Unlocking CTV’s full potential: Lessons from across the pond

There’s a growing narrative in our industry that suggests connected TV (CTV) may be losing its edge. Channels like digital audio, retail media, and digital out-of-home (DOOH) are undeniably on the rise, driving more attention and innovation. But to suggest that CTV is stagnating is to miss the bigger story.

CTV remains one of the most premium, brand-safe, innovative environments in the media mix. However, the pace and nature of that innovation varies significantly across markets.

Working with global advertisers, I see where investment is flowing — and, more importantly, why it’s flowing the way it is. Increasingly, it looks like a tale of two CTV markets: in the U.S., where broadcasters are leaning into programmatic and driving performance at scale; and in the U.K., where rigid, legacy buying models continue to constrain both marketer outcomes and consumer experience.

The value of signal

The contrast is striking — and it's reshaping how advertisers allocate their budgets.

In the U.S., major players like Disney, NBCUniversal and Paramount have fully embraced programmatic. By making inventory available through channels like private marketplaces (PMPs) and premium open marketplace deals, they’re giving advertisers what they need most: flexibility, transparency and access to signal.

Signal is the foundational currency of modern digital advertising. It’s what enables targeting, measurement and optimization. In CTV, signal can take many forms — from content type to genre to identity frameworks like UID2.

When signal is available in the bidstream, it unlocks real value. It means marketers can activate their first-party data to reach the right audiences with precision. They can integrate retail data to target new households and drive incremental growth beyond their existing base. And by enabling household identity graphs, they can manage frequency across devices and publishers to avoid overexposure and wasted impressions. All of this unlocks smarter optimization and measurement, focusing on KPIs that matter: cost per unique household, true ROAS, and incremental reach. These metrics give marketers a clear line of sight to real business outcomes, like in-store sales or online bookings.

That’s why demand flows toward inventory that supports signal. When marketers can make real-time, data-informed decisions, they invest more. And when publishers make that possible, they see stronger CPMs, higher yield and better fill rates.

Everyone benefits, including the viewer. Let’s face it: we’ve all had frustrating streaming experiences, like seeing the same spot multiple times in one ad break or getting hit with the same message across different apps in a single evening. That’s not just bad user experience, it’s a symptom of poor frequency control and a lack of decisioning. When broadcasters enable programmatic buying and allow for data in the bidstream, advertisers can manage frequency effectively and viewers get a better, more relevant advertising experience.

In the U.K., however, that level of maturity remains largely aspirational. Many broadcasters are still cautiously experimenting, often limiting access to programmatic guaranteed (PG) deals. While PG has its place, it lacks the flexibility and data-rich environment that today’s advertisers expect. Without access to real-time decisioning, external data activation or frequency controls, marketers move their spend elsewhere.

So, it’s not a question of innovation. It’s a question of where that innovation is accessible.

A move toward full-funnel strategies over siloed goals

This shift can play out in multiple ways.

Some global brands are redirecting spend to the U.S., where their data works harder. Others are moving into more progressive, ad-supported streaming platforms operating in the U.K. — platforms that allow signal in the bidstream and support outcome-based measurement. Still others are reallocating CTV budgets into faster-moving channels like digital audio, where innovation is thriving. Publishers like Spotify, for example, are setting the bar by enabling contextual signals — genre, mood or moment — as well as identity signals like UID2 to create real precision and accountability.

What’s driving this behavior isn’t just a desire for better targeting — it’s part of a broader shift in how marketers think about the funnel itself.

Increasingly, global brands are adopting full-funnel strategies that prioritize the user journey over siloed goals. The traditional wall between brand and performance is breaking down — and with it, the expectations for each channel are evolving.

CTV, once considered a pure awareness play, is now playing a more integrated role —shortening the path from exposure to action, especially when combined with other channels: digital audio, video and DOOH.

The platforms that enable this kind of cross-channel coordination are becoming critical. When multiple channels are stitched together with shared data and strategy, advertisers can manage reach, frequency and messaging cohesively.

This is where identity infrastructure and household-level graphs become powerful. On average, advertisers see up to a 23% efficiency gain from leveraging this kind of infrastructure with The Trade Desk. That’s not a minor improvement — that’s a strategic edge.

So, no — CTV isn’t yesterday’s news. It’s a foundational part of the next era of digital advertising. But to fully unlock that potential, British broadcasters need to act. They are sitting on immense value: incredibly premium content, loyal audiences and rich data sets. But unless they evolve — enabling programmatic decisioning, real signal in the bidstream, and data-driven outcomes — they risk being left behind in the next wave of digital growth.

The call to action is clear:

Modernize your pipes. Enable signal. Give marketers the tools they need to invest. CTV’s next chapter is being written now — and the broadcasters that choose to lead will shape its future.

This op-ed represents the views and opinions of the author and not of The Current, a division of The Trade Desk, or The Trade Desk. The appearance of the op-ed on The Current does not constitute an endorsement by The Current or The Trade Desk.