This post was created in partnership with Google TV
Smart TVs have transformed the advertising experience, paving the way for more relevant experiences without the disruptions of traditional commercials.
During an ADWEEK House Advertising HQ panel co-hosted with Google TV, Mark Stenberg, senior media reporter at ADWEEK, sat down with Jamie Power, SVP of addressable sales at Disney Advertising, and Lisa Siskind Bilgrei, global director of product monetization and content programming at Google TV, to discuss where connected TV (CTV) advertising goes next.
Improving on linear and removing friction
For brands looking to connect with their audiences, streaming preserves all the advantages of linear TV without the drawbacks—for instance, the way TV shows served as broad proxies for their audiences. “When you’re in streaming, you have the ability to layer on audience targeting and be a little bit smarter,” Power explained.
Attribution, interactive ad formats, and commerce strip away other friction points between brand and consumer, creating a more engaging experience overall.
Bilgrei stressed that Google TV, unlike YouTube TV, is an operating system built into the device itself. Her role is to bring users “the right content at the right time,” beginning with a personalized screen that suggests relevant content as soon as they turn the power on. An algorithm does part of that work, while a team of human curators makes sure to include zeitgeist material that the algorithm hasn’t incorporated yet.
“We’re seeing what users are clicking into and making sure that they’re seeing that content,” she said. “But we’re also surfacing content that they might find interesting, that maybe they didn’t even think that they would find interesting.”
Naturally, advertisers are also interested in that home screen. The masthead unit is prime real estate, though brands can also show up in sponsorships and lower-funnel performance units. “Advertisers want to see themselves there, and make sure that users are seeing that right when they turn the TV on,” Bilgrei explained.
Creating delightful experiences from cultural moments
The conversation then turned to sports as an example of the zeitgeist advertisers can capitalize on. Sports are as important as ever, drawing millions of fans and the advertising dollars that follow. With the 2027 Super Bowl heading to both ESPN and ABC, Disney is planning a week of programming around the event: morning show broadcasts from Santa Monica, on-site brand activations, and a Disney+ simulcast in both English and Spanish.
