The democratization of linear TV: Programmatic access without limits
Illustration by Robyn Phelps / Shutterstock / The Current
For years, the advertising industry has anticipated the moment when connected TV (CTV) would take center stage. Programmatic capabilities, audience targeting and real-time decisioning have transformed digital video. Now, linear TV — long valued for its premium content and unmatched live reach — is undergoing its own real-time transformation.
At DISH Media, we saw early on that programmatic was more than a trend; it was a fundamental shift in how advertising would be transacted. That’s why we invested in extending programmatic decisioning to linear TV, giving buyers access to addressable inventory with the same ease, transparency and flexibility as they’ve come to expect in the digital space — while tapping into the power of live, premium content, including must-watch sports and in-game advertising.
Breaking down barriers to access
Historically, buying linear TV meant insertion orders (IOs), lengthy negotiations and large upfront commitments. This created a high barrier to entry, locking out many advertisers — especially smaller brands — from premium, live TV inventory.
That’s changing. DISH Media was first to market in enabling programmatic access to linear digital inventory. Today, businesses of all sizes — from emerging direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands to major advertisers — can access premium linear inventory without minimums or complex terms. The result is a more inclusive and efficient TV marketplace, where the quality of your creative matters more than the size of your budget.
Programmatic linear: Built for scale and impact
Programmatic advertising was once limited to digital video, while linear TV remained tied to traditional models. But linear TV has already transformed.
Today, programmatic technology brings full addressability to linear, powered by identity signals like deterministic subscriber data. This makes campaigns more precise, scalable and measurable. Unlike many digital environments, where fraud and brand safety remain concerns, linear TV offers a premium, brand-safe space to reach engaged audiences at scale.
Programmatic linear is unlocking access to high-value audiences that were previously out of reach — especially those engaged in premium content like live sports and scripted entertainment. These viewers often sit outside traditional digital targeting methods, but now advertisers can reach them with the same precision, control and efficiency they expect from digital.
Why this matters for the advertising ecosystem
This shift isn’t just good for advertisers — it’s good for the whole industry. By making high-quality, live TV inventory available in a real-time, biddable environment, we’re driving greater scale and efficiency and enabling better-performing campaigns. Marketers can execute smarter cross-platform strategies, maintaining consistent reach and frequency across linear and digital without oversaturating audiences.
And the numbers back it up. With the launch of DISH Connected, we increased our household reach by 160%. And in one day alone this March, over 400 advertisers bought DISH inventory programmatically. The data proves it: This shift isn’t coming — it’s already here.
A new era for linear TV
Much of the industry conversation assumes digital and CTV will eventually replace linear. But that’s an outdated narrative. Linear TV is evolving — and programmatic decisioning is leading the charge.
Rather than waiting for viewers to fully migrate to streaming, smart media companies are integrating digital efficiencies into linear now. At DISH Media, we’re not just embracing this evolution — we’re driving it.
The walls around premium TV access have come down. With programmatic, advertisers of all sizes can now scale their reach across DISH and Sling through seamless programmatic transactions. The democratization of linear TV isn’t some far-off goal — it’s already underway. And the advertisers who embrace this new reality will be the ones who win in the next era of television.
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.