In the digital age, broadcasters must monetise content effectively while delivering personalised experiences to viewers, but this is easier said than done. The rise of on-demand streaming, ad-funded models, and evolving viewer expectations has created a complex landscape. Broadcasters need to drive revenue while keeping audiences engaged—two goals that are often at odds.

The Challenge of Monetisation in a Fragmented Ecosystem

Broadcasters traditionally relied on linear TV ad sales and subscription models to generate revenue. Today, however, audiences consume content across multiple platforms, from CTV (Connected TV) to mobile apps and social media. This fragmentation presents key challenges:

• Declining Linear TV Revenues: As more viewers shift to streaming, ad revenue from traditional TV is shrinking.
• Inconsistent Data Across Platforms: Broadcasters must manage data from multiple sources, making audience insights fragmented.
• Balancing Ad Load and Viewer Experience: Too many ads can drive viewers away; too few can hurt revenue.

To monetise effectively, broadcasters need to connect audience data across platforms and optimise ad placements without disrupting the user experience.

The Complexity of Personalisation

Today’s viewers expect content tailored to their interests, yet delivering personalisation at scale is challenging. Broadcasters face:

• Siloed First-Party Data: Valuable audience data exists across subscriptions, logins, and viewing history, but it's often disconnected.
• Strict Privacy Regulations: GDPR and other laws limit how data can be used, making personalisation more complex.
• Walled Gardens: Platforms like Google, Meta, and Amazon control vast amounts of audience data, making it harder for broadcasters to compete.

Without a unified approach to data, personalisation efforts can feel disjointed, leading to missed opportunities for both advertisers and viewers.

How Broadcasters Can Solve This

To succeed, broadcasters need a data-driven strategy that enables both monetisation and personalisation. This requires access to a Unified Customer Data Platform which provides:

• Real-time data onboarding: Combining first-party data across touchpoints to create a single customer view.
• Seamless Integrations: Connecting with ad platforms like FreeWheel to optimise ad delivery whilst also interoperating with personalisation platforms to deliver tailored experiences Advanced Audience Segmentation: using advanced query language to create high fidelity audience segments based on viewer behaviour, enabling the CTV player to serve the right content and ads at the right time.

Conclusion

For broadcasters, the challenge is clear: generate revenue without alienating viewers. The future of broadcasting lies in data-driven, viewer-first strategies that benefit both advertisers and audiences alike. 

Read our blog to discover how mediarithmics empowers broadcasters with holistic data platforms and smart ad solutions. Learn how to maximise ad revenue while keeping audiences engaged with relevant, personalised content.