CTV and programmatic advertising: a perfect combination

On this platform, Lorenzo Del Seppia, commercial director for Spain, Italy and MENA of Magnet, addresses the possibilities of programmatic in television environments, a growing market that benefits from automation and machine learning processes.

There is no doubt that we are currently experiencing one of the higher revolutions in the way viewers consume television around the world and, of course, also in Spain. This transformation has brought with it a great opportunity for the advertising industry. Indeed, viewers are more fragmented, they consume less and less traditional television in favor of streaming platforms. Due to cost of living and saturation of options, they are choosing free services with advertising instead of paid SVOD services, hence the strong push for models AVOD y FAST. We must not forget that traditional subscription platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ have introduced more affordable plans with advertising.

To get the most out of your investments in CTV, technology and programmatic tools can help advertisers improve the efficiency, the precision and the performance of these campaigns.

According to the latest report from IAB Spain, 95% of Spanish Internet users between 16 and 75 years old accessed television content through the Internet, which represents an increase of 5% compared to 2023. In addition, a previous IAB report reveals that Spain has the highest CTV investment growth rate in Europe (98.5%). This means that, in 2025, advertisers should seriously consider making CTV one of their key advertising channels to reach Spanish consumers. To get the most out of your investments in CTV, technology and programmatic tools can help advertisers improve the efficiency, accuracy, and performance of these campaigns.

Programmatic made for television environments

Although programmatic advertising has long been used in display and mobile environments, applications for long-form, broadcast-quality video on CTV require additional considerations. It is important to note that programmatic purchasing does not necessarily mean a marketplace. In fact, most CTV publishers and advertisers prefer to conduct their transactions through private marketplaces that give both parties the assurance that they are working with premium partners.

It is important to note that programmatic purchasing does not necessarily mean a marketplace. In fact, most CTV publishers and advertisers prefer to conduct their transactions through private marketplaces.

This gives buyers more control and transparency on how their budgets are spent and audiovisual producers the assurance that high-quality advertisements are broadcast alongside their content. One of the main advantages of programmatic is that it allows advertisers to manage their locations y partners through a single source or Deal ID (operation identifier), unlike the traditional linear purchase, in which they have several contracts.

Tailored advertising at scale

The widespread adoption of CTV also opens up a range of possibilities for advertisers to better connect with their key audiences. While with the linear television There are fewer options to reach specific viewers because every household watches a program with the same ads, streaming and CTV allow producers and advertisers to reach more precise audiences in broadcast environments. premium content with personalized messages.

With programmatic buying, advertisers can reach addressable audiences at scale by targeting numerous CTV publishers at once with their desired audience parameters, versus buying from individual publishers in a non-programmatic environment.

Improved real-time experience

In many ways, the programmatic speeds up the purchasing process through automation, which translates into greater efficiency for both audiovisual media and advertisers. Advertisers can get real time information on their campaigns to more quickly adjust their media purchases, something that is much more difficult to do in a non-programmatic linear television purchase.

On the other hand, this influx of demand can be difficult to manage for publishers and require additional technology. For example, the creative review of incoming ads It's an important part of ensuring a high-quality, brand-safe viewing environment. It can be difficult, if not impossible, for editors to manually review video ads and approve them one by one.

Advertisers will have to include CTV among the main actors of their advertising campaigns to be competitive in an increasingly data-driven sector.

Concern about not being able to properly review incoming ads causes some publishers hesitate to adopt programmatic for television environments. We have detected this problem and have created a automated tool review creative that leverages machine learning to scan video ads and give publishers the confidence to accurately review ad creatives and approve their use. These types of functions are not widespread in the sector, so it is important that publishers and advertisers work with companies that they perfectly understand the intersection between streaming television and programmatic advertising.

Ultimately, the push we've already seen towards programmatic ad-supported streaming platforms will continue in the next years and will be a great opportunity for advertisers looking to reach highly segmented audiences in premium environments. There is no doubt that advertisers will have to include CTV among the main actors of their advertising campaigns to be competitive in an increasingly data-driven sector.