CTV advertising is experiencing a power shift as original content manufacturers (OEMs) position themselves at the intersection of audiences, advertisers and content providers.
The distribution of live sports on CTV is driving one the biggest disruptions to traditional linear TV advertising. For the first time, NBCUniversal Olympics inventory was made biddable on Peacock. With over 4.5 billion minutes of coverage streamed during opening weekend – and the second-best day of engagement ever for Peacock – advertisers reaped the rewards of digital viewership.
Imagine you’re deep into streaming game five of the NBA playoffs. After enduring the same car commercial countless times, frustration sets in: “Not that truck ad again. I’m not in the market for a car, but even if I were, I’d never buy this now because they practically ruined the game for me.”
As supply-path optimization (SPO) becomes the rallying cry of our entire industry, the complexity of the CTV landscape is in the spotlight. Calls are growing louder for publishers to dramatically slash the number of SSPs included in their unified auctions. A more centralized approach with fewer SSPs, these folks argue, will bring clarity and efficiency that will draw buyers. But this view oversimplifies the situation.
