As the industry continues to evolve how it measures and understands audiences in TV+, many are saying it’s time to change the language we use. ‘Data’ has become a catch-all term that often triggers unnecessary concern, while ‘signals’ may better reflect the type of anonymized, aggregated information being used to improve relevance and effectiveness, without crossing privacy boundaries.
Image by Remixysm
But what does that shift in language really mean in practice, and what value can ‘signals’ unlock for advertisers and media owners? We asked some of our members and here’s what they said:
James Collins, CRO, Titan OS: “As TV becomes more connected, the way we understand viewer data is evolving. Modern TV data is built from ‘signals’ — moments of viewer interaction or consumer behavior that are privacy-safe and insight-rich. These signals reveal patterns rather than personal details. When combined, they form meaningful information that helps us understand audiences better.
“This approach allows advertisers, broadcasters, and CTV apps to gain insights into audience intent while respecting user privacy. At Titan OS, we‘re building partnerships that deliver on this promise while addressing the fragmentation advertisers often cite as a barrier. Our recently announced partnerships with Tubi and TiVo will help us build on these actionable signals, helping advertisers understand what, when, and how audiences are watching across platforms.
Framing the conversation around ‘signals’ rather than traditional data builds trust with agencies, clients, and legal teams – while supporting a more transparent and measurable TV ecosystem.”
Joe Hollywood, head of product, cape.io: “This language shift is key to TV+ delivering on value, transparency, and performance as the advertising ecosystem evolves. We’re now moving from actioning ‘data’ (a passive record) to responding to ‘signals’ (active calls to action). The emergence of new signal vendors upstream is unlocking opportunities to fuse siloed media and creative insights, and feed these modular signals into activation workflows. When combined with optimization algorithms and agentic solutions, signals help unlock automation of outcomes for buyers and sellers, not just tasks. We get clarity of origin (eg a ‘brand-safety signal’ from creative analysis, or a privacy-safe ‘contextual signal’) and clarity of attribution, building trust by proving a signal’s direct impact on performance through rigorous A/B testing and measurement.”
Jonathan Sturgis, VP advertising sales, JW Player: “As TV and digital converge, we need to evolve from talking about ‘data’ to talking about ‘signals.’ Data suggests identity and risk; signals reflect anonymous patterns such as what’s being watched, when, and in what context, which improve relevance without identifying individuals. Technologies such as server-side ad insertion (SSAI) strengthen this shift by generating stream-level signals that show how content is consumed and how ads perform, without relying on user-level IDs. Clearer language builds trust by focusing on insight over identity, helping advertisers and legal teams align around a shared, privacy-safe framework. A signals-based approach unlocks better measurement, smarter optimization, and stronger cross-screen collaboration – improving outcomes for buyers and broadcasters alike.”
Zach Belmont, VP, international programmatic revenue, Paramount: “The interesting shift happening right now isn’t just about our capabilities, it’s about how we talk about them. Moving from ‘data’ to ‘signals’ isn’t semantic; it has given us and our partners clearer language for what’s actually happening and why it matters. What we’re really sharing are anonymized contextual and behavioral indicators that drive attribution while respecting privacy. That precision in language matters for building trust with buyers. When agency and brand partners genuinely understand what these signals represent and how we share them compliantly, the conversations get easier, and partnerships strengthen.
“This is especially critical as we scale our international streaming operations. These signals power the multi-touch attribution that finally credits streaming properly across the entire customer journey. And this is where we’re seeing real impact, from awareness all the way through to conversion. Clearer language builds stronger confidence, and that’s what unlocks the full potential of our streaming inventory.”
