By Suvadip Choudhury, Senior Director, TV Partnerships, Alliant
TV is changing in real-time for everyone. Consumers, no longer confined by schedules or single-platform ecosystems, teleport across the TV universe to access whatever content appeals to them on their terms. Whether it’s a new show that suddenly dominates social media chatter, a big NFL game airing on a streaming platform, or a new promotional offer for a bundled streaming subscription, viewers decide which content they want to access and how. They do it while balancing price, convenience, and commitment.
This free movement is reshaping the industry from the ground up. It’s no longer enough for networks and platforms to simply hold great content. They must constantly adapt to keep audiences engaged as loyalties shift and viewing habits evolve.
Media Companies in Motion
These shifts have created ripple effects across the media industry. As consumer attention migrates to streaming, media companies are overhauling their operations to remain competitive, often restructuring, spinning off divisions, and adjusting business models to better align with the streaming era.
Several major players have recently taken bold steps to separate their linear and streaming operations:
- Warner Bros. Discovery has split into two distinct entities providing a restructured means for agility and profitability. The first company, WBD Streaming & Studios now houses Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO, and Max/HBO Max, while the other WBD Global Networks largely comprised of their linear TV business includes CNN, TNT, and TBS.
- Comcast followed suit, spinning off most of its NBCUniversal cable networks—including USA, MSNBC, and CNBC under a newly-formed entity called Versant.
- Paramount and Disney are reorganizing operations to drive innovation and profitability, with a strategic emphasis on streaming television.
These moves and others represent a fundamental rebalancing of the industry. Streaming has moved from a growth driver to the central engine of media businesses, forcing companies to shed legacy costs while creating sustainable, audience-centric models for the future. At this year’s TV Upfronts, it’s estimated that 50% of dollars will be allocated towards streaming.
Data as the Counterbalance
In this constantly shifting environment, the question becomes: How can both the buy-side (advertisers) and the sell-side (media owners) navigate this fluid TV era and still thrive?
The answer is data.
Data is the stabilizing force in an unpredictable market. For buyers, it enables the ability to reach, optimize, and measure audiences across a fragmented TV ecosystem. For sellers, it provides the insight needed to understand and package inventory for maximum monetization, grounded in accurate audience understanding.
A strong data strategy gives both sides a blueprint for independence, control, and long-term stability. When executed well, it ensures advertising can remain consistent, effective, and measurable, even as consumer behavior and platform availability continue to shift.
5 Ways Data Drives Success in TV Advertising
The industry’s next phase of growth will depend on how effectively data is used. Strategic audience insights and activation tools can ensure campaigns retain their impact while platforms maximize yield. Five priorities stand out as essential:
Optionality in Targeting and Activation. The most effective campaigns are built on flexible targeting that offers agility across platforms and exchanges, first to third-party data types, and viewership trends. Optionality ensures campaigns can adjust on the fly and keep pace with how consumers move among streaming platforms, FAST channels, and live broadcasts. Sellers that use data to provide this flexibility give buyers more confidence and open the door to a wider pool of ad spend.
Scale Across the Fragmented Ecosystem. Scale has always been TV’s promise. But in a streaming-first era, scale doesn’t come automatically; it must be built. Data is essentially unifying audience insights across platforms, helping advertisers achieve reach, while maintaining precision. Sellers that can demonstrate the combined scale of their inventory—and demonstrate how it aligns with audience segments—will hold a competitive advantage.
Understanding TV Behaviors. Understanding what, when, and how audiences watch—along with their subscription habits—sharpens campaign strategy and timing. Data-driven insights help advertisers anticipate viewer shifts and enable media owners to optimize programming and inventory.
Consistency in Outcomes and Measurement. Marketers seek measurable, repeatable outcomes tied to business results like conversions, sales, or brand lift. Consistent data, identity resolution, and transparent performance metrics build buyer trust and long-term investment.
Independence in Data and Partnerships. Advertisers and publishers alike benefit from working with independent data providers that are not tied to a holding company, walled garden, or specific platform. Independence ensures data is neutral and credible, providing a trusted source of audience truth that supports transparent decisions and drives confident investment in a fragmented industry.
With the right data strategies in place, the TV advertising industry can mirror the agility of its audiences. By navigating a fluid environment with precision, stability, and confidence, advertisers and media owners can ensure their data investments are also investments in long-term growth.
