Programmatic advertising on TV is set to increase this year

Per Comcast, the number of advertisers running programmatic TV ads increased 14% in the first half of 2025, compared with 2024. Meanwhile, ad views from new advertisers rose 29% in the same period. Exact figures were not specified.

According to Harry Browne, head of TV at media agency Tinuiti, targeting capabilities are drawing advertisers with small and medium sized budgets in as more TV inventory becomes available to buy against via programmatic, and as the differences between linear, CTV and streaming collapse (eMarketer has dubbed the result “converged TV”).

“We’re seeing advertisers put a growing priority on audience targeting tools — especially using first-party data and commerce signals — to make their streaming campaigns work harder across the full funnel,” said Browne. “Programmatic access makes applying those tools substantially easier versus direct methods, especially for smaller advertisers looking to break into the TV space.”

Ultimately, more advertisers are realizing that CTV can be used in a highly targeted way to drive measurable success down the funnel — all the way to revenue — which has made it an appealing opportunity for new and upcoming brands.

Lowering the barrier to entry to TV advertising has been a strategic focus for Comcast in recent years. It launched Universal Ads, a solution that allows small advertisers to buy CTV ads, last January, as part of an effort to “democratize” television ads and compete with social media platforms for small business ad dollars. The company later developed a generative AI tool intended to cut creative production costs and open the door for “mom and pop” advertisers, per Flood. Amazon, as well as British broadcasters ITV and Channel 4, have each brought similar tools to market.

“The people coming in the door are small performance advertisers, but they’ve been doing social ads forever. They don’t have a TV ad,” Flood explained.

And Comcast-owned NBCU has moved to increase programmatic access to the crown jewels of live sports, including major events like the Olympic Games; this year’s Winter games will be staged in Italy, from Feb. 6 to 22. 56% of advertisers said more programmatic live event inventory — think Jake Paul’s ill-fated December boxing matchup with Anthony Joshua — would drive an increase in streaming investment, per an October survey conducted by FreeWheel.

Comcast’s streamer rivals have been working to build out their programmatic plumbing in recent months. Netflix inked partnerships with Amazon and Yahoo’s DSPs, for example.

And Digiday understands that Disney, which is set to release its Q4 results next week (Feb. 2), remains on course to automate 75% of its advertising business by 2027. Disney’s programmatic sales increased 30% between 2024 and 2025, while the company’s total biddable ad revenue rose 41% in the same time period. 

That increase was attributed to a rise in smaller dollar advertisers buying streaming ads. “We’re attracting both more advertising and new advertisers to the service,” CEO Bob Iger told analysts in mid-November.

Media buyers want to see more inventory made available for programmatic investment, and not just from streaming players.

Regional and local TV providers don’t offer the same programmatic capability as national counterparts, noted Luke Fowler, vp of business leadership at Kelly Scott Madison, an indie media agency that works with regional advertisers such as the Four Winds Casino group, which operates resorts in Indiana and Michigan.

That means buying direct from a broadcaster still has a definitive advantage for many small and mid sized advertisers, he said. “There is a little bit of lag in terms of some of the advancements that have been made in terms of buying national TV programmatically,” Fowler said.

Agency execs like Fowler and Browne expect more inventory to become available to buy via programmatic means, however. “Programmatic access to CTV is definitely growing, particularly for advertisers who want to leverage more granular types of data targeting or algorithmic bidding,” said Browne.