By Nathan Brown, Director, Advertising Sales, CTV, TiVo
For years, the advertising world has been stuck in a binary debate: Connected TV versus linear. Which is better? Which is dying? Which deserves your media dollars? But that framing is increasingly outdated. The real question isn’t CTV or linear — it’s how we plan and measure both in a way that reflects how people actually consume content.
At TiVo, we see these trends play out across households every day. People don’t distinguish between platforms the way planners often do. They’re toggling between live sports on broadcast and binge-worthy series on streaming apps — all on the same device. If viewers are platform-agnostic, our planning, data, and creative strategies need to follow suit.
Linear’s not dead. It’s evolving.
It’s no secret that CTV has grown significantly in recent years. Budgets are shifting in that direction, particularly among brands looking for more data-driven targeting and outcome-based measurement. But that doesn’t mean linear is disappearing. In fact, many advertisers are choosing to plan their CTV and linear investments together, often with equal weighting.
That balance reflects a simple truth: linear still delivers mass reach, especially for live content like sports or news. CTV, on the other hand, excels at precision and flexibility. Used together, they offer the best of both worlds — scale and smarts.
The Measurement Gap — and Why Standardization Matters
One of the biggest challenges we face isn’t reach, targeting, or even creative. It’s measurement. CTV brought with it the promise of data — but it also brought fragmentation. Every platform has its own methodology, its own version of the audience, and its own limitations. That makes it hard to get a holistic view of performance across campaigns.
For years, we’ve worked with clients to help close that gap — using a combination of deterministic metadata, intelligent audience modelling, and deeper campaign diagnostics. But we need the broader ecosystem to move toward greater standardization. Without it, advertisers are forced to stitch together a patchwork of insights that often leads to confusion rather than clarity.
Reach, Frequency, and the Myth of the Single View
Another persistent problem is managing reach and frequency across devices and platforms. On paper, a campaign might look efficient. But behind the scenes, it could be hitting the same household multiple times through different apps and platforms — all registering as incremental impressions. That’s a recipe for wasted budget and fatigued audiences.
We’ve started piloting new tools. Ones that connect first-party data with real-time delivery systems. These solutions can de-dupe audiences across environments, providing more accurate reach metrics and better control over exposure. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s a significant step in the right direction.
So where are we headed?
Looking ahead, the convergence of CTV and linear will only deepen. Budgets will become more fluid, planning will become more integrated, and measurement — hopefully — more standardized. Brands that succeed will be the ones who stop thinking in silos and start thinking in systems.
As an industry, we have a unique opportunity. Not just to adapt, but to redefine how TV advertising works in a multi-platform, data-rich world. That future isn’t about choosing between CTV and linear. It’s about knowing how to use both — together — to tell smarter stories, reach real audiences, and deliver meaningful results.
Linear TV isn’t dead. It’s just no longer alone.
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