
It's high time to debunk the myth that linear broadcast TV is dying. Broadcast TV remains the single most effective method for brands to reach their audiences, projected to generate a very healthy $65 billion in ad revenue annually through 2026. At this year's NAB Show New York, Tim Swift, WideOrbit President and COO, spoke on the evolution of buying and selling broadcast TV advertising and the importance of automated transaction processes to both address challenges and maximize revenue opportunities.
With TV reaching 96% of US households, and adults 25 and over still watching three or more hours of television per day, TV advertising has unparalleled reach, building the brand awareness that influences online behavior. Brands who advertise on TV experience an 11x increase in online engagement, while 85% of adults and 91% of millennials say TV advertising influences their online searches and consumer behaviors.
Even tech companies with access to the best digital attribution data available are choosing TV advertising. Meta (Facebook, etc.), Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet (Google) all spend two-thirds of their total ad budgets on TV. Combined, big tech is now the second largest TV advertiser in the industry, right on the heels of consumer goods giant Proctor & Gamble.
Why do the likes of Facebook and Google invest so heavily in TV advertising? Because digital leaders know that TV advertising works. They understand the power of mass audience reach over expensive targeting, and they know that broadcast TV offers premium inventory, uniquely effective at filling the top of the funnel by building trust and brand equity.
Digital leaders also know that 94% of people watching TV in the US are doing so with a smartphone in hand. Marketers shouldn't be looking at TV and digital as competing for their advertising dollars - they should see them as complimentary mediums that can work together to help them accomplish their marketing goals in novel ways.
So that begs the question: Why don't more brands and advertisers jump into TV with as much gusto as the big players in the digital space?
The answer is simple: Buying TV is hard. Buying broadcast TV advertising through traditional methods is inefficient and complicated. Since the inception of the 30 second spot back in 1971, the direct buying and selling of inventory hasn't changed a great deal. Traditional purchase transactions, from pitch to payment, can involve upwards of 30 back-and-forth steps that often take weeks to complete. And that's just for the initial buy, not including the makegood process.
Here at WideOrbit, we hear a consistent chorus demanding increased efficiency for direct sales processes, and we've made noteworthy progress in streamlining traditional sales workflows. But the fact remains: Traditional, direct deals are still complicated, and that complexity is pushing many current TV advertisers toward what they perceive to be more efficient advertising buying channels.
The complexity of direct buying also presents a barrier to entry for advertisers new to linear broadcast TV advertising.
Advertisers and agencies are increasingly demonstrating a shift toward automated, or programmatic, buying channels. They're attracted to marketplaces and newer, more efficient methods of buying digital TV/video advertising, including Over-the-Top (OTT) and Connected TV (CTV). Advertisers are looking for:
Ease of use
Access to inventory
Segmentation
Impression-based buying
Real-time measurement
Campaign optimization
Accuracy (no makegoods)
But if the digital TV space can offer all of that, why aren't more advertisers abandoning linear broadcast TV altogether?
Again, the answer is simple: OTT and CTV have significant challenges of their own. The audience experience is not good, with viewers served the same ads repeatedly, often during the same program, or during the same break, and sometimes even back-to-back. Frequently the ads also lack relevance, contextually speaking - in other words, the ad doesn't make sense based on what the viewer is watching and/or where they're located.
Advertisers question whether they're reaching the right audience and achieving the campaign results they're paying for, facing challenges associated with:
Disparate identity solutions
Co-viewing
Security and privacy, especially with respect to children's programming
Measurement and attribution issues, including cross-currency and cross-device measurement, audience duplication vs incremental reach, and fraud
Even though broadcast TV doesn't face the same challenges as digital - most notably with audience experience and the issue of fraud, which is non-existent in broadcast - broadcast TV still has much to learn from the automated, marketplace buying/selling model that dominates in the digital space.
Selling inventory through marketplaces helps broadcasters:
Better manage inventory
Maximize yield
Fulfill campaign audience commitments
Drive decisions with robust data
Automatically optimize rates
Back when automated marketplaces for broadcast TV were first introduced, there was a running joke that RTB didn't stand for real-time bidding but instead stood for race to the bottom'. WideOrbit data demonstrates that this is a misconception.
Marketplaces increase demand by making it easier for buyers to purchase local broadcast TV inventory. Greater demand means increased competition, and as in any marketplace, competition will often drive rates up.
WideOrbit has buy-side and sell-side marketplace solutions, to make the buying and selling of linear broadcast TV advertising easier. ZingX (buy side) and WO Marketplace (sell side) automate the direct-buy process. This is not a programmatic auction - it's an end-to-end, direct connection between buyers and sellers, removing the inte
North America Stories
01/07/2025
L3Harris Technologies has delivered its second Bombardier Global 6500 missionize...
01/07/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., July 1, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its second quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, Ju...
01/07/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has rejected license challenges to three full-power Baltimore TV stations, renewing the licenses for Chesapeake...
01/07/2025
Dalet has released a new update to its Dalet Flex media workflow platform, introducing powerful new capabilities to its flagship platform....
01/07/2025
NEWARK, N.J. With the FIFA Club World Cup final rapidly approaching and the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup now less than a year away, interest in soccer in th...
01/07/2025
COW Job Listing: Laser Engraved Logo
Brie Clayton July 1, 2025
0 Comments
Laser engraved logo
July 1, 2025Steffie Beltt's Mi Amor Music Video Cr...
01/07/2025
LeGrow.Studio Builds Broadcast Hub for ePro League
Brie Clayton July 1, 2025
0 Comments
TEM Constellation HD and BlackmagicURSA Broadcast G2 drive liv...
01/07/2025
Beeble launches SwitchLight 2.0, bringing AI-powered relighting to any footage
Brie Clayton July 1, 2025
0 Comments
New AI model delivers full-scene p...
01/07/2025
Steffie Beltt's Mi Amor Music Video Created with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton July 1, 2025
0 Comments
Blackmagic PYXIS 6K digital film camera...
01/07/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement and Media Bureaus have entered into a consent decree with Sinclair to resolve a variety of in...
01/07/2025
DENVER Low-power television (LPTV) station owners looking to navigate the complexities of selling their assets in todays dynamic media environment are invited t...
01/07/2025
NASA announced today that live programming from its NASA+ channel will be available on Netflix starting sometime this summer....
01/07/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr has appointed Katie McAuliffe to serve as policy advisor in his office....
01/07/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Alphabet's GFiber, the broadband provider formerly known as Google Fiber, has announced that it recently worked with Nokia to demonstr...
01/07/2025
NEW YORK, N.Y. DoubleVerify (DV) has announced the launch of DV Authentic Attention for Social. The product will first launch with Snap, the owner of Snapchat....
01/07/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has rejected license challenges to three full-power Baltimore TV stations and agreed to renew the license for C...
01/07/2025
Compact new converter lets users capture live NDI and streaming sources into software over a USB interface
Video interface and IP workflow innovator Magewell ...
01/07/2025
Disguise, the award-winning tech company driving visuals for Broadway and West End hits including Redwood, Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Disney's Fr...
01/07/2025
Historic appointment ushers in unified leadership for WRAL-TV, New Media, and Digital Solutions
RALEIGH, N.C. - 6-27-25 - Capitol Broadcasting Company is prou...
01/07/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Spyrosoft's Jonathan Witty on Futher Business Exp...
01/07/2025
The NIL Effect: How the Shifting Business of College Athletics Impacts On-Campus...
01/07/2025
Cherry on the cake: Inside the technical production of the Tour de France 2025 w...
01/07/2025
NESN's Josh Jun on Keeping Alternative Broadcasts Fresh for Boston Red Sox, ...
01/07/2025
TNT Sports Races Back Into NASCAR With Fresh Look, Familiar Edge Production approach emphasizes creative freedom, bold storytelling, casual-fan-friendly tone B...
01/07/2025
Back to All News
Watch: A Line Crossed: Netflix Drops Explosive Trailer for New...
01/07/2025
Tyngsboro, Mass. - June 30, 2025 - The 2025 ACM Annual Conference at Boston University was an energizing and inspiring gathering of community media professional...
01/07/2025
In many parts of the world, including major technology hubs in the U.S., there's a yearslong wait for AI factories to come online, pending the buildout of n...
30/06/2025
The Artemis II Space Launch System core stage is integrated with the solid rocket boosters inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy S...
30/06/2025
RALEIGH, N.C. Capitol Broadcasting Co. has named Heather Gray vice president and general manager of WRAL-TV and WRAZ-TV here....
30/06/2025
The Virginia Association of Broadcasters has recognized Bill Sewell, Director of Engineering at WTKR & WGNT in Norfolk, Va. as the recipient of the 2025 J.J. Fr...
30/06/2025
The Society of Broadcast Engineers said its annual member drive resulted in the recruitment of 49 individual members....
30/06/2025
BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid today released its fully integrated news platform, uniting MediaCentral and Wolftech News in a single newsroom solution, and will demonst...
30/06/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communication's Enforcement and Media Bureaus have entered into a Consent Decree with Sinclair Broadcast Group to resolve a variety o...
30/06/2025
Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert The celebration will be held on July 10 in Perugia, Italy.
By
Colette Greenstein
June 30, 202...
30/06/2025
PremiumBeat Tips and Tricks
Brie Clayton June 30, 2025
0 Comments
When editing to impress, you'll need quality music, and if your studio happens t...
30/06/2025
Back to All News
Bel n Cuesta and Karra Elejalde Star in El ni o, the New Film ...
30/06/2025
Back to All News
A New Dangerous Troll Awakens: Netflix Unleashes Teaser for Troll 2Play Video
Play Video
Entertainment
30 June 2025
GlobalNorwayDenmarkSwe...
29/06/2025
Back to All News
A Secret Society, Ritualistic Killings, and a Century-Old Curs...
28/06/2025
WASHINGTON In a press conference following the Federal Communications Commission's May Open Meeting, Chair Brendan Carr promised the agency would move rapid...
28/06/2025
STAMFORD, Conn. Charter Communications has awarded $1.1 million in Spectrum Digital Education grants to 55 nonprofit organizations that work to expand access to...
28/06/2025
LAKE FOREST, Calif. June 19, 2025
What's New:
Sonnet Technologies today announced the certification of its Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock as an Engin...
28/06/2025
MASV (massive.io), the fastest and most reliable large file transfer platform for media professionals, has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: Me...
28/06/2025
Grass Valley today announced that TV SKYLINE GmbH, one of Europe's top mobile production providers, has expanded its camera inventory with 30 LDX 135 UHD/HD...
28/06/2025
AgileTV, a European leader in TV and video technology solutions, signed an agreement with Austrian telco LIWEST to develop and implement its TV service in Austr...
28/06/2025
The 48th Annual Indian National Finals Rodeo Shot with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton June 27, 2025
0 Comments
Filmmaker Cameron Mackey relied on Bl...
28/06/2025
Social, Streaming Don't Compete, They Compliment
Andy Marken June 27, 2025
0 Comments
I think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spir...
28/06/2025
Blackmagic Design Captures Filipino Rock Band Drama Singtala
Brie Clayton June 27, 2025
0 Comments
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K and DaVinci Resolve St...
28/06/2025
Enhance Videos Faster with Aiarty Video Enhancer - Offline, Sharp, and Natural
Brie Clayton July 1, 2025
0 Comments
If you've used AI video tools ...
27/06/2025
By Jessica Herndon
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fest...
27/06/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has set deadlines for comments to a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to codify certain foreign ownership re...