TVOT SF 2025

The US TV audience measurement industry has spent decades honing the ways it can best capture the viewing habits of actual people. The task grew monumentally harder as viewing fragmented across screens, devices and platforms. Now, with the rapid expansion of AI, the question to consider is whether or how we can incorporate AI into our audience measurement practices. This panel will delve into that, sharing what is being done with AI, what is planned, and what this all means for the buying and selling of TV audiences. Panelists include:

• Helen Katz, EVP of Research, Publicis Media (Moderator)
• Josh Chasin, Principal, KnotSimpler
• Michael Vinson, Chief Research Officer, Comscore
• Michelle Gelman, Global Head of N1 Content and Core Products, Nielsen
• Steven Millman, Chief Scientist, iSpot.tv
• Yan Liu, CEO, TVision

The growth of multicultural streaming services, particularly services targeting the Black and Hispanic communities, is arguably not surprising. While those communities are more likely to subscribe to and watch streaming TV than is the population at large (per Nielsen, Hispanics spend 27.3% more time with CTV than does the general population and, per Horowitz Research, 52% of Black viewers accessed a FAST service every month in 2023, compared to just 45% of viewers in general), they are also more likely to feel under-represented on the TV screen: according to data from Gracenote, Hispanics, for example, who make up nearly 20% of the US population, had only 8.5% of screen time on streaming services in 2023.

This session, featuring representatives of some of the services that have emerged to address such under-representation, will provide insights into the current state and future prospects of the multicultural streaming space. Panelists will examine such issues as how to carve out and maintain an audience in a sea of streaming competitors; emerging programming and monetization strategies; and the extent to which multicultural streaming services—many of which are upstarts in a media environment dominated by large conglomerates—may need to work together to attract viewers and advertisers. Panelists include:

• Clayton Banks, CEO, Silicon Harlem (Moderator)
• Dorina Amina Abubakar, Program Specialist, African Creative TV Initiative, USC School of Cinematic Arts
• Jennifer Turner, CEO, Mad Cool Media
• Micha Cooper-Edwards, CEO, Soleil Space
• Rashaun Hall, VP of Streaming and Partnerships, Fuse Media

This session takes a deep dive into the critical role quality plays across the entire advertising ecosystem—from data and metadata to brand safety, ad fraud, ad environments, creative, and content. We’ll explore how quality is currently measured, how it can be better defined, and what standards are emerging. Most importantly, we’ll address the fundamental questions: Does quality really matter—and why should it? This conversation will bring clarity and reveal how quality can impact effectiveness, trust, and outcomes across the media and marketing landscape. Panelists include:

• Ben Vandegrift, VP of Measurement Solutions and Innovations, VAB (Moderator)
• Joshua Lee, CTO, EDO
• Kate McGregor, VP of Revenue Enablement, FreeWheel
• Lindsey Woodland, SVP of Client Data Science, iSpot.tv

Social content creators have emerged as the new tastemakers, entertainers and culture setters for increasingly diverse audience types—well beyond Gen Z—while consumer viewing preferences continue to shift toward short-form snackable formats discovered across YouTube, TikTok and IG. With increasingly sophisticated production values and mastery of consumer programming preferences, social video creators represent a new opportunity for TV and streaming companies to keep pace and meet audiences where they are.

In this panel discussion, we’ll explore: How streaming platforms are evolving their content and services to accommodate new creator talent and content sources; what data reveals about viewing preferences for premium content, and differences between short-form video vs. traditional 30-min. and 60-min. TV programming; which types of social video creators are best positioned to make the leap to longer narrative formats on TV platforms; unexpected wins and growing pains as digital creators expand from producing for social platforms to other formats and channels like podcasts and TV; the important role of brands and marketers in the development of original episodic TV content for new audiences; how social influencer marketing is evolving and innovating for TV, and what’s next on the horizon as the worlds of TV and social media entertainment continue to be bridged. Panelists include:

• Andrew Tight, CEO, Katch
• Charlie Ibarra, Chief Creative Officer, Creator TV
• Kevin Kurtz, CEO, Bigger Bolder Baking
• Sarah Bolton, Principal, Sarah Bolton Media Consulting (Moderator)
• Tinashe Chaponda, CEO, Sosani Studios

In exploring the tough short-/long-term tradeoffs that marketers are faced with, a just-completed VAB study sheds new light on how an advertiser might “win at both simultaneously”—including a novel way of looking at category-specific and advertiser-specific traffic spikes that can come as an advertiser chooses brand-building in equal priority to filling their sales channels with productive leads. Presenter:

• Sean Cunningham, President and CEO of the VAB

Our panel of industry analysts will dig into the risks and opportunities in the Great Industry Consolidation of 2025; spanning the view from 35,000 feet to the most arcane of financial indicators. The information provided is for entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered—and cannot replace—investment advice. Panelists include:

• Brian Ring, Principal, Ring Digital
• Colin Dixon, Chief Analyst, nScreenMedia
• Matthew Keys, Publisher, TheDesk.net
• Rick Howe, The iTV Doctor (Moderator)
• Tim Hanlon, CEO, The Vertere Group

In conversation with Colin Dixon, Senior Analyst at nScreenMedia, Matt Durgin, VP of Content and Services at LG Electronics, will highlight how LG’s webOS CTV platform is supporting Super Bundles and other new models for growing audiences and reducing churn. Not only is the platform building audiences for TV programming by enabling such business models and providing enhanced personalization and discoverability features, it is also transforming those audiences into customers for a range of new services, including shopping, gaming, fitness and more. Hear how webOS is enabling CTV to become a monetization engine not just for television content but for multiple areas of our lives.

• Colin Dixon, Chief Analyst, nScreenMedia (Moderator)
• Matt Durgin, VP of Content and Services, LG Electronics

This session will explore how content is being packaged, presented, curated, marketed, distributed and viewed in the streaming-TV ecosystem, as well as the impact of all this on the kind of content that gets made. How fundamentally is streaming changing the television programming business? What new challenges and opportunities could emerge in the streaming-TV programming space in the coming months and years? And how should we expect the streaming content ecosystem to evolve going forward? Panelists include:

• Brendan Canning, Chief Commercial Officer, Triple B
• Daniel Schnider, Head of Business Development and Distribution Partnerships, Revry
• Dilip Bala, SVP/GM, US, Merzigo
• Evan Bregman, General Manager of Streaming and Direct-to-Consumer, Tastemade
• Jennifer Turner, CEO, Mad Cool Media
• Sherry Brennan, Consultant, S. Brennan Media (Moderator)

With all the advanced data and 1:1 targeting capabilities available in advanced TV today, why are so many agencies still defaulting to basic demos? This session takes a fresh look at what could drive audience decisions—is it outcomes like awareness or purchase, how we define personas, or just sticking with what’s familiar? Panelists include:

• Amanda Bates, VP of Client Growth, Epsilon
• Josh Chasin, Principal, KnotSimpler
• Kemal Bokhari, Head of Data, Measurement and Analytics, DISH Media
• Mari Tangredi, SVP of Global Business Development, Cadent
• Tom Morgan, CEO, CTV1 (Moderator)

In this, the first of two sessions presented by TVOT CONNECT—the online discussion, networking and business development community that TVOT launched last year in partnership with nScreenMedia—participants will be randomly matched with one another and with TVOT speakers for a series of 4-minute meetings. During these meetings, each executive pair will get to ask each other up to 3 questions from a pre-set list of questions that are designed to catalyze informative conversations about their respective roles in the industry, their latest projects, the opportunities and challenges they see emerging in their industry sectors, and more. This 1:1 Speed Meet session and the session the next day will be open to all attendees, regardless of whether they’re already CONNECT members. Session facilitators include:

• Colin Dixon, Chief Analyst, nScreenMedia
• Sable Mi, Chair of the Analytics Council, ARF
• Tracy Swedlow, Editor-in-Chief, ITVT

Local CTV advertising has been enjoying rapid growth recently due to a number of factors, including the decline of traditional pay TV, the increasing centrality of FAST and ad-supported subscription tiers to the streaming economy, and the ongoing migration of sports programming to streaming platforms. Significantly, it offers small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) the opportunity to take advantage of new technologies and methodologies—such as interactivity, personalization, targeting, contextuality, AI, programmatic buying, granular measurability and more—that have the potential to make their advertising more engaging, cost-effective and accountable. This session will explore how well businesses are taking advantage of the capabilities of local CTV advertising, how broadcasters and other players can build awareness of those capabilities in the business communities they serve, how new technologies could further enhance local CTV advertising, and how we should expect this emerging space to evolve in the coming months and years. Panelists include:

• Aria Began, VP of Enterprise Success, Madhive
• Brian Hunt, Head of National Digital and CTV/OTT Advertising Sales, Sinclair
• Peter Jones, VP of Revenue, Premion
• Tim Hanlon, CEO, The Vertere Group (Moderator)
• Tom Sly, Managing Partner, Media Inno, LLC

This session will present key findings from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) research, offering valuable insights into the viewing habits and preferences of Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how each generation engages with longform content in a media environment dominated by shortform video—can they co-exist (friends), do they cannibalize each other (foe) or can they work together for mutually beneficial outcomes (frenemy)? The discussion will shed light on where longform content fits into the evolving media landscape and how it continues to drive engagement across generations. Key takeaways will help inform content and marketing strategies, equipping attendees with actionable insights to maximize engagement and future-proof their approaches in an ever-evolving media landscape. Panelists include:

• Christina Parish, EVP, TV and CPG Group, Screen Engine/ASI
• Holly Leff-Pressman, Chief Client Engagement Officer, Screen Engine/ASI (Moderator)
• Vera Chien, Executive Director of Global Corporate Strategy and Insights, Warner Bros Discovery

From its founding 11 years ago to becoming the operating system of over 250 million devices worldwide, webOS, which exemplifies LG Electronics’ commitment to monetization growth through transparency and targeting, has been driving value and building audiences for its partners across the industry—in no small part via its expansion into new verticals and business models. This session will feature webOS partners drawn from multiple areas explaining how they are taking advantage of the operating system and its rich and evolving feature set to grow their businesses and significantly expand their audience and customer bases. Panelists include:

• Ish Harshawat, Co-Founder and President, Haystack News
• Jesse Fargo, VP of Global Sales and Business Development, Frequency
• Matt Durgin, VP of Content and Services, LG Electronics (Moderator)
• Mark Lee, Sr. Director, Head of NA Content Business Development, LG Electronics (Presenter)
• Rick Bergan, Head of US Content Distribution, Stingray

As media companies look to modernize their sales models, audience trading provides the opportunity to change how inventory is valued, sold, and scaled across linear and digital platforms. Panelists include:

• Ben Vandegrift, VP of Measurement Solutions and Innovations, VAB
• Howard Shimmel, Founder, datafuelX
• Inderpreet Sandhu, Global Head of CTV Partner Development and Growth, Google
• Robert Farazin, CEO, tvbeat
• Steve Reynolds, CEO, Imagine Communications (Moderator)

The CTV ecosystem is rapidly maturing, presenting both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges for advertisers and publishers alike. This session will delve into the forefront of CTV innovation, drawing on real-world experiences and actionable insights from the Google Ad Manager team and their extensive work in the space. We will unpack the dynamic world of live ad insertion (LAI), sharing a candid look at the wins and crucial learnings gleaned from LAI implementation. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the technical and strategic nuances involved in delivering seamless, impactful live advertising experiences within CTV environments. Participants include:

• Inderpreet Sandhu, Global Head of CTV Partner Development and Growth, Google
• Kevin Connelly, Senior Director of Programmatic Sales and Business Development, FanDuel Sports Network

Whether it’s generating content, enhancing the viewer experience, or improving discovery, the capabilities of AI are advancing faster than many expected. But is there a price to pay for the benefits AI could deliver? In this session, Hub Entertainment Research Founder and Principal, Jon Giegengack, will present the latest research on which AI applications consumers are excited about, which they’ll tolerate, and areas they’re uncomfortable with AI being used. Then we’ll discuss the report’s findings with a panel of experts to learn more about where AI can have the biggest and most positive impact in today’s TV ecosystem. Panelists include:

• Andre Antonelli, CEO, Machina Sports
• Andreas Hofmann, Senior Director of webOS Product Management, North America, LG Electronics
• Carlos Sanchez, Head of Global Business Development, Media, Protege
• Colin Petrie-Norris, CEO, Fairground Entertainment
• Jon Giegengack, Principal, Hub Entertainment Research (Moderator)

This conversation will focus on challenging the traditional approaches to media buying and selling. As we look ahead to H2 and beyond, the imperative for deeper, more effective buy-sell collaboration has never been clearer. This panel will provide a candid retrospective on the past year, identifying key challenges and successes, and charting a roadmap for necessary adjustments to unlock the full potential of CTV advertising. Panelists include:

• Evan Bregman, General Manager of Streaming and Direct-to-Consumer, Tastemade
• Inderpreet Sandhu, Global Head of CTV Partner Development and Growth, Google (Moderator)
• Jon Levinson, Senior Director of Product, Ad Experiences and Monetization, Samsung Ads
• Mari Tangredi, SVP of Global Business Development, Cadent

Advancements in streaming TV allow media buyers to reach audiences with more precision than they ever have before in this now mainstream advertising channel. Data partnerships, clean rooms and programmatic technology enable advertisers to marry rich data sets with their CTV ads and more accurately measure the impact of those exposures. Whether advertisers are looking to audience-based buys to target one-to-one or broaden their audience reach, this technology is changing the way that streaming TV ads are bought and utilized. In this session, we'll explore how audience-based buying is evolving and shed light on the ways that advertisers are evolving their streaming TV ad campaigns with its use.

Key topics we'll cover include: New advancements in audience-based buying and measurement capabilities; how audience-based buys can enable CTV to be a full-funnel advertising play; how to balance precise targeting with audience scale; and how advertisers are combining CTV with other channels via the use of audience-based insights. Panelists include:

• Howard Shimmel, Founder, datafuelX
• Lauren Fisher, GM of Business Intelligence, Advertiser Perceptions (Moderator)
• Mari Tangredi, SVP of Global Business Development, Cadent
• Nicole Scaglione, Global VP of CTV/OTT and Online Video, Pubmatic
• Patrick Gacoscos, Director of Advanced-TV Sales, Vevo

How is AI impacting advertising? It’s hard to stay up to date on all the innovations in AI. This panel looks at the most immediate changes AI will bring to advertising. We’ll discuss how agencies are using it to build campaigns, the best things brands can provide as training data, whether creating media plans and building realistic cohorts is safe, and whether we really expect personalized advertising generated by AI to be a thing. Panelists include:

• Ashish Baldua, Co-Founder, Anoki
• Chris Hock, Global Head of Monetization, Whale TV
• Dan Kelly, VP of National Sales, BrightLine
• Filiz Bahmanpour, Head of Media and Entertainment, Tavant
• Kevin Hague, SVP of Emerging Technologies, The Coca-Cola Company
• Nadine Krefetz, Principal, Reality Software (Moderator)
• Will Trowbridge, CEO, Saylor

With an emphasis on practical wisdom and lessons from the field, this session will address such questions as: How do targets typically originate—sell-side or buy-side? On the buy-side, what is the typical agency/brand interaction? What are the challenges—in such areas as target propagation and sell-side pricing—entailed by scaling targeted advertising? What proportion of transactions will be audience-target based at equilibrium? And more. Panelists include:

• Chris LoRusso, Chief Business Officer, OpenAP
• David Algranati, Former Chief Innovation Officer, Comscore (Moderator)
• Danielle Zazula, VP of Sell-Side Revenue (Digital Platforms), VideoAmp
• Joe Ruthruff, SVP of Linear Television Product Management, Comscore
• Matt Weinman, VP of Product Management, Advanced Advertising, TelevisaUnivision

After being away from the television business for nearly 10 years, Kym Frank joined Fox back in October. Come hear her fresh perspective on the TV business now, especially focused on where measurement is and where it needs to go, as well as major initiatives at Fox, including their recent announcement of OneFox, an AI-Driven converged media platform. Participants include:

• Howard Shimmel, Founder, datafuelX (Moderator)
• Kym Frank, SVP of Ad Sales Research, Fox

The Awards recognize individual and corporate achievement in the following categories, each of which is judged by a who’s who of advanced-TV industry leaders:

Individual Leadership: An individual who has demonstrated notable leadership in the interactive/multiplatform TV industry over the past year, and whose efforts helped move that industry forward.

All-Star: An individual who has a long-term track record of leadership in the interactive multiplatform television industry, and who is an appropriate candidate for membership in an Interactive/Multiplatform TV Hall of Fame.

Most Significant Impact: The company or organization that has had the most significant impact on the interactive and multiplatform TV industry as a whole over the past year (i.e. February 16th, 2024 through May 1st, 2025).

Most Significant Newcomer: The company or organization that was the most significant newcomer/breakthrough player of the past year.

Most Significant Technology—Infrastructure: The company or organization that launched the most innovative and disruptive television/video-infrastructure technology of the past year. This would include, for example, technologies for enabling and enhancing broadcast/OTA, streaming or mobile TV.

Most Significant Technology—Content: The company or organization that launched the most innovative and disruptive content-related technology of the past year. This would include, for example, technologies for programming production, enhancement, presentation or discovery.

Most Significant User Interface or User Experience: The company or organization that created the most innovative UI/UX of the past year.

Programming Innovation: The company or organization that created the most innovative and disruptive programming/content offering of the past year, including new formats, new types of interactivity, content for new platforms, and more.

Achievement in Measurement and Data: The company or organization that demonstrated the greatest achievement in measurement/attribution or data collaboration this past year. The achievement can be, for example, in the form of a new technology, a new initiative, a new industry collaboration or some other significant development in the space

Achievement in Advanced Advertising: The company or organization that demonstrated the greatest achievement in advanced advertising this past year. The achievement can be, for example, in the form of a new technology, a new campaign, a new industry collaboration or some other significant development in the space

Achievement in Shoppable TV: The company or organization that demonstrated the greatest achievement in shoppable TV/tcommerce this past year. The achievement can be, for example, in the form of a new technology, a new campaign, a new industry collaboration or some other significant development in the space

Achievement in Local Broadcasting: The company or organization that demonstrated the greatest achievement in local broadcasting this past year.

Achievement in Streaming: The company or organization that demonstrated the greatest achievement in streaming, this past year.

Achievement in CTV: The company or organization that demonstrated the greatest achievement in Connected TV this past year.

Achievement in Furthering the Social Good: The company or organization that demonstrated the greatest achievement in furthering the social good (including aocial mobility, diversity, education, and the improvement of people’s lives in general) through advanced-TV technologies and initiatives this past year.

In an era defined by unprecedented choice and shifting viewer habits, the original purveyor of television is not just surviving; it’s evolving. On this panel, we will bring together key content distributors, innovative technology companies, and insightful content owners to explore how free over-the-air television, supercharged by advancements like NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) and the strategic use of multicasting, is staking its claim against traditional cable, the rapidly expanding universe of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST), and the premium content kingdoms of Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD).

For decades, broadcast television was the undisputed king of home entertainment. The rise of cable brought channel proliferation, followed by the on-demand revolution ushered in by SVOD giants. More recently, FAST channels have emerged as a significant force, offering a lean-back, linear experience with no subscription cost, often fueled by library content. This session will delve into how digital broadcast television is navigating this complex and competitive arena. Discussion topics will include:

The NextGen TV Advantage: We’ll explore how the rollout of ATSC 3.0 is a game-changer for broadcasters. With capabilities like 4K Ultra HD picture quality, immersive Dolby Atmos sound, enhanced localism through targeted advertising and content, interactive features, and robust emergency alerting, how are these technological advancements being leveraged to offer a compelling alternative to other platforms?

Multicasting as a Competitive Tool: Digital television’s ability to offer multiple channels (multicasting or “diginets”) from a single broadcast frequency has unlocked new revenue streams and content diversification. How are broadcasters utilizing multicasting to serve niche audiences, expand their reach, and offer a breadth of free content that rivals the curated channels of cable and FAST services?

The Value Proposition in a Subscription-Fatigued World: As consumers navigate multiple streaming subscriptions, “subscription fatigue” is a growing reality. How does the free, high-quality, and increasingly sophisticated offering of digital broadcast television present a compelling value proposition? How can broadcasters effectively market this advantage?

For Content Owners: What are the evolving strategies for creating and licensing content in a landscape where broadcast, FAST, and SVOD all represent viable distribution paths? How does the reach and local connection of broadcast factor into these decisions?

For Content Distributors (Broadcasters): How are you curating a mix of network programming, syndicated content, local news, and multicast channel offerings to compete for viewer attention minute-by-minute? How are data and analytics from NEXTGEN TV informing these content strategies?

The Technology-Driven Future: Beyond NEXTGEN TV, what other technological innovations are critical for digital broadcast to maintain and grow its competitiveness? How are technology companies empowering broadcasters in this evolution?
Navigating the Ad Sales Battlefield: With FAST services rapidly capturing ad dollars and SVOD platforms introducing ad-supported tiers, how can digital broadcast leverage its unique strengths—including local reach and emerging NEXTGEN TV capabilities like targeted advertising—to compete effectively for advertising revenue?

Defining Localism in the Digital Age: Local news and community programming have long been cornerstones of broadcast television. In an increasingly globalized media environment, how is digital broadcast reinforcing its commitment to localism, and how does this differentiate it from national or international streaming services?

The panel will offer unique perspectives on these critical questions, shedding light on the challenges and, more importantly, the significant opportunities that lie ahead for digital broadcast television. Join us as we explore the strategies, technologies, and content innovations that are ensuring over-the-air television remains a vibrant and essential part of the media ecosystem for years to come. Panelists include:

• Anne Schelle, Managing Director, Pearl TV
• Bill Hague, EVP, Magid (Moderator)
• Ravi Kapur, CEO, Major Market Broadcasting
• Rob Folliard, SVP Government Relations and Distribution, Gray Television
• Scott Warren, President and General Manager, KPIX/CBS San Francisco

Back when TV was broadcast, you had no idea who was watching what without a sample (diaries, meter, panel, etc.) Without the Nielsen ratings, video consumption was a total unknown. Ratings made the unknown known. Hence their value.

But Amazon and Hulu and Disney+ and Peacock all know exactly how many streams they sent, to which devices, and for how long, In this context, a Nielsen isn’t making the unknown known. Consumption (at least for stuff distributed digitally) is inherently known. So what are the implications of this for the currency measurement space? Panelists include:

• Alyson Sprague Shields, VP of Measurement Science, Samba TV
• Josh Chasin, Principal, KnotSimpler (Moderator)
• Kym Frank, SVP of Ad Sales Research, Fox
• Lindsey Woodland, SVP of Client Data Science, iSpot.tv
• Noelle Huynh, SVP of Measurement and Research, Warner Bros. Discovery

Monetization in the world of video content has changed. What was formerly defined as “Pay TV” continues to erode as streaming platforms become a daily part of in-home entertainment. The “Streaming Revolution” was bolstered during the COVID pandemic. It changed how audiences consume content along with the sources providing that content. The video marketplace hasn’t been the same since. A common thread in all conversations is monetization and how producers, networks and platforms can properly establish an ROI while delivering premium quality content. This presents a dilemma for all parties seated at the table—producers, licensors and distributors. That uncertainty creates hesitation in the advertising pipeline which has dragged down CPMs industry-wide. This panel seeks to address how producers can evolve their content-creation process and how those licensing and distributing that content can further entice advertisers and subscribers to come to the table as the audience for streaming continues to overtake cable, satellite and also broadcast sources. Panelists include:

• Alexis Gai, CRO, Cleeng
• Eric Mittleman, Executive Producer, Fluffy White Dog Media
• Mike Nagle, CEO, Ashling Digital (Moderator)
• Rick Bergan, Head of US Content Distribution, Stingray
• Sherry Brennan, Consultant, S Brenan Media
• Tom Ashley, CEO, Invincible Entertainment

It’s time to end the linear vs. digital debate and embrace a unified future. As viewer habits evolve rapidly, how has linear television adapted to the surge of digital and streaming platforms? With major live sports migrating from traditional broadcast to digital streams, what shifts are reshaping the advertising landscape?

This dynamic panel brings together executives from broadcast, streaming, AdTech and leading media buying agencies to explore: How linear and digital TV advertising strategies can seamlessly integrate; practical approaches to unify ad buying and scheduling across linear TV and connected TV; the transformative impact of live sports moving to streaming platforms; and what this means for the broader media ecosystem. Panelists will share their firsthand insights and discuss actionable steps to navigate and leverage the convergence of linear and digital TV. Get ready to engage, challenge assumptions, and gain clarity on the future of television advertising. Panelists include:

• Bob Gold, CEO, Bob Gold & Associates (Moderator)
• Daniel Spinosa, President, Premion
• Drew Kane, Chief Transformation Officer, Mediaocean
• Jeff Blaszak, SVP of Business Operations and Strategy, ShowSeeker
• Kate Scott-Dawkins, Global President of Business Intelligence, GroupM
• Steve Reynolds, CEO, Imagine Communications
• Vibhor Kapoor, Chief Business Officer, AdRoll

As CTV becomes increasingly central to the business and viewer experience of television, this session will examine the role the TV OS will play in the future of television. Issues to be discussed include: the home screen as the nexus of the viewer’s entertainment world; balancing the needs of advertisers, service providers, TV manufacturers, and viewers; the close relationship between the TV OS and the integrated FAST; the role of the TV OS in ad innovation; and the growing importance of universal search in programming discovery. Panelists include:

• Briana Larsen, VP of Content Partnerships and Business Development, Xperi
• Colin Dixon, Chief Analyst, nScreenMedia (Moderator)
• Jim Turner, VP of Product Management, Streaming Platforms, Synamedia
• Matt Durgin, VP of Content and Services, LG Electronics
• Rashaun Hall, VP of Streaming and Partnerships, Fuse Media

In this fireside chat, leaders from the branded-entertainment industry will share their successful—and not-so-successful—experiences of blending a brand’s story into an entertaining storyline; discuss how brands are taking their branded content from social media to TV and vice versa; reveal how projects get funded and greenlit; share their success criteria for branded-entertainment campaigns; and more. Participants include:

• Chris Pizzurro, Principal, Leap Media Group
• Kevin Kurtz, CEO, Bigger Bolder Baking
• Michael Dutcher, CEO, bspoketv
• Zach Blume, Co-founder and President, Portal A

The streaming industry is at a breaking point. Interfaces are indistinguishable, personalization is shallow and outdated, and discovery has become a frustrating game of search, scroll, and settle. While legacy platforms obsess over CPMs and FAST expansion, the next generation of viewers is already gone—deep in ecosystems like YouTube, TikTok, Discord, Spotify, and Instagram, where content is context-aware, algorithmically agile, and socially integrated.

This panel brings together leaders across product, UX, creative tech, content, marketing, and operations to ask the hard questions: What happened to the promise of streaming? And what does it take to rebuild it for the audiences of tomorrow?

Together, we’ll explore how AI can reshape content experiences, enabling smarter discovery, adaptive UI/UX and interfaces that evolve with audiences—not against them. From immersive fan engagement and social-native integration to real-time personalization and design systems powered by generative and agentic AI, we’ll look at how to leap ahead instead of patching what’s already outdated.

The future of streaming isn’t just about what you serve—it’s how, when, and why you serve it. If platforms want to matter to the next wave of viewers, they’ll need to think less like networks and more like ecosystems. Panelists include:

• David Baron, COO, Mindshow
• Jenny Stiven, Director of Business Development and Marketing, Lilac Grove Entertainment
• Liz Huszarik, Managing Partner, Maverix Insights
• Shawn Johnson, Founder and President, SocioPunk and Seicho Syndicate (Moderator)
• Taniesah Evans, CEO, Lake Park Girl Productions
• Tomasz Opasinski, Creative Technologist, Machine Intelligence and New Technologies, Adobe

While advertisers have always recognized the value of television for their brands (sight, sound and motion; broad reach, etc.), the desire to prove its (immediate and longer term) value has grown exponentially stronger over time. This panel will look at a few of the newest ways to show the power and value of TV and consider where the gaps and challenges remain. Panelists include:

• Kym Frank, SVP of Ad Sales Research, Fox
• Lara Stone, VP of PMX Lift Measurement, Publicis
• Maggie Zhang, Head of Global Video Measurement, Amazon
• Rob Jayson, EVP of Insights and Analytics, USIM (Moderator)

Contextual advertising, which presents CTV viewers with ads that are tailored to the programming they are currently watching, is intended to provide an efficient and effective way to reach a targeted audience, while avoiding the privacy and brand-safety concerns that can be associated with other forms of data-driven targeted advertising. A major factor in its recent growth has been AI, which enables increasingly granular and sophisticated analysis of programming content, metadata and viewer behavior, and thus allows advertisers who employ contextual campaigns to target increasingly nuanced audiences.

This session will bring together representatives of companies that have been at the forefront of contextual’s rapid growth, in order to share best practices and lessons from the field; identify any emerging challenges that could impact the medium in the coming months and years; and provide insight into how contextual might evolve going forward, as well as into how its evolution could impact media-buying, creative and other elements of the advertising ecosystem at large. Panelists include:

• Ashwin Navin, CEO, Samba TV
• Daniel Church, Head of CTV, Seedtag
• Gary Mittman, CEO, KERV
• Matt Weinman, VP of Product Management, Advanced Advertising, TelevisaUnivision
• Rohan Ramesh, VP of Data Science, Vevo
• Sarah Bolton, Principal, Sarah Bolton Media Consulting (Moderator)

This session will showcase the innovative products, technologies and methodologies of five emerging companies in the research and measurement space. Panelists include:

• Anjali Midha, CEO, Diesel Labs
• Beatriz Ribeiro, SVP of Client Success, Mediaprobe
• Christina Parish, EVP, TV & Digital Entertainment Group, Screen Engine/ASI
• Howard Shimmel, Founder, datafuelX (Moderator)
• Ian Baer, CEO, Sooth
• Joanna Drews, CEO, HyphaMetrics

Shoppable TV has been having a moment recently, with high-profile product roll-outs, deployments and campaigns by a range of networks, streamers, platforms and brands, including Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, The CW, Hulu, Amazon, LG, Samsung, Walmart and Kroger, to name but a few. At the same time, there appears to be considerable interest in shoppable TV on the part of consumers, with a recent report from LG Ad Solutions finding that 60% of CTV viewers would like to be able to complete purchases directly through their TV sets; and with recent research from Emarketer finding that 63% of consumers discover new brands and products through the TV and that over 40% plan to increase their TV-inspired spending over the coming year.

This session will bring together representatives of companies that are playing a key role in the ongoing explosion of interest in shoppable TV to address such questions as: What impact are AI and other emerging technologies having on the shoppable-TV space? What role will single- and two-screen approaches respectively play in the space going forward? What considerations should guide the user experience and user interface of shoppable-TV applications? What kinds of advertising and programming content are most effective for shoppable TV? And to what extent do advertising formats—and even programming content—need to be rethought in order to take full advantage of the emerging medium? Panelists include:

• Chloe Morawski, Head of Agency and Brand Partnerships, Origin
• Dan Kelly, VP of National Sales, BrightLine
• Gary Mittman, CEO, KERV
• Laura Frankel, Director of Streaming Platform Experience, QVC/HSN
• Mark Lee, Senior Director of North American Content Business Development, LG Electronics
• Matthew Keys, Publisher, TheDesk.net (Moderator)

The FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) ecosystem is evolving fast—but where is it going next? In this forward-looking panel, we’ll examine several breakthrough innovations shaping the next generation of streaming experiences: GameLoop brings a new kind of interactive CTV experience to FAST; Future Today shares how dynamic ad formats and interactive advertising are redefining viewer engagement; and Blue Ant Media showcases its global approach to FAST distribution and niche audience strategy. Discover how these trailblazers are reinventing how content is distributed, monetized, and experienced in the FAST future. Panelists include:

• Julio Sobral, SVP of Channel Distribution, Blue Ant Media
• Vikrant Mathur, Co-Founder, Future Today
• Zane Vella, Chairman, GameLoop

This session will outline the challenges and opportunities presented to the addressable-advertising ecosystem by television’s transition to a primarily streaming medium. Questions to be addressed include: How to ensure interoperability of ad servers and creative versioning in the transition from linear to streaming? What new benefits does streaming-first addressability provide (e.g. improved targeting and measurement), and what new problems does it create (e.g. a proliferation of walled gardens that force advertisers into siloed buys)? How effective are the solutions that have been put forward to these problems, such as programmatic pipes, unified ID and consortia such as OpenAP? What tensions are emerging between publishers and buyers, as the former seek control and the latter seek simplicity and scale? And how will new developments—including household graph-based addressable targeting, shoppable TV, AI-enhanced predictive targeting, and early experiments with “addressable live sports” and real-time dynamic creative—impact the evolution of streaming-first addressable advertising? Panelists include:

• Buck Cram, Director of National Political Ad Sales, Comcast Advertising
• Chris LoRusso, Chief Business Officer, OpenAP
• Greg Pomaro, EVP of Media, Mediasmith
• Guy Southam, Senior Director of Product Management, Synamedia
• Rob Jayson, EVP of Insights and Analytics, USIM (Moderator)

In this, the second of two sessions presented by TVOT CONNECT—the online discussion, networking and business development community that TVOT launched last year in partnership with nScreenMedia—TVOT attendees and speakers will have an opportunity to discuss key takeaways from the show, identify important themes that have emerged in the course of the last two days, offer new insights that the show’s debates and discussions have inspired, and share their thoughts on topics they would like to see explored at future TVOT shows and TVOT CONNECT sessions. Chatham House rules will apply. This session and the 1:1 Speed Meet session the previous day will be open to all attendees, regardless of whether they’re already CONNECT members. Discussion leaders include:

• Colin Dixon, Chief Analyst, nScreenMedia
• Sable Mi, Chair of the Analytics Council, ARF
• Tracy Swedlow, Editor-in-Chief, ITVT
• TVOT CONNECT Members
• Other Invited Speakers (TBA)

Earlier this year, the NAB filed a petition with the FCC, urging the agency to establish a clear, industry-wide transition plan for the full deployment of ATSC 3.0, the new broadcast standard—also known by the consumer-facing brand, NEXTGEN TV—that is designed to bring interactivity and significantly improved picture and sound quality to over-the-air TV. In this opening presentation, Anne Schelle, Managing Director of Pearl TV, a broadcast-industry organization that has been at the forefront of the push to implement NEXTGEN TV in the US, will update attendees on the state of the ongoing NEXTGEN TV rollout, explain the significance of the NAB petition, and outline the opportunities the new standard is opening up for broadcasters, content providers and device manufacturers.

This session will explore how NEXTGEN TV is already being used by broadcasters to enhance local sports coverage and increase viewer engagement, and how this in turn is driving viewership growth and market penetration for the new standard. Panelists include:

• Anne Schelle, Managing Director, Pearl TV (Moderator)
• Peter Scott, Chief Strategy Officer, Play Anywhere
• Rob Folliard, SVP of Government Relations and Distribution, Gray Television
• Tim Carroll, Senior Director, AV Ecosystem, Americas, Dolby Laboratories

This session will explore how NEXTGEN TV is already transforming the broadcast landscape by enabling interactive viewer experiences, data-enhanced advertising, and advanced watermarking capabilities that support measurement and digital advertising models for OTA viewing. Panelists will discuss how audiences are engaging with these emerging features and services, and how broadcasters are leveraging the platform to unlock new content formats and monetization opportunities. Looking ahead, the panel will offer insights into how these innovations are expected to shape the evolution of NEXTGEN TV over the coming months and years. Panelists include:

• Anne Schelle, Managing Director, Pearl TV
• Bill Hague, EVP, Magid (Moderator)
• Nick Colsey, VP of Business Development, Sony Electronics
• Tom Morgan, CEO, CTV1.tv
• Zane Vella, Chairman, Game Loop TV

As NEXTGEN TV rolls out across the country, a new frontier is emerging—not just for broadcasting, but for interactive user experiences that blur the line between watching and participating. This panel explores cutting-edge case studies redefining the viewer experience: GameLoop TV has launched a “watch and play” game discovery channel; Aquimo has launched real-time, motion-controlled “tilt games” for CTV; and public television leaders are embracing interactivity to better serve their audiences. Together, these innovators will unpack how NEXTGEN TV can transform passive viewing into active engagement. Panelists include:

• Mark Jeffery, CEO, Aquimo
• Michael Gregor, Founder, Velope
• Sherry Brennan, Consultant, S. Brennan Media
• Zane Vella, Chairman, Game Loop