What’s the Future of TV Advertising?
At 100 years old, TV has had pretty good innings. Once the beating heart of the living room and mass media, it now competes with newer, faster, and more mobile forms of entertainment. As they grow in popularity, will the humble telly – and the advertising that has grown up around it – flicker out? Or are we on the verge of a new evolutionary step, shaped by Connected TV (CTV), data-driven precision, and seamless brand integration?
Media and tech experts shared their predictions for the beloved boob tube with LBB.
Alison Mayes, managing director, Apollo Partners
The ‘boob tube’ is being reborn as a digital, highly measurable ad channel thanks to CTV and streaming services.
The old model of linear TV's broad reach is being replaced by data-driven precision. This shift is happening because we've all become creators. From social media to podcasts, our phones now compete with large broadcasters for attention. Even entertainment giants like Netflix have adapted, producing award-winning content that can succeed on a streaming platform before ever hitting theaters.
This new ecosystem offers the best of both worlds: the high-impact, brand-building power of the big screen combined with the digital-first precision of online advertising. Due to the sheer scale of content and the granular targeting available, advertisers who previously lacked the budget for traditional TV are now able to see themselves on the big screen, all while maintaining efficiency and delivering against their goals.
Live events and sports will continue to deliver massive scale, but the way we consume TV is forever changed. The cultural gathering point isn't just the show itself; it's the entire digital experience – the memes, conversations, and online communities – that make TV so rich.
Felicia DelVecchio, vice president of media, DAC
People are still looking for big and flashy on the screen; but instead of a cable box, they are streaming through six apps. We can buy it all together and splice it into linear, CTV, and YouTube to cover the whole living room based on who our audience is and what they consume.
Data Makes TV Smart. Smart-TV IDs, login data, etc., now let us target a household to see what drove or contributed to the sale, and then shift budget as needed.
Skip the Fragmentation, Add Efficiency. Publisher-side pipes cut out extra tech fees, so we get the most out of every dollar that shows up on screen.
Lighter Ad Formats. Ad types like pause ads, QR codes, and testing lengths drive impact, with brands seeing higher recall when testing.
One Scoreboard, Unified Measurement. De-duping a household across linear, and CTV, while also keeping YouTube all in one dashboard, is the key. It remains important to grade each channel with the metrics that fit the channel's impact to keep them honest.
The good ol’ ‘boob tube’ is evolving into a smarter and more efficient channel, with stronger measurement and accountability.
Matthijs Langendijk, lead media technology, Hypersolid
As advertising-supported streaming services from the likes of Netflix, Disney, and others become more prolific, the battle for eyes on ads becomes ever more important. Not only do people experience more ad-fatigue (seeing too many ads compared with their video), but with a lack of personalisation, they'd rather tune in to a different service that knows their likes and dislikes.
Finding different ways to display ads looks to be the next frontier. Where you would previously have ads before, in the middle, or after video playback, we're now seeing new ways of advertising driving growth. Pause ads are seeing a big uptick with real value in their use case. Especially on the big screen (or CTV), these types of ads are of real value, as pausing happens a lot more often.
CTV in general is seeing big growth in advertising, with more users finding their way to the big screen instead of mobile. With people’s ever-decreasing attention span, I expect big interest in interactive advertising, using protocols like SIMID to keep users engaged.
Adrienne Rice, senior director, M+C Saatchi Performance
The decline of linear TV viewing means the inaccessible, spot-by-spot TV buying days are nearing an end. In its place is the rise of the CTV, a digital-first proposition. Buying TV ads digitally has a few key benefits. First, it makes buying TV ads much easier through self-serve platforms like MNTN and DSPs like The Trade Desk. This means brands can now access the largest screen in the household without the need for millions of dollars in media spend to justify the effort.
Second, it allows for addressable, audience-led buying tactics tied to a direct ROI, meaning it’s easier to fine-tune strategy and determine what’s working. Lowering the barrier to entry and increasing measurability will result in an influx of advertisers, as smaller brands get in on the action. Consumers will see a greater variety of brands that are more relevant to them.
Slick TV Commercials will no longer dominate the airways; instead, there will be a mix of animated, UGC, and AI-generated videos. We’ll also see interactivity increase with the rise of QR codes, ‘send to phone’ buttons, and further cross-screen integrations as device graphs connect users’ TV viewing to their other personal devices.
While some people will pay higher prices for a commercial-free experience on streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime, advertisers will still be able to reach those viewers through product integrations and sponsorships, which will become increasingly prevalent.
Asheley Hu Roe, executive producer, We Are Royale
Great story builds emotional connections in a way no scrollable feed can, and that’s where advertising can thrive.
In entertainment marketing, the real opportunity lies in extending the story. ARGs, transmedia activations, and world-building experiences aren’t just campaigns; they’re extra episodes that let audiences play along. With UGC and influencer amplification, fans are writing themselves into the story. Remember ‘Lost’s Dharma Initiative? Today, the potential is massive: digital and physical experiences, blended seamlessly, giving audiences more ways to step inside a story and gain exposure to your brand/product.
This applies beyond entertainment. Brands that echo a show's tone, or products that feel like they belong in a world, can seamlessly become part of the cultural fabric. A Yeti in ‘Fallout’? Nikes in ‘The Last of Us’? Skittles in ‘Severance’? But not every brand or product needs to hitch a ride on someone else’s story, because sometimes the smartest move is to build your own world or point of view, if it is authentic to your brand voice and product. The key is doing it in a way that feels real, compelling, and worth stepping into.
TV advertising is moving from interruption to immersion, from passive viewing to active participation. And at the centre of it all, one constant remains: story will always be king.
Hannah Kaplan, director, connections strategy, Ogilvy
Cable still commands loyalty among older viewers with approximately 64% of US adults aged 65+ subscribing to cable or satellite, compared to just 16% of 18–29-year-olds (PEW). And live sports continue to make TV indispensable, offering some of the biggest opportunities for mass reach and cultural relevance.
Younger audiences, however, have migrated to streaming, and what used to be ‘second screening’ has matured: no longer just splitting attention across devices, but enabling commerce-driven storytelling across channels. We’re already seeing advertisers meeting the moment. ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ turned its on-screen Coach placement into a full capsule collection, with products featured in episodes and sold simultaneously on Coach’s site and Amazon. The future of TV advertising lies where entertainment and commerce converge, and where campaigns may be judged less by impressions and more by product discovery, purchase intent, and direct sales impact.
Jessica Lovell, chief strategy officer, Wonderhood Studios
Whilst 56% of viewing is still to broadcast TV, audiences are scrolling, swiping, streaming, skipping. Attention is fractured, but not gone. The future of TV advertising lies in creating work that doesn’t just hijack audiences but earns its place in culture, not just in a break.
Brands must treat the TV screen as a stage, not a slot. It’s about captivating audiences, building ads that are part of a bigger narrative, and stories that people want to talk about, meme, share, and debate. Whether that’s a 30-second ad, partnering with a TV programme, making your own, or using all the tools at our disposal to create an event out of TV advertising. Data can target eyeballs, but only bold ideas move hearts.
As streaming platforms and addressable TV unlock new precision, the danger is creative timidity with micro-messages for micro-groups that fail to draw viewers in. The opportunity is bigger, uniting fragmented audiences with unforgettable ideas. Work that is vibrant, feels alive in the moment, but lingers for years.
The future of TV advertising is about TV as a cultural canvas, trying new things, drawing audiences in, and creating ideas that cross dynamically from TV to other formats in a way that makes the most of every platform.
Sherri Rosenberg, VP/integrated media, Blue Chip
While mobile video is on the rise, most long-form TV viewing still happens on the living room screen – where engagement, recall, and attention are much higher and brands can tell more impactful stories.
Live and almost-live programming, such as sports, reality, competition, and even some episodic dramas and comedies, are as hot as ever right now. People want the community feel of a shared viewing experience. The most engaged viewers are watching streaming and linear programming when it runs so they can join the conversations on social (especially TikTok) or with friends and co-workers the next day.
That communal excitement is intensifying with the generation that’s grown up on social media and collective experiences. It will bring a resurgence of the primary brand value and impact of TV.
Dave Singleton, head of media, People's Postcode Lottery
I started out in media as a 19-year-old TV buyer at MediaVest Manchester. One month in, I read an article declaring the death of TV advertising. Happily, that moment has never arrived. TV has evolved, but it still offers plenty to advertisers.
Now, I’m client-side at Postcode Lottery, in a broader role. Old habits die hard – I still sneak the occasional look at our spot times (to the annoyance of my team and agency). Why? Because TV remains a vital part of our media mix, consistently delivering results. We use the whole ecosystem – linear, on-demand, SVOD, and AFPs – because it gives us scale, credibility, emotional impact, and a brand-safe environment.
But what about the future? The viewer will ultimately decide, but I expect continued fragmentation, fewer but more valuable ‘big TV moments’, consolidation among SVOD players with more focus on ad-funded models, and new platforms as AI lowers production costs. Smarter targeting will also open TV to more advertisers than ever.
My biggest hope is that we continue to back the UK’s public service broadcasters. They’ve shaped our culture for decades, from soaps and dramas to trusted news and live events. Strong PSBs aren’t just good for audiences, they’re good for advertisers too, providing safe, high-quality environments where brands can connect.
James Wheatley, head of AV, the7stars
Broadcasters have already pivoted and will continue to adapt to the modern TV world, leaning into YouTube propositions within digital strategies, evident in senior hires over the last few years with a heavy digital background. At the same time, SVOD providers continue to grow their ad propositions, creating even more opportunities for advertisers to capture attention.
We’ve also seen an increase in convergence packages for staple viewing events such as ‘Love Island’, ‘Big Brother’, and international football, to name a few. Sky has launched its sports marketplace and Amazon has its Champions League packages. We expect more of this in the coming years, with a trading mechanic aligning closer to the American model in which the key appointment-to-view shows are sold on a platform-agnostic, upfront basis. Whilst the broader slate of programming will be sold on an audience buy model, moving away from traditional demographics and into growth audiences.
Earlier in the year, Austria re-invented their linear TV ecosystem with a new currency and real-time audience data, allowing it to behave more like a digital medium. Whether the UK can follow suit remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the future of TV will depend on how well media owners, agencies, and advertisers collaborate to deliver both reach and relevance.
Tiffany Fettig-Pante, group media director, H/L
It’s true that traditional TV is becoming less relevant as people of all ages are switching to streaming via their CTV apps. People are still watching weekly prime-time episode premieres, live sports, news, and more – but on streaming apps (typically subscribing to at least three). Additionally, second-screen viewing (using a screen like a phone or tablet while watching TV) has become the norm.
Streaming TV may become less relevant in the future, too, as younger generations can’t always justify subscription costs that add up. They’re already investing more time in short-form video content (e.g., YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat) instead. As mobile-first digital natives who may prefer unpolished UGC content, they’ll become less reliant on the large-format TV screen itself.
