In an industry that evolves and innovates as rapidly as the multiscreen TV media landscape, advertisers need insight into what has been working and where things are headed to be able to move the needle.
When it comes to multiscreen TV advertising, marketers know that good creative is essential, but they also need a holistic approach underpinned with good data, media, and technology to drive success.
Leaders across Comcast Advertising share key predictions for the year ahead—all of which are fueled by data, media, and technology—to help advertisers navigate 2025.
Mark McKee, general manager, FreeWheel: Programmatic will drive the future of live events advertising
Advertisers will continue to flock to live TV, where viewers are engaged and sharing cultural moments together. And as live tentpole events like Thursday Night Football increasingly shift to streaming, both the buy-side and sell-side will look for the best ways to tap into the action. While live events are high-stakes, no-fail environments, if advertisers have the right approach, they can successfully marry them with the precision of programmatic. This perfect match of programmatic and live will invigorate the industry, as more advertisers at all budget levels will be able to lean into live opportunities.
David Dworin, chief product officer, FreeWheel: Streaming viewers will expect better experiences
Today’s streaming viewers are savvy and have little patience for negative ad experiences while watching their favorite content. While viewers aren’t necessarily bothered by ads themselves, they are bothered by bad ad experiences such as repetition, latency, unnatural breaks, and slate. These interruptions not only harm the viewer experience, but can impact how they feel about the program, ad, and the brand itself. Over the next year, as more streaming platforms adopt ad-supported models, providing great advertising experiences will be increasingly important for advertisers and content owners, since without it, their viewers may leave them for a less disruptive competitor.
Larry Allen, VP and general manager of data and addressable enablement, Comcast Advertising: More advertisers will go addressable-first
For years, addressable TV advertising has been considered an important but secondary tactic for brands that either had precise target audiences or those looking to extend reach once a traditional TV or streaming campaign had plateaued. However, addressable advertising has grown exponentially in scale and technology and has emerged as the most efficient and cost-effective way to reach audiences across traditional TV and streaming. Today, over half of advertisers consider it a “must-buy,” and in the next year, we can expect this trend to grow as advertisers consider addressable advertising as more than just an add-on but a key strategic multiscreen TV tactic to drive results.
James Rooke, president, Comcast Advertising: Marketers will turn to strategic partners that help make advertising simpler
It goes without saying that as the worlds of streaming and traditional TV continue to converge, execution complexity continues to hold back the full potential of multiscreen TV as a performance vehicle. In 2025, advertisers will look to work with fewer but trusted partners that offer more direct paths to premium supply through a simplified buying experience, combined with transparent and timely proof of performance.
Pooja Midha, executive VP and general manager, Effectv: Advertisers will embrace multiscreen TV as a full-funnel engine
TV has long excelled at reaching mass audiences and driving brand awareness. Now, with TV extending across digital devices and platforms, more advertisers are unlocking its full-funnel potential. Powering this shift is the rich data now available to better plan ad campaigns, inform addressable targeting, understand audience behaviors and viewership, and measure performance. As the TV industry continues to refine those capabilities, more advertisers will look beyond the “cheap reach” of social video to the proven power of premium, multiscreen TV to engage audiences and drive measurable results from awareness through conversion.
Gina Mingioni, senior VP of strategy and operations, Comcast Advertising: Content discovery challenges will drive innovation
Consumers in 2025 will be even more overwhelmed by content options across their devices. As a result, publishers will look for innovative and effective ways to bring premium content to audiences, whether showcasing new content to fresh eyes or resurfacing vintage content to new generations of fans. This will allow publishers to better monetize investment in premium content. In addition, as more platforms become ad-supported, and newer mediums like FAST grow in popularity, better discovery will ultimately create more meaningful opportunities for advertisers to connect with viewers. Since all of this is driven by great technology, we can expect more strategic partnerships between media and tech companies to simplify content discovery and deliver great experiences—to advertisers and viewers alike.
To access data insights into effective tactics advertisers leaned into this year, plus more on what’s ahead, download The 2024 Comcast Advertising Report.
