Next in Media spoke with Ross Benes, senior analyst at eMarketer about the flood of new ad inventory in CTV, whether brands are really embracing addressable TV ads in a big way, and why we're currently obsessed with 90s trash culture.

Check out Benes' book 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times (Politics and Popular Culture)

Takeaways:

• Streaming Dominance: Streaming accounts for nearly 50% of TV time but only 15% of ad revenue. 

• Linear TV's Revenue Lead: Despite streaming's popularity, linear TV generates six times the ad revenue of streaming due to higher ad loads and traditional viewer habits.

• Shift in Viewer Habits: Streaming time is expected to surpass linear TV soon, with ad spending following a few years later. Businesses should prepare for this gradual migration of ad budgets.

• Emergence of Smaller Advertisers: Streaming platforms like Roku and Disney+ are developing tools to attract small to mid-size advertisers, following the model of social platforms like Facebook.

• Challenges in Streaming Metrics: Advertisers face confusion with inconsistent measurement systems across platforms. 

• AI in Media Buying: The adoption of AI in programmatic advertising is growing, but many tools are repackaged versions of existing technologies. 

• Generational Shifts in Content Nostalgia: Millennials and young Gen Xers are driving a revival of 1990s culture, offering opportunities for marketers to leverage nostalgia in campaigns.

• Streaming Platforms Entering Sports: Netflix is experimenting with sports events, signaling a potential major push into sports broadcasting. 

• YouTube's Growing Role in Sports: YouTube's acquisition of NFL Sunday Ticket shows its ambitions in sports broadcasting. 

Guest: Ross Benes

Host: Mike Shields

Sponsor: Epsilon 

Producer: FEL Creative