Streaming executives point to AI impacts in analytics and workflows

AI is delivering some of its most immediate gains in streaming behind the scenes, where companies use it to automate analytics, streamline workflows, and improve visibility across the connected TV digital shelf.

Executives surveyed in August 2026 by Looper Insights pointed to operational uses of AI as a more tangible near-term opportunity than consumer-facing applications such as recommendations and search.

“The Other AI: Operational Intelligence in Streaming” found that 83% of executives surveyed identified operational AI as delivering the most tangible near-term results. The August 2026 survey included 23 senior executives from streaming services, studios, distributors and technology providers.

Operational AI in the report included applications such as analytics, metadata, localization and workflow automation. Seventy percent of respondents said they were being asked to produce or distribute more content with smaller teams, while 57% cited industry consolidation as an additional operational pressure.

Despite those pressures, 17% of respondents described their organizations as fully prepared to implement AI-driven workflows effectively. The report said the findings reflected a gap between interest in AI and the infrastructure needed to deploy it across operations.

Executives also identified automated analytics and reporting as the area where AI was most likely to have the greatest operational impact over the next six to 12 months. Thirty percent selected that area as their top priority, followed by 26% who selected visibility across the digital shelf and 22% who chose predictive content and placement decisions.

Metadata management at scale was selected by 13% of respondents, while agentic AI for campaign management and workforce reskilling for AI workflows each received 4%. Unlike the report’s broader themes, which were not mutually exclusive, respondents selected only one priority in the forward-looking question.

Looper Insights also focused on the use of AI to monitor connected TV home-screen placement, track competitor promotion and assess the value of promotional inventory. The report argued that real-time analytics could allow distribution and marketing teams to evaluate promotional performance and adjust campaigns faster than with retrospective reporting cycles.

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The report characterized data quality and digital shelf measurement as key requirements for broader operational AI adoption, noting that metadata gaps, measurement blind spots and fragmented reporting can limit AI-assisted decision-making.