The TV-video landscape, encompassing the combined industries of TV (linear broadcast), Connected TV (CTV), and digital video platforms in the UK, is undergoing one of its most disruptive shifts in decades.
The TV-video landscape in the UK – encompassing the combined industries of TV (linear broadcast), Connected TV (CTV), and digital video platforms – is undergoing one of its most disruptive shifts in decades. In 2018, 95% of 16- to 24-year-olds watched broadcast TV weekly. By 2024, that number had almost halved to 48%. Yet, the TV screen hasn’t lost its relevance; this same audience still watches an average of 93 minutes of video content daily across connected platforms, apps, and streaming services. This behavioral change has revealed a growing disconnect: while audiences have shifted, the industry’s approach to planning and buying video hasn’t kept pace. Too many advertisers still rely on legacy planning tools designed for a consolidated broadcast era – tools that can’t provide the agility, precision, or transparency required in today’s fragmented environment.
Although this is a global challenge, the misalignment is most evident in the UK, where a historic lack of collaboration among broadcasters has exacerbated the issue. Each has developed its own systems, measurement methodologies, and tech stacks, making cross-platform planning more difficult and less competitive. Meanwhile, platforms like Meta and Google have gained an advantage by offering seamless, data-rich environments that simplify buying, scale, and accountability.
But broadcasters are no longer standing still. Collaborative BVOD initiatives, such as the recent alignment between Sky, ITV, and Channel 4, indicate a new era of cooperation. This creates an opportunity for marketers to move beyond isolated media plans toward unified TV and video strategies that reflect how consumers actually consume content today.
To do this, advertisers have an opportunity to reimagine TV and video planning around three key pillars:
Enhancing linear TV with smarter measurement
Many still see linear TV as a blunt reach tool. However, with the right analytics, TV can become more accountable and outcome-driven. Platforms like Adalyser make it possible to move beyond panel data and apply digital-style performance insights to linear campaigns. This transforms TV into a measurable, optimizable channel that plays a proven role in performance-focused media plans.
Owning the CTV and digital video framework
Instead of depending on third-party DSPs or vendor-led approaches, advertisers should take control of their CTV strategy. Creating a proprietary buying framework provides better transparency, quicker optimization, and full control over data and inventory. It also ensures CTV is integrated as part of a broader TV and video strategy, not in isolation.
Integrating attribution across environments
The importance of unified measurement is no longer optional. A central attribution system should connect linear and digital video, allowing for cross-environment reach tracking, incremental impact analysis, and in-flight optimization against outcomes like brand lift or consideration. This is what transforms TV and video from a cost center into a performance engine.
The opportunity is huge. UK video ad spending now surpasses £5.2bn annually, with advanced TV growing at 47% year-over-year. However, much of this investment is wasted reaching the wrong audiences. With CTV now reaching 70% of UK homes, and innovations like AI-powered creative, shoppable TV, and voice-activated ads on the horizon, the time to reassess is now. To truly lead in the converged media age, we must shift from theory to action. That means not just talking about integration but actually building it. Marketers who invest in the tools, talent, and infrastructure to deliver unified TV and video will shape the next era of growth.
This article was co-authored by Ben Norville.
