What Happens In CTV: What To Expect In 2025
We sat down with six of the leading voices in the TV industry at CES this year to get some insights into what to expect this year.
The feedback was as varied as you’d expect from the company, everything from AI to Big Data and Big Measurement to the challenges and opportunities of a direct-to-consumer model.
First up is Terry Kawaja, Founder and CEO at LUMA Partners who pushes back on the idea that everyone is just going to flip a switch and move from linear to streaming overnight. It’s a slow burn, not a sudden migration. He breaks down why live sports still keep linear relevant, how contract renewals will eventually shift more rights to Big Tech and streaming, and why we’re already past the first phase of this transition. The bottom line? It’s happening—but not all at once
Next up, we have Stuart Schwartzapfel, EVP of Media Partnerships at iSpot, who highlights a big shift coming in 2025—B2B measurement is getting a serious upgrade. He talks about how iSpot is working with LinkedIn’s new DSP to track professional audiences across platforms and why LinkedIn’s push to make high-end measurement accessible to small and medium-sized businesses will shake up the whole ecosystem. He also dives into ‘attribution at scale’—moving beyond slow, post-campaign reports to real-time insights that actually help advertisers make smarter decisions while a campaign is running.
LG Ad Solution CMO Tony Marlow is next out of the box. Tony talks about how TV is evolving beyond just being a ‘TV show machine’—it’s becoming a full-blown entertainment hub where the publishers that embrace this shift are the ones that will come out on top. He also dives into how TV ads are changing, moving beyond basic 15- and 30-second spots to more advanced formats. One of the biggest trends? Shoppable ad units. 2024 saw QR codes gain traction, but Tony sees 2025 bringing a much more seamless, frictionless shopping experience directly through the TV screen.
LG Ads Solutions’ Global Head of Business Development and Partnerships, Mike Brooks, who does a deep dive into how AI is changing the way we watch TV—starting with figuring out who’s actually in front of the screen which allows OEMs like LG to use AI to personalize content recommendations in real time, making sure viewers see what’s most relevant to them. He also breaks down the tactical and strategic sides of AI adoption, from building smarter targeting and measurement tools to leveraging massive data sets in a way that actually improves the viewing experience.
Next up we have Media Cartographer Extraordinaire, Evan Shapiro, who calls out big media for ignoring the data that’s right in front of them. Instead of focusing on what actually matters—how audiences and advertisers experience their platforms—he says they’re getting caught up in the noise. Evan then breaks down why advertisers are frustrated with CTV, why they keep shifting money to digital for better transparency, and why media companies need to start paying attention to the signals that actually drive results.
Finally, there’s our own Alan Wolk, Co-Founder and Lead Analyst at TVREV, who explains how AI is finally stepping in to fix the TV interface. With so much content out there, discovery has become overwhelming and impersonal but Alan says AI is about to change that by using contextual cues to figure out not just that you like comedies, but that you like comedies with dogs—or dramas with strong love stories and Ryan Gosling. The end result will be a truly personalized interface with superior recommendations—exactly what consumers have come to expect on audio platforms.
Again, a huge thank you to LG Ad Solutions for sponsoring this series and to our videographer Guy Piaquadio and to Terry, Stu, Tony, Mike, Evan and Alan, who gave up a half hour of their CES to come talk to us.
