Cameron Church, founder and CEO of Watching That believes CTV advertising is about to really take off - and there'll be a lot of disruption along the way!
By Contributor
Published: February 10, 2022
Cameron Church, founder and CEO of Watching That believes CTV advertising is about to really take off and there'll be a lot of disruption along the way!
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
By nearly all measures, connected TV (CTV) advertising revenues are in rude health and set for sharp growth. This is driven mainly by programmatic which, according to IAB Europe's latest programmatic report, accounts for over 50 per cent of all digital video advertising, with IAB Europe's Daniel Knapp commenting that programmatic is on the path to become the default infrastructure for digital advertising.
The story looks good on the consumer side, too. Data from SpotX in IAB Europe's Guide to the Programmatic CTV Opportunity in Europe, revealed that the majority of CTV viewers (69 per cent) say they watch ad-supported content. Meanwhile, according to eMarketer, in the UK alone the number of CTV users in the UK in 2024 will reach 44.4 million which accounts for two thirds of the population.
This story is consistent with developments elsewhere. In the U.S., programmatic spend for CTV is expected to hit $8.67 billion in 2022, up from $6.73 billion in 2021 and $4.36 billion in 2020. With such growth predicted, it's easy to see why so much money is being spent on building programmatic CTV stacks. The biggest recent example was of course Magnite's acquisition of SpotX for $1.14 billion which, despite the big number, I actually believe could prove to be a bit of a steal.
However there is a large roadblock looming for CTV. And it's getting bigger.
The revenue opportunity in CTV is clear to see, but it is a complicated business, and realising CTV's true value is proving difficult. Workflows are incredibly complex and require constant monitoring trading is happening in real-time which requires an always-on approach from the streaming provider. Many vendors are involved which means that critical processes like troubleshooting, for instance, can be beset by delays of days or even weeks meaning revenues can be severely damaged.
Picture the scene: An ad op at a streaming provider notices their fill-rate dropping on CTV. So they contact their ad server. Then they wait for a response. When it comes there is an instruction to contact the dynamic ad insertion (DAI) provider. And they direct the ad op back to the ad server, and all the while there's an error somewhere and it's impacting revenues. The problem with a programmatic workflow where multiple vendors are involved is that each one only sees their part of the puzzle. And some may be less responsive than you'd like. Plus, each one will tend to be protective about their own systems, so it may require a fair bit of digging from the ad op to uncover the true source of the issue.
In an always on, real-time environment this approach can seriously hinder revenues. As the CTV pie grows, then so will the errors. And revenues lost to slow troubleshooting will become a big headache for all concerned. In the highly competitive world of CTV advertising, the margins for error are going to become incredibly tight. Responding quicker to errors could be the difference between success and failure.
So is the CTV story one of success, as is being projected now? Or will it actually become one of missed opportunity?
The latter will certainly be the narrative for some streaming providers. But I do believe that many will see the roadblock enough in advance to try to do something about it and take control of the visibility and oversight of their ad stack. I mentioned that Magnite's acquisition of SpotX will prove to be a very good bit of CTV business. But even if they succeed in delivering a nice and neat one stop shop service for the video ad buying industry (which I think they will), then a chunk of their revenues will depend on addressing the wastage caused by several mechanisms in OTT streaming that are beyond their control, such as the player on the user's device, the content delivery network (CDN), or the DAI provider.
For every vendor in the OTT and programmatic chains, it is vital that they find a way to provide the real-time insights required of streaming providers in order to thrive in the CTV age. Unnecessary wastage will hurt everybody. And beyond troubleshooting, better campaign data ultimately leads to better strategy and better campaigns. There is a golden opportunity for huge success through CTV and programmatic, but it is a highly competitive environment in which efficiency will be rewarded most. CTV advertising is about to really take off and there'll be a lot of disruption along the way. I for one am looking forward to the ride!
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production, Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
Cameron Church, founder and CEO of Watching That believes CTV advertising is about to really take off - and there'll be a lot of disruption along the way!
