The world of endless media options. The top trends that help brands succeed on TV in 2025
Viewers today navigate a vast landscape of platforms and content, often spending more time searching for what to watch than actually watching. Multi-screen viewing has also become the norm, with audiences frequently complementing TV with mobile or tablet usage.
Connected TV (CTV) continues its upward trajectory, offering on-demand convenience and broad accessibility, while the rise of FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) channels introduces new advertising opportunities. With major players like Netflix and Amazon embracing ad-supported models, understanding how and what viewers watch has never been more critical. Let’s explore the trends shaping CTV and linear TV in 2025 - and how to capture these audiences effectively.
Ad Spend Is Poised to Surge in 2025. Here's Why…
Advertising is about to get a lot more competitive. In 2025, expect a surge in ad investments as economic forces align to fuel a marketing frenzy. The U.S. economy has held its ground with steady growth, and declining interest rates over the past two years give brands the green light to secure financing and expand their customer base - translation: more money chasing your audience.
Mergers and acquisitions will add to the chaos. As companies vie for dominance in reshaped markets, advertising budgets will swell to carve out competitive edges. This isn't just a bump for big players - small businesses, long sidelined by traditional TV's steep costs, are storming the gates. CTV's low entry point means a few hundred dollars can now get them in front of hyper-targeted audiences.
This isn't just opportunity knocking for advertisers - it's a full-on battering ram. If your strategy isn't sharp, someone else's will be.
More about economic trends from Simulmedia CEO Dave Morgan.
Data Drives Marketing’s Future. Content Alone Isn’t Enough
For years, the mantra was “content is king,” but in 2025, the real power lies in combining compelling content that reflects your values and connects with customers through data-driven marketing.
Content captures attention and is still very important, but data tells you who you’ve reached, where to find them again, and how they reacted. It’s not just about guessing what your audience might like - it’s about knowing where they are, how they engage, and whether your campaigns actually drive purchase intent or brand loyalty.
With Connected TV (CTV), data transforms marketing from a rearview mirror exercise into a predictive powerhouse. You’re not just evaluating past performance but shaping what’s next. Audience insights now go beyond demographics, offering actionable intelligence on behaviors, viewing habits, and even purchasing patterns. This fusion of data and content enables advertisers to deliver precision at scale, finding niche audiences more efficiently than ever before.
As distribution grows more fragmented, the true game-changer will be leveraging data to dominate both content and distribution channels.
CTV Ads. Where Scalability Meets Interactivity
Connected TV merges traditional TV’s reach with digital precision. Standard ad formats—15, 30, 60, and 120 seconds—enable seamless transitions for advertisers. Add dynamic interactivity, such as real-time QR codes, and CTV transforms passive viewing into active engagement, creating a revolutionary connection between brands and audiences that linear TV simply can’t match.
AI and Emerging Tech: Redefining CTV Advertising
In 2025, artificial intelligence and advanced technology are revolutionizing connected TV (CTV) advertising, leveling the playing field for businesses of all sizes. AI-powered tools now allow brands to generate premium-quality ads from simple text prompts, static images, or scraped website content. What once required tens of thousands of dollars can now be achieved for a fraction of the cost - or even for free - making studio-grade creative accessible to smaller brands.
Beyond creative production, AI-driven analytics give advertisers granular insights into audience behaviors, preferences, and viewing habits. This capability transforms campaigns from a guessing game into precision-targeted efforts that resonate. Crucially, advanced technologies now allow brands to duplicate and integrate audiences across linear TV and CTV, bridging gaps between traditional and digital platforms.
For advertisers, the impact is profound. AI not only streamlines creative processes but also enhances campaign performance by enabling real-time adjustments and personalized targeting. The result? A smarter, faster, and more cost-effective path to engaging the right audience at the right time. In the era of AI, CTV advertising isn’t just evolving - it’s being redefined.
CTV Ads Solutions for Small and Regional Businesses
CTV has shattered the barriers that once made TV advertising inaccessible for small and regional businesses. Traditionally, these advertisers relied on Yellow Pages, local radio, or billboards, lacking the budget for TV's high costs. CTV changes the game by offering precision targeting at a fraction of traditional TV prices - sometimes starting in the hundreds of dollars. Regional businesses can now target audiences at a granular level, such as specific zip codes or even sub-zip codes, making campaigns highly efficient. With platforms like Skybeam, businesses can reach niche markets and measure ROI effectively, regardless of size or location.
Brandformance TV approach is the future
Despite the steady decline in linear TV subscriptions—Total Pay TV (including vMVPDs) fell by 6.6% YoY in Q3 2024, as reported by MoffettNathanson — sports fans still turn to traditional TV for live events. Our LinkedIn poll reflected this trend, with 52% of respondents preferring traditional Pay TV for live sports. Why? Streaming platforms often face latency issues, such as 50-second delays during live sports, creating challenges for real-time interactions like gambling for example.
For advertisers, this highlights the enduring relevance of the Brandformance TV approach. Combining the emotional impact of brand campaigns with performance-driven metrics, this strategy blends the mass reach of traditional TV with the precision of digital tools. It allows brands to capture viewers' hearts and wallets - measuring everything from top-of-funnel engagement to post-purchase behaviors. As streaming continues integrating advanced data and privacy-safe tracking, leveraging TV and CTV ensures advertisers can drive resonance and measurable outcomes across all screens. Brandformance isn't just a trend; it's the future.
Trends aren't rules - they're signposts. The actual edge lies in adapting these insights to craft strategies that truly resonate with your business needs and audience. Don't chase trends like a lifeline; interrogate them, test them, and make them work for you. Today's market offers tools for precision, creativity, and scale for businesses of all sizes and locations - embrace them intelligently.
Success isn't about following the crowd; it's about carving your own path with data, experimentation, and a clear vision of your goals. The most brilliant advertisers see the whole picture and create their own playbook. Will you?