In our latest Amagi AIRTIME webinar, our expert roundtable dove into strategies for maximizing monetization and driving scalable streaming revenue growth.
We discussed strategies for leveraging contextual data, collaborating with programmatic demand partners, and driving ad format innovation.
Panelists included Jon Nevitt, SVP of Product Marketing at Amagi, Cintia Gabilan, VP of Product Marketing at IAB, Nicole Scaglione, Global VP of CTV/OTT and Online Video at PubMatic, and Mike Caprio, VP and GM of Global Advertising at JWP x Connatix.
Watch the full webinar here and read on for highlights from the discussion.
What are the most exciting opportunities for content owners and platforms in 2025?
IAB's Cintia Gabilan offers a preview of what 2025 could hold for content owners and platforms, shedding light on the transformative shifts currently reshaping the CTV content landscape. One major shift is the downturn in traditional entertainment production, coupled with a surge in live sports media rights value.
In the first quarter of this year, on-location filming in L.A. dropped almost 10%, and television production dropped nearly 20% YoY, Gabilan said.
“And we will continue to see that trend happening, thus indicating a reallocation of resources from scripted entertainment to live sports,” Gabilan added. “In contrast, as you all know, sports media rights have significantly surged. And all the streaming platforms are aggressively bidding for these rights to attract subscribers.”
At the same time, the complexity of CTV ad buying is escalating. The rise of self-serve ad platforms by major players like Amazon, Disney, NBCU and Paramount enables advertisers, including small and midsize businesses, to access inventory with greater efficiency and scalability.
Netflix is set to join this trend with its self-serve platform launch in 2025, they announced last year. But this transition demands advertisers navigate multiple platforms with varying capabilities, inventory, and KPIs, requiring advanced expertise and operational resources. As agencies grapple with these challenges, the industry will likely see a push toward creative innovation, deeper publisher-advertiser relationships, and greater flexibility in ad-buying strategies to maintain advertiser value while adapting to this evolving ecosystem.
"With entertainment production declining and sports rights surging, streaming shifts to live sports, while self-serve CTV platforms add complexity for advertisers," says Gabilan.
READ: How to drive effective monetization outcomes from FAST
How to properly implement core transparency measures in CTV, and their importance
PubMatic’s Nicole Scaglione says as CTV continues to evolve, maintaining supply chain hygiene has become essential for both publishers and buyers. With the rapid proliferation of content and buying options, advertisers are now more sophisticated and selective about where and how they allocate their budgets. The abundance of distribution channels has given buyers unprecedented choices, enabling them to prioritize transparency and reliability in their ad spend.
This shift highlights the need for publishers to maintain a clean, transparent supply chain. Neglecting this aspect risks losing advertiser dollars, as buyers actively move their budgets to platforms that prioritize supply chain cleanliness and optimization. In a maturing medium like CTV, where fraud and unreliable supply exist, publishers focusing on supply chain hygiene are better positioned to secure ad revenue and build trust. This emphasis on transparency is a natural and essential step in the evolution of the CTV industry, says Scaglione.
JWP x Connatix’s Mike Caprio adds that as broadcasters transition to streaming, tools like IAB’s ads.txt framework are crucial for maintaining transparency and combating fraud in programmatic advertising. With more ad dollars flowing into CTV, ensuring a clean supply path is vital as brands and agencies demand trustworthy environments to safeguard their investments.
Offering detailed contextual signals — like content tone or sensitive themes — can differentiate smaller streamers and boost monetization. Transparency builds buyer trust, helping maximize ad value and revenue in the increasingly competitive CTV landscape.
WATCH: Our full webinar series
What are your thoughts on ad format innovation?
Amagi’s Jon Nevitt also noted that Amagi and a number of other industry leaders are currently focused on scaling new CTV ad formats beyond the traditional ad pod. "The biggest challenge here is the lack of standardization in CTV ad formats," explained Gabilan.
The IAB’s research shows that only 40% of new ad formats are widely accepted, leaving 60% unstandardized. Additionally, buyers prioritize seamless access over potential reach and frequency. An IAB study shows 92% of CTV interactive ads are still sold directly, limiting programmatic growth.
The IAB Tech Lab is working on an initiative to define and standardize common CTV ad formats. Industry stakeholders are invited to submit their respective CTV ad formats for evaluation. The top goal here is to open doors for more ad format innovation, driving efficiency and better adoption in programmatic transactions.
"The main challenge in boosting programmatic spending on interactive ads is that 92% of purchases still happen through direct channels such as Insertion Order (IO)," says Scaglione.
The IAB’s study underscored that standardization is crucial for driving more programmatic adoption, requiring industry-wide collaboration to meet buyer and viewer needs.
"A significant barrier to interactivity on CTV is its complexity," says Scaglione.
How do you work with content owners to merchandise data, and what do you consider most important in the process?
Scaglione explains that some publishers hesitate to provide full transparency because they fear advertisers might selectively buy only their best-performing inventory — a practice known as "cherry-picking." However, she argues that embracing transparency ultimately benefits publishers. Publishers can collaborate directly with buyers to establish mutually beneficial agreements by sharing content signals and programmatic data. This transparency enables advertisers to create more targeted and effective campaigns, leading to a fairer and more sustainable marketplace for everyone.
Publishers have significant control over how they present content, giving them the power to make decisions that enhance monetization, says Scaglione. With the help of technology partners, publishers can enhance content targeting by providing more granular signals, such as key plot developments. This approach empowers brands to create tailored campaigns, benefiting publishers and buyers.
Want to learn more?
German
French
Spanish
Korean
