena experience across local hockey markets nationwide.

The campaign connected FOX affiliate stations with their local communities through a mix of in-arena branding, fan activations, creative show integrations, and CTV delivery. Instead of relying on a single placement, FOX built repeated exposure through the live game experience.

Each show had a distinct presence within the campaign. Best Medicine, Memory of a Killer, and Extracted Season 2 were brought into the arena through show creative, FOX affiliate branding, and fan-facing moments that made the programming part of the night’s entertainment, reaching a total in-arena audience of 182,527 fans.

Cast Iron Media also extended the campaign beyond the rink with a targeted CTV plan across live NHL games in key markets. That allowed FOX to connect the local arena experience with sports fans watching premium live content at home.

THE RESULTS

Local arena energy at scale through live experiences and premium CTV

FOX Night at the Rink successfully generated awareness at scale while maintaining local relevance through strong in-person reach and high-performing CTV delivery.

These results show how local sports can do something that standard tune-in media often cannot: make a national programming message feel like part of the market. FOX was able to give affiliates a market-specific activation, put its midseason originals in front of engaged hockey audiences, and extend that campaign into premium streaming environments.

Ready to turn live sports into local market momentum? Reach out today.