The future of television was on display THESEand data and artificial intelligence were at the center.
Media buyers, executives and technology industry leaders packed the Las Vegas Convention Center during the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month to learn about the latest technologies and trends affecting the television advertising industry.
To find out where the industry is headed in the future, ADWEEK spoke with several media buyers, executives and experts in attendance, to find out the latest trends and industry themes to watch in 2025 and beyond.
Here are three of the dominant themes at CES this year that could impact the future of television:
AI and data continue to blur the lines between traditional publishers and technology
AI was the buzzword at CES, with the technology driving innovation in everything from frequency limiting to audience targeting. However, as AI and data become even more important cornerstones of companies’ offerings, the lines between media companies and technology companies continue to blur.
Among the highlights, industry experts highlighted the strengthening of technology by traditional media companies. For example, during Fifth Annual Disney Global Tech & Data ShowcaseThe company unveiled a series of new features with AI capabilities, including Select AI Engine, a tool that allows brands to create personalized lookalike audiences and deliver sequential messages, while expanding reach without affecting the limits of frequency.
Not to be outdone, NBCUniversal announced a series of new advertising features and AI capabilities, including the expansion of its Advertising creation enginewhich uses generative AI, machine learning and statistical models to understand historical performance of ad creative in specific content, predicting creative performance across various KPIs such as brand awareness and market breakthrough. message.
Meanwhile, free, ad-supported, tech-driven streamers continue to gain share in a fragmented market as they move closer to the behavior of traditional publishers. For its part, Tubi said it has 97 million monthly active users and more than 10 billion hours of streaming in 2024, with 77% of its viewers not having cable, according to an MRI Cord Evolution study of November.
Streaming services are trying to improve user experience
Beyond data, media companies are also looking for an improved user experience to alleviate fragmentation, experts say. For example, one buyer pointed to DirecTV, which announced last year during Advertising Week that it was launching MyFree DirecTV, a platform dedicated to free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST).
Like other companies, DirecTV’s move to free, ad-supported video is intended to eliminate barriers to entry among the money-conscious public.
Experts suggest that user experience bundling is one way the industry seeks to improve viewer satisfaction and reduce fragmentation, as the industry moves away from being an ecosystem of disparate applications and enclosed gardens.
Roku, which announced it has more than 90 million streaming households, is an example of how businesses can co-exist, with the platform featuring a home screen that offers easy navigation and sponsorship opportunities for brands and streamers.
Televisions: bigger, faster, stronger
On the product and consumer side, three media experts told ADWEEK they’re also interested in how TVs are evolving.
“The biggest TV trend – and not just this year – and it’s been going on since after the pandemic, I see TV screens losing their status as stationery, the focal point of the living room and becoming more portable,” Richard Yao, associate director, strategy and content, IPG Media Lab, told ADWEEK. “There’s a lot more experimentation with the form factor. It almost feels like television isn’t just television. It’s like a great tablet screen for your home.
Although TVs are moving from stationary to portable, two of the experts also noted that this technology has the potential to become the centerpiece of smart home hubs, displaying information passively while featuring customizable widgets.
In the same spirit, Samsung unveiled The Frame Pro, optimized for displaying works of art. There is also the option of E-ink art displays for use at home, which mimic the look of ink printed on paper and can be permanently mounted, requiring minimal maintenance.
Other futuristic TVs on their way to consumers include weather-resistant units, wireless products and AI offerings, which monitor and manage battery life. There are also products such as JubileeTV, designed to simplify the TV experience for seniors, even including teleconferencing features with doctors.
