The European CTV market is entering a crucial phase. While the United States remains ahead in terms of scale and programmatic maturity, Europe is taking steps to gradually close the gap. This has been evident in recent efforts by major broadcasters and local and global streaming platforms to expand their regional offerings and capabilities. These include the British Channel 4, which has introduced a set of tools for advertisers to optimise media performance, and TF1+, which is further investing in a data-driven strategy and has become the largest free streaming platform in France in its first twelve months.
The aim of this shift is to provide advertisers with a clearer picture of performance. CTV has historically suffered from a lack of transparency, which has been exacerbated by the number of intermediaries obscuring data on investments and results. Europe is therefore moving away from the outdated, non-transparent ‘programmatic pipes’ model towards deeper partnerships that will enable clear omnichannel results and eliminate inefficiencies.
A clear vision
There is strong demand for platforms to deliver this. As the volume of CTV inventory available to advertisers continues to grow and the balance of power shifts towards the buy side, the mere supply of advertising space is no longer enough to attract advertisers. Today's market demands more than just ad placement – it demands accountability and tangible results from investment. Platforms must provide advertisers with measurable and truly effective results in order to remain competitive.
For example, advertisers are increasingly demanding detailed reports on ad frequency, reach, fraud prevention and accurate audience segmentation. Without comprehensive reporting on where ads are displayed and who actually sees them, advertisers cannot effectively evaluate campaign performance and therefore cannot justify their spending at a time when budgets are under increasing scrutiny. This also limits their ability to scale campaigns across the entire marketing funnel and maintain consistency across channels, which is an increasingly important requirement in today's advertising ecosystem. Fortunately, adtech is evolving rapidly, and European CTV players are partnering with solution providers that enable unbiased and transparent reporting. This includes the integration of signals such as geography, IP address, device ID, engagement, brand lift and more.
Today, there are advanced solutions that can link IDs across different channels and reveal the specific user behind them for effective retargeting, whether through display advertising or online video, increasing both clicks and conversions.
The right processes
In line with European regulatory tradition, a great deal of attention is paid behind the scenes to ensuring that it is transparent where media investments are going and how they work. Companies currently using partner certification processes involving extensive legal documentation and repeated testing include Disney, Channel 4 and TF1. These processes are often managed through dedicated points of contact on both the publisher and technology partner sides, which simplifies communication, ensures consistency with approved adtech suppliers, and guarantees that inventory is made available exactly as the platform intends.
This contrasts with many intermediaries and resellers who still only allow limited access to CTV inventory, which can be detrimental to transparency. As a result, publishers should never be in the dark about what their technology partners are doing with their inventory, and advertisers should never be forced to accept unnecessary middlemen between themselves and the CTV platform. For true accountability, it is essential that advertisers, streaming platforms and broadcasters insist on clear reporting, provided by certified and trusted partners. Market needs are likely to drive the expansion of these rigorous frameworks as part of the next phase of CTV development in Europe.
A window into the world of CTV
The emphasis on transparency, accountability and measurable results is truly changing the dynamics of the relationship between advertisers and platforms. While the European market still lags behind the consolidated and direct sales business models typical of the US, if these commendable efforts towards greater transparency continue, we can expect a gradual convergence of the two markets. By embracing direct partnerships and advanced adtech solutions, the industry is moving towards a more efficient and effective advertising ecosystem.
Those who can adapt to these changes will not only meet current market demands but also position themselves as leaders and drivers of the next phase of European CTV development.
Author: William Jones, Senior Director for Advanced TV and Omnichannel Activation, Adform
Source: mediaguru.cz