2024 marked another disruptive year in the TV market amidst its continued digital transformation. The Paramount-Skydance merger agreement kicked off what many anticipate to be a hot M&A market in media, Comcast’s cable network spin-off marked another milestone in the decline of linear TV and a major shakeup in sports broadcast rights continues the transition of TV’s most valuable content, among other shake-ups.

Looking at what promises to be another consequential year in TV, Ad Age asked leading TV, streaming and media agency executives what top market trends (mergers, creative media and AI are common themes) and major changes they anticipate in 2025 (standardized measurement solutions top many wish lists).

Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Dani Benowitz

Global and U.S. president, Magna
 

Trend in 2025: Three key themes are set to dominate the headlines in 2025. First, mergers, acquisitions and major industry shifts. The evolving dynamics of industry consolidation and decoupling will reshape the media landscape. Second, the power of sports is undeniable. Live sports continues to lead in TV and streaming ratings, remaining a resilient force and the premier choice for live viewing audiences. Third, we’re seeing the return of appointment viewing, i.e. “Must See TV.” Streaming platforms are doubling down on tentpole and live events, strategically designed to draw massive audiences and maximize engagement.

Change in 2025: We would love to see partners adopt a more flexible approach. As our clients refine their data activation and measurement strategies, we want increased ability to tailor our solutions accordingly. Rather than being limited to a prescribed way of working, we seek the flexibility to deliver effectively on the diverse needs of each client.

Carrie Drinkwater

Chief investment officer, Carat
 

Trend in 2025: The rise of AI will enable greater personalization which will also lead to increased fragmentation. While this makes audience scaling more challenging, it also holds the potential to be powerful and really innovative. We know the dominance of sports and sports streaming will continue, however, we see many of the high-profile sports continue to be pass-through versus dynamic ad insertion. This raises the question of how we can leverage data, technology and AI to maximize the investments in the live viewing streaming sports landscape.

Change in 2025: Understanding that brands with higher emotional intelligence consistently outshine and outperform, I would love to hear more industry conversations focused on creative, game-changing marketing that drives business and impacts culture. We are at a point where any content can instantaneously become social content. At the same time, we are now “influenced” by countless touchpoints in our daily lives. How do we harness both dynamics in a meaningful way for brands?

Rita Ferro

President of global advertising and partnerships, Disney
 

Trend in 2025: Live. Streaming was primarily an on-demand experience, and what you have seen throughout 2024 is the amount of live entertainment and sports coming to streaming platforms. What will absolutely be critical is that you can deliver that experience as seamlessly as on any other platform in a streaming environment. You’re starting to see some opportunities making tremendous headlines and creating social chatter across the marketplace. The convergence of live and on-demand viewing across streaming is going to be a big topic in 2025.

Change in 2025: Better, accurate measurement. We continue to be challenged in this space, and it just shows how difficult it is to fully be able to measure every device, every platform, every experience equally and with validity. Ultimately, the goal should be that we have some form of standardized measurement so that we can truly help marketers achieve the outcomes and goals that they’re looking for, because only when we do that will all tides rise, and you can really validate why more money should be spent on certain platforms.

Ed Georger

Executive VP, ad sales, Hallmark Media
 

Trend in 2025: As audiences increasingly gravitate towards personalized and engaging content, original programming will continue to increase in value due to the high ratings they can achieve, and for the deep fan engagement they foster that fuels brand growth. As advertisers seek to align themselves with content that resonates deeply with viewers and their consumers, we can expect more innovative partnerships and immersive brand experiences that leverage this engagement.

Change in 2025: In 2025, I envision an accelerated shift in the industry where the focus on premium content and contextual relevance will surpass traditional, narrow age and gender demos in media buying decisions. As audiences become more diverse and sophisticated in their viewing habits, advertisers will increasingly prioritize high-quality content that resonates with viewers on a deeper level. This approach will enable brands to connect with audiences through shared interests and values, rather than relying solely on demographic data. Those who embrace this shift will be creating new, exciting opportunities for advertisers.

John Halley

President, advertising, Paramount
 

Trend in 2025: “All media as performance media.” We’ve heard that from our partners at increasing volumes over the last year, and the trend is beginning to express itself in terms of ad products and measurement preferences. The funnel has been turned on its head. Content to commerce is now the rallying cry of big media.

Change in 2025: Measurement innovation has been years in the making. It’s a lot more complex than the industry realized. And it requires that many orthodoxies be challenged, which means it's slow-going. Progress to date has been incremental, but 2025 could represent a key pivot point. We are on the cusp of many interesting developments that will ultimately allow us to better understand media’s impact on the consumer journey.

Kim Kelleher

Chief commercial officer, AMC Networks
 

Trend in 2025: We’re heading to a world of automation that will allow marketers to seamlessly transact across huge pools of inventory on all platforms, powered by real-time dashboards and coupled with the use of AI to enable ad insertion in every piece of content that is made or has ever been made. 

Change in 2025: While automation will have a profound impact on the transactions that drive this industry, we can’t abandon the creative forces and talents that have defined media and are responsible for some of our strongest executions and partnerships. You can’t automate inspiration.

Jim Keller and Mike Roggero

Chief revenue officer and Chairman/CEO, Fuse Media
 

Trend in 2025: Consumers will continue to engage with ad-supported streaming, most notably FAST. FAST’s role on the modern media plan will rise as marketers look to drive reach and ROAS. Agencies and marketers will also look to programmatic as their default strategy for accessing the growing audience of FAST viewership (Keller).

Change in 2025: Latinos and Blacks impacted the election, and advertisers will be taking notice and will readjust their media focus areas (Roggero).

Cavel Khan

Chief growth officer, Group Black
 

Trend in 2025: I think that there are two key things that we will see as trends and disruption in streaming in 2025. The first is hyper-personalization of content, especially among the many underserved audiences in steaming. The second will be an increased focus on branded storytelling. Consumers want content that speaks to them authentically and content that understands their own intersectionality. Many of those stories are currently being untold, leaving room for opportunity.

Additionally, over the last few years we have seen the rise of successful branded storytelling on a macro scale. Think “Barbie” or “Super Mario Bros.” I don’t think this momentum is going to stop. You’re going to continue to see brands utilizing storytelling to imbed their IP deeply into culture. 

Change in 2025: In 2025, brands will win and grow by identifying and leveraging the intersection of consumer needs, technology and resonance. Whoever can meet consumer demands through advanced technological capabilities that authentically target and resonate with them will outperform their competitors.

Amy Leifer

Chief advertising sales officer, DirecTV Advertising
 

Trend in 2025: In 2025, I expect the conversation around alternative currencies and unified measurement to gain even more momentum. Advertisers are seeking tools that address the fragmentation in audience viewership, especially as the lines between linear TV, streaming, and digital platforms continue to blur. Alternative currencies offer the potential to provide holistic, transparent and actionable measurement, and the key challenge remains aligning methodologies and ensuring consistency across platforms.

Change in 2025: TV is TV, regardless of how it’s delivered. Our aspiration for 2025 is to finally break down the silos between digital and linear television and adopt a holistic approach. I believe the answer to advertisers looking for greater optionality across buying and measurement is for our industry to focus on the heart of what really matters: premium inventory and engaged audiences.

Matt McDonald

Global head of connected TV and streaming, Google
 

Trend in 2025: CTV is, along with social, the primary benefactor of the decline in linear TV ad spend. And what you’re starting to see accelerate is a deeper degree of outcomes and results beyond reach and frequency, and my prediction for next year is that's only going to continue. You’re going to see a strong push across the funnel to have increased levels of measurability and evolve the buying formats that are ultimately about outcomes.

Change in 2025: We’re going to see a desire to understand how we can measure additional metrics on the big screen, and find that we need to evolve our view of what those metrics are. We all inherently understand a conversion on a mobile phone is going to look different than on a big screen, and we’re going to have a conversation within the industry of what those metrics are, and how do we have a strong understanding of measuring those metrics effectively on both the first-party and third-party basis.

Alan Moss

VP, global ad sales, Amazon Ads
 

Trend in 2025: Brands want measured outcomes and full-funnel advertising solutions. That means connecting campaign tactics across awareness, consideration and conversion into a cohesive strategy—and more importantly, to directly measure the contribution of each tactic and allowing ongoing optimization.

Change in 2025: Continuing to improve upon measurement and transparency will be central to our industry in 2025. At Amazon Ads, we want to be familiar as well as work with trusted measurement partners in the marketplaces in which we operate. Additionally, we want to bring the unique first-party insights and measurement at the scale that digital advertising enables.

Samantha Rose

Executive VP, strategic investment lead, Horizon Media
 

Trend in 2025: It is difficult to consider the 2025 TV streaming space without acknowledging that mergers and acquisitions will continue to dominate the conversation. The past several years has seen tremendous growth of streaming consumption; however, the content rights and distribution has been murky. While the publisher side is determining ownership and where premium content will land, we will remain focused on how best to target and measure video as well as how best to activate using advancing technology—all while keeping an eye on streamlining processes and supporting sustainability efforts.

Change in 2025: More transparency. Less complexity. That’s probably more on the dream side, but as the ways to engage with consumers has grown, it has become increasingly complicated for marketers to determine how best to navigate an effective campaign. On behalf of our clients, we must educate ourselves on all the options so we can advise them accordingly—and there are times where this can bog down the process. We are pushing partners for more transparency and accountability so that we don’t waste time on unnecessary stop gaps.

Detavio Samuels

CEO, Revolt
 

Trend in 2025: In 2025, the biggest shift the industry needs is to focus on creativity as a force for real change. The future belongs to those who can turn ideas into movements and culture into progress. It’s time to build platforms that don’t just amplify a select few but empower everyone to feel seen, heard and valued.

Change in 2025: In 2025, the world of shopping and content is going to feel like one continuous experience. You’ll be watching a show or vibing with your favorite influencer, and you’ll be able to buy whatever catches your eye in real time, effortlessly. It’s like creativity and commerce finally working hand in hand. What’s exciting is how this changes the game—brands will have to get more intentional, more authentic. The best will tap into culture, creating moments that don’t just sell but inspire. It’s not just about the product anymore—it’s about the feeling, the connection, and making people feel like they’re part of something bigger.

Hugh Scallon

Senior VP, head of video activation, VaynerMedia
 

Trend in 2025: The live sports arena will dominate the TV streaming ad market in 2025. I expect to see more streaming platforms continue to add private marketplaces and biddable/reserved ad supply to live sports in CTV. For buyers, expect to then see more dedicated budgets and more experiments with non-VOD, premium, high-attention live sports streaming activations, including proliferation of sports-related CTV interactive ad formats.

Change in 2025: In 2025, I’d like the industry to understand the value in organic social. Organic social assets have become the new [TV commercials], with potential to reach and impact millions of consumers with a single post (for free). The best performing organic videos on social media can be syndicated out to streaming TV platforms to reach more specific audiences. Videos that 'find right' in social media can outperform your typical ad because we’re utilizing consumer insights garnered from the platforms in-real time.

Donna Speciale

President, U.S. advertising sales and marketing, TelevisaUnivision
 

Trend in 2025: An increased focus on the creator economy and social-first content. For every major awards show, sporting event, series launch, etc., we’ve seen how integrating creators into marketing and advertising expands the reach of content and the impact brands can make with their consumers. If marketers are looking to connect with younger audiences, particularly Gen Z Hispanic audiences, creator content as part of a multiplatform strategy ensures you gain traction with new and engaged consumers.

Change in 2025: There have been improvements with the visibility of Spanish-speaking audiences in our data over the last two years, but I would really like to see the adoption of Big Data + Panel across the industry. This audience has made their impact very clear in 2024, and it’s on the entire industry to ensure that Spanish-speaking audiences are accurately represented, and the industry is transacting accordingly. This has been a massive priority for TelevisaUnivision, and it’s something I’ll continue to advocate for. It’s fair, and truthfully, just good business in helping advertisers make data-driven decisions about where their ads dollars are going to reach and engage this audience.