Broadcast personalization: Challenges and opportunities in Connected TV

By Dak Dillon January 23, 2025

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As Connected TV platforms are set to alter the landscape of broadcast advertising, personalization emerges as both an opportunity and a challenge for broadcasters.

Personalization in broadcasting enables content providers to customize programming and advertising for specific viewers or audience segments based on viewing data and demographics. The technology relies on data analytics and content delivery systems to tailor recommendations, advertisements and content presentation to individual preferences.

Current personalization capabilities include targeted advertising insertion, region-specific content overlays and viewer-specific program recommendations. The technology requires substantial data collection and analysis infrastructure, along with systems that simultaneously deliver different content versions to various audience segments.

The approach differs from traditional broadcasting’s one-to-many model by creating multiple content versions optimized for different viewer groups. Industry data indicates that effective personalization can reduce viewer churn and increase advertising revenue through higher CPMs for targeted ads.

With Roku, Samsung and Amazon controlling 65% of U.S. internet households’ primary streaming platforms, the industry’s pressure to deliver personalized content has intensified.

Recent data from Mediaocean’s 2025 H1 Advertising Outlook Report indicates that 55% of marketers plan to increase Connected TV spending. This reflects the channel’s growing importance as consumers migrate to streaming platforms with ad-supported options. However, industry experts warn that delivering truly personalized experiences carries hidden costs and complexities.

“By leveraging insights from millions of viewers and employing tools like A/B testing, organizations can make informed, data-backed decisions to continuously refine and improve the consumer experience,” said Peter Docherty, CTO and founder of ThinkAnalytics. “User-friendly platforms will help product and business owners to adapt and evolve these experiences without relying on development teams to redeploy software.”

The financial implications of personalization extend beyond initial technology investments.

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“Video providers remain challenged with churn, so it is not surprising that we have already seen many providers putting effort into leveraging data to increase viewer engagement and reduce churn,” said Michael Lantz, CEO of Accedo. “Using a data-driven approach, video providers can easily analyze advanced customer engagement metrics to understand content engagement patterns, including pricing trends, marketing campaign impact and ultimately for churn prediction.”

Technical infrastructure requirements present another significant consideration.

“Having access to accurate data that is collected, aggregated and managed to its fullest potential is vital for providing insights that drive well-informed decisions necessary for optimizing audience engagement,” said Michael Demb, VP of product strategy at TAG Video Systems.

The advertising dimension adds another layer of complexity to personalization efforts.

“The demand for data-driven personalization is driving a more systemic approach to dynamic ad insertion through end-to-end adoption of SCTE standards,” said Steve Reynolds, CEO of Imagine Communications. “Enriching these signals with contextual metadata such as event details, game moments, or player actions improves audience engagement by allowing targeted and relevant ads, whether for all viewers at the broadcast level or tailored to individual preferences.”

The shift toward personalization also impacts production workflows.

“Because data-driven personalization enables enhancing the experience for audiences, it will allow broadcasters to tailor programming and advertising based on region, for example, which can maximize audience engagement,” said Martin Klampferer, director of R&D at Vizrt. “Broadcasters can also use data to drive personalized graphics and content experiences, like region-specific visual overlays.”

Some experts see the future of personalization expanding beyond traditional content recommendations.

“That will be key to unlocking all the devices in people’s hands and homes. By utilizing streamed metadata, we can allow the devices to render graphics, subtitles, etc. That will unlock localization and personalization on a mammoth scale,” said Adam Leah, creative director at Nxtedition.

However, the implementation of personalization technology requires careful consideration of business objectives.

“Surprisingly, highly targeted, personalized advertising has become not only tolerable but even enjoyable. The advertising industry will be at the forefront of this revolution, reaping significant profits,” said Gary Mundell, co-founder and CEO of Loft Apps. “However, personalizing content for broadcast production presents a greater challenge because much more technology is needed before we can produce anything that fits seamlessly and makes sense when incorporated into a non-linear story or program.”

As broadcasters navigate the personalization landscape, the focus increasingly falls on balancing technological capabilities with practical implementation.

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The dominance of major CTV platforms creates both opportunities and challenges for broadcasters seeking to deliver personalized experiences while managing costs and maintaining quality. Success in this evolving environment requires careful consideration of infrastructure investments, data management capabilities and audience expectations.

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