AN INSIDE VIEW ON DVB’S ADDRESSABLE ADVERTISING WORK

4. 3. 2026 I’ve spent more than 30 years working in broadcast and digital media, says John Bartlett from BCi Digital, long enough to see technologies come, go, and then come back with better acronyms. Along the way, I’ve been lucky enough to work on some genuinely impressive industry-shaping projects, including the launch of Sky’s AdSmart service, and to contribute to standards work across the UK and Europe. These days, when I’m not running BCi Digital, I chair DVB’s Technical Module working group for addressable advertising (TM-TA). It keeps me busy, and occasionally entertained. What is It? So, what do we mean by addressable advertising? In simple terms, it’s the ability to show different ads to different households watching the same programme, based on agreed criteria, while preserving the broadcaster viewing experience. Doing this is relatively straightforward in IP streaming services, but it becomes significantly more complex when you try to add addressable advertising to traditional broadcast television services, with all their legacy workflows, regulatory constraints, and expectations of seamless viewing.

LET’S DITCH THE ACRONYMS: A NEW LANGUAGE FOR TOTAL TV

3. 3. 2026 There are two types of TV advertising: mass and addressable. That’s it. Let’s ditch the unhelpful acronyms and adopt this straightforward framework.

WHAT’S UP AT HBBTV?

13. 11. 2024 Interview with chairman at HbbTV - Senior Advisor & Board Member in TMT & Digital - Strategic Alliances - Corporate Development - M&A - Industrial Affairs for Cable!Vision Europe.