The new TVREV report titled Smashing the Silo Barrier: How Total TV Is Revolutionizing Ad Sales focuses on the need for so-called Total TV and the initial efforts by broadcasters to implement it. The study aims to analyse market fragmentation, highlight specific successful international examples, and present the Total TV model—a unified approach to ad sales that treats inventory based on its value rather than its method of delivery—as an effective solution.
The concept is essentially simple: instead of having separate teams selling linear and digital inventory, broadcasters are beginning to view their inventory in terms of premium and non-premium placements. Premium inventory—such as live sports broadcasts, top-rated shows, and special events—is sold directly to maximise revenue. Everything else is automated to increase efficiency.
How the study was conducted
TVREV, the analytical company which has long specialised in research, analysis, and consulting in the fields of television broadcasting, streaming services, and advertising technologies, designed the study as a combination of analytical research, expert interviews, and case studies.
The study is exceptional in that it does not rely solely on theoretical models or hypothetical scenarios but is based on real operational results from companies that have already implemented Total TV. It therefore offers practical insights supported by the experience of specific organisations. What are the conclusions?
The Problem? Fragmented market!
The root of the problem is clear. Today’s TV viewers switch seamlessly between linear channels, streaming platforms, and on-demand services—but the advertising industry seems oblivious to this. Campaigns are still divided into “digital” and “linear,” creating unnecessary barriers and complexity. Teams plan separate strategies and work with different technologies and metrics—so what’s the result? Inefficiency that holds back the entire market. The main issues include:
- Separate technologies and systems: linear and digital inventory often operate on separate platforms, complicating both campaign planning and management.
- Duplicated efforts for teams: distinct strategies must be created for each part of the campaign, even though the goal is the same—to reach the viewer.
- Misaligned performance measurement: linear advertising is still evaluated using GRPs, while digital relies on impressions, making comparison and unified audience targeting difficult.
The result is a system that fails to reflect the reality of today’s viewing habits and limits the opportunities for both broadcasters and advertisers.
Advantages of Total TV
Total TV enables broadcasters to unify the management of all advertising inventory, reduce operational costs, and increase revenues. It fundamentally changes the perspective on advertising inventory. Instead of the traditional division by platform type (linear and digital), advertising is categorised based on the value of the content and the target audience. This approach puts the audience at the centre of planning and allows broadcasters to manage campaigns as a whole—without artificial segmentation. The two main categories include:
- Premium inventory: High-demand content like live sports, original shows, and prime time programming is sold manually at a high CPM rate. This allows broadcasters to maintain control over the most valuable placements.
- Non-premium inventory: Content with less demand that is sold through automated systems or programmatically, enabling efficient targeting of specific audiences. Thanks to data and automation, both utilisation and the value of this inventory increase.
This concept is clearly illustrated by the figure below:
Source: TVREVThe UK as a pioneer
Interestingly, this is no longer just a theory. The United Kingdom is among the pioneers in implementing the Total TV concept, with Sky Media being its most prominent representative. Sky Media decided to tackle the challenge of managing a vast number of advertising spots across both linear and digital platforms and to fundamentally change how it handles them. The company began by acknowledging that its old systems were no longer sufficient. With the help of technologies from Imagine Communications, it carried out a major modernisation that transformed its entire business model. These changes included:
- Process automation: Thanks to the Landmark system and tools such as AutoBook and GamePlan, the time required to process advertising campaigns was reduced from 25 minutes to just 2 minutes—representing a 90% increase in efficiency.
- Significant labour savings: With the same number of employees, the annual volume of processed advertising spots increased from one million to ten million.
- Inventory division by value: Sky Media distinguishes between premium inventory, which is managed manually to maximise revenue, and non-premium inventory, whose placement is handled by the automated GamePlan system that optimises performance in real time.
“Premium inventory is about making more; non-premium is about spending less. Together, they create a path to profitability.”
Steve Reynolds, CEO, Imagine Communications
The new system brought Sky Media higher revenues from premium placements and more efficient use of less utilised inventory. The result is overall increased profitability.
By the way, tools from Imagine Communications were also used by Australia’s Seven Network, which merged its linear and digital ad sales into a single automated system. Thanks to platforms like GamePlan and Landmark, the network significantly reduced manual labour, streamlined campaign management, and enabled its sales team to focus on higher-value inventory. The result was increased competitiveness and better outcomes for advertisers. Seven Network’s adoption of Total TV principles demonstrated that unified ad management systems deliver real value—and can be successfully scaled even in a complex market like Australia’s.
Innovative Nordic countries
The Nordic markets are also ahead, especially in the area of measurement. They have figured out how to track viewers across platforms in a way that makes sense for both broadcasters and advertisers. Audience measurement and ad targeting are uniform, regardless of whether it is linear or digital TV. This enables broadcasters to better optimise reach and revenues from advertising space.
This approach has enabled broadcasters in the region to combine data-driven targeting with automation. The Nordic countries demonstrate that technical integration is possible when supported by open collaboration among market players.
“In markets like Finland, the move to Total TV measurement has created a culture of collaboration and innovation. Broadcasters now focus on maximising the yield and incremental reach across inventory sources.”
Robert Farazin, founder and CEO, tvbeat
Complicated US market
In the United States, the situation is more complex. The strong market fragmentation—between linear TV, streaming platforms, and rapidly growing FAST channels—is a major factor. There are also challenges on the side of advertising agencies and broadcasters, many of which have deeply entrenched legacy processes that slow down change. Additionally, metrics between linear and digital advertising are not aligned, and there is significant resistance from various market players who benefit from the current state. However, pressure for change is increasing.
Source: TVREVThe key to overcoming obstacles is collaboration and an unwavering focus on results.
“Change is hard, but the rewards are worth it. When broadcasters see the efficiencies Total TV delivers, they realise it’s not just a cost —it’s an opportunity.”
Lemu Coker, Google
Total TV offers a way forward
The numbers speak for themselves: global revenues from linear TV advertising are expected to decline by 3.4% in 2025, while spending on advertising in streamed TV is projected to increase by 19.3%. In the US, streaming will account for 35.8% of total TV advertising revenue by 2025 and is expected to surpass linear TV by 2029. There is no reason to expect these trends to reverse.
What’s especially interesting about Total TV is that it’s not just about efficiency. It’s about recognising that the artificial division between linear and streaming TV actually means lost revenue. When you can offer advertisers seamless access to viewers across all platforms, you provide greater value and open up new earning opportunities.
The challenges are significant. Besides the technical hurdles related to integrating different systems, cultural barriers must be overcome, measurement gaps filled, and resistance from agencies addressed. However, broadcasters who have taken this step demonstrate that it is both possible and profitable.
The future of TV advertising
It is becoming increasingly clear that Total TV is not just one option, but more and more it appears to be the future of television advertising. The question is not if broadcasters will make this transition, but rather when and how they will do it.
It’s beneficial to draw inspiration from the success of those who have already implemented Total TV and to actively address the challenges. This is the path toward making Total TV an industry standard. Total TV is not just about automation or better sales; it’s a complete redefinition of how advertising is perceived on television. International markets such as the Nordic countries, the UK, and Australia have already proven that this transformation is possible and delivers real results. Martin Leach from Sky Media summed it up perfectly, saying that “The future is about seeing an eyeball watching linear TV and an eyeball watching streaming VOD as the same. Viewers think of them the same now, and we need to adapt to that reality.”
Source: tvrev.com