LONDON — The promise of interactive television advertising has been around for decades. In the UK, “press red” buttons on satellite remotes teased a future of viewer engagement that never quite materialized. The problem was, the hardware wasn’t as ready as consumers may have been.
Now, with streaming devices packing more processing power, that long-awaited future may finally be arriving.
“The desire was there, but the experience wasn’t,” said Robert Aksman, President and Co-founder of BrightLine, in a video interview with Beet.TV at the Future of TV Advertising Global event. “Now in the realm of streaming, these devices are as powerful as a laptop was 10 years ago.”
Global markets hit the tipping point
BrightLine, which specializes in interactive CTV advertising, is witnessing international markets undergo the same transformation the US experienced several years ago. As streaming viewership overtakes traditional cable and linear television, advertisers are growing restless with conventional 30-second spots.
“As behavior and eyeballs started to overtake cable and linear TV, advertisers started to ask, what’s next?” Aksman said. “They were no longer happy with or satisfied with just kind of your standard 30.”
US CTV ad spending is projected to reach $40.90 billion by 2027, according to eMarketer, even as linear TV ad spend declines. That growth trajectory is now being replicated in markets outside North America.
From novelty to necessity
“It took a few years to get comfortable with buying and being in the connected TV space, and just simply being there,” Aksman said. “But now they’re saying that’s not enough.”
Networks and streaming services are increasingly asking how interactive elements can enhance their sponsorship packages. Audiences accustomed to personalized, interactive apps now expect similar experiences from their television advertising.
“We’re seeing a lot more engagement from the network side, from the streaming side saying, okay, how can we layer interactive into our offerings?” Aksman said.
You’re watching coverage from The Future of TV Advertising Global 2025. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
