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Published 26.03.2025
The Future of CTV Advertising and Streaming
The Future of CTV Advertising and Streaming: Insights from Roku’s Sarah Harms and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Rebecca Kent
The future of CTV hinges on balancing scale with personalization - turning screens into dynamic, measurable touchpoints for brands.
audience fragmentation, and the rise of advertising-led models. Here are the key insights from Roku’s Sarah Harms and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Rebecca Kent, highlighting their strategies for navigating this dynamic ecosystem.
Roku powers 90 million U.S. households and reaches 120 million daily viewers, making it the largest TV operating system in the U.S. Its home screen ads achieve "Super Bowl-sized reach daily," while interactive experiences like Roku City offer unique branding opportunities. The Roku Channel is now the second-most-watched app on Roku devices, surpassing competitors like Netflix and Hulu.
Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) is central to Roku’s strategy. The Roku Channel’s curated live TV and on-demand content have driven its rise in Nielsen’s rankings, appealing to viewers fatigued by subscription overload.
Roku’s Data Cloud aggregates first-party data from 90 million households, enabling advertisers to integrate external datasets for enhanced attribution. Partnerships with iSpot and Nielsen aim to address measurement gaps, particularly in cross-device tracking and identity resolution.
Roku Ads Manager allows SMBs to launch CTV campaigns with credit-card payments, QR codes, and interactive formats. This lowers barriers for performance marketers shifting budgets from social media to TV.
Roku is capitalizing on the surge in women’s sports viewership (e.g., NCAA basketball, WNBA) by offering targeted ad placements and sponsorships. These campaigns drive high engagement, with advertisers seeing measurable ROI from audiences previously underserved by linear TV.
WBD’s Max streaming service has embraced ad-supported tiers, with innovations like shoppable ads that blend seamlessly into content. This approach turns ads into interactive experiences, reducing viewer friction. In March 2025, Max saw a 6% monthly viewership boost, driven by hits like The White Lotus and NCAA March Madness coverage.
WBD offers flexible viewing options (ad-free, live TV, cinematic releases), prioritizing consumer choice. Rebecca Kent emphasizes that convenience and control are as critical as content quality.
WBD leverages cross-platform data to connect fan engagement across streaming, retail (e.g., DC Comics merch), and live events (e.g., Harry Potter theme parks). This holistic view enables personalized interactions, deepening brand loyalty.
Advanced dubbing and AI-driven localization allow shows like Game of Thrones and local-language productions to resonate worldwide. Kent notes that “great storytelling knows no borders,” with international markets like India driving growth.
WBD’s corporate restructure into Global Linear Networks (CNN, TBS) and Streaming & Studios (Max, HBO) aims to balance cash flow from linear assets with streaming’s growth potential. This mirrors NBCUniversal’s SpinCo strategy, hinting at future partnerships to bolster news and entertainment verticals.
Both companies highlight the shift from subscription fatigue to ad-supported streaming. Roku’s FAST channels and WBD’s Max ads exemplify how free, curated content attracts budget-conscious viewers.
Roku and WBD are addressing gaps in cross-platform attribution. Roku’s Data Cloud and WBD’s closed-loop metrics aim to track outcomes like in-store visits and online purchases, moving beyond traditional impressions.
Roku: Focuses on lean-back viewing and women’s sports to capture engaged audiences.
WBD: Balances franchise IP (e.g., Harry Potter) with localized storytelling to cater to global tastes.
Roku and Warner Bros. Discovery exemplify the dual engines driving TV’s future: data-driven precision and audience-centric storytelling. Roku’s strength lies in democratizing CTV access and leveraging FAST growth, while WBD merges legacy content with global scalability. Both underscore the irreversible shift toward ad-supported models, where transparency, interactivity, and cultural relevance are paramount.
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