LAS VEGAS — So-called “programmatic” TV advertising, in which TV ads would be traded with digital targeting and efficiency, is coming a long way – but still has key challenges to address if it is to reach the heights many hope for, according to one sector exec.

“We’re in a nascent timeframe for programmatic TV. It’s about opening up a legacy business to the effectiveness and efficiencies that come from the world of digital,” says Videology global head of TV strategy Rhys McLachlan.

“There is a huge amount of receptivity from the demand side – ad agencies have woken up to the efficiencies programmatic can bring – though we are somewhat behind the ball as it relates to the datasets, to provide efficient measurement.

“And there is a lot of legacy infrastructure as it relates to the technology the broadcast industry uses to distribute their content. There is a lot of work still to be be done to provide a truly holistic platform for programmatic television. Asia-Pacific will move very quickly – they don’t quite have the same legacy constraints.”

He was interviewed for Beet.TV by Ashley J. Swartz, CEO and founder of Furious Corp, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

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