Streaming Services Require More Than Traditional TV Broadcasting
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, advertisers are turning to live streaming as a strategic channel that combines the broad appeal of television with the precision, agility, and data capabilities of digital video. According to the IAB's July 2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy report, the top expected capabilities in live streaming over linear TV focus primarily on precision targeting, real-time optimization, cross-platform measurement, and enhanced creative production powered by Generative AI.
Live streaming enables highly granular audience targeting, surpassing the broad reach of linear TV. Advertisers can leverage data-driven insights to reach the right consumers at the right time, supporting better ROI and budget efficiency. This precision targeting is crucial for advertisers, as it allows them to optimize their campaigns for maximum impact.
Advertisers also expect to use programmatic and data-driven tools during live streams to adjust campaigns dynamically, optimizing for performance indicators and business outcomes instantly. Unlike linear TV, live streaming allows for real-time optimization, providing advertisers with the flexibility to pivot their campaigns mid-broadcast based on real-time data.
Critical to evaluating ad effectiveness, advertisers want integrated measurement that spans live streaming, connected TV (CTV), social video, and linear TV. This holistic view of campaign performance enables smarter investment decisions across channels, ensuring that advertisers are making the most of their budgets.
Nearly 90% of advertisers are using or plan to use generative AI for creating and scaling video ads, including those for live streams. This technology lowers production costs and accelerates creative iteration, making live streaming content more adaptable and engaging.
Interactive ad units such as shoppable overlays, swipe-up links, poll widgets, and social-share prompts can boost engagement and capture first-party data. These interactive elements are now expected in live streaming, aligning with advertisers’ focus on performance.
When comparing live streaming partners to linear TV vendors, advertisers prioritize incremental audiences, real-time contextual targeting, real-time reporting, shoppable ads, second-screen interaction, and interactive content/ads. To outpace buyer expectations in live streaming, senior social media and influencer marketing leaders must elevate their partnerships, creative approaches, measurement systems, and event strategies.
Live streaming now extends beyond sports to include award shows, e-commerce launches, and VR concerts, offering opportunities to reach niche audiences with bespoke experiences. Resources such as "The Insider's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Brands to Twitch Streamer Partnerships" and "Twitch Trials New Ad Format to Keep Streams Uninterrupted" can help brands navigate this new landscape and maximize their live streaming potential.
In conclusion, advertisers view streaming's live capabilities through a digital-first lens, expecting real-time contextual insights, interactive ad units, and the ability to pivot campaigns mid-broadcast. By embracing advanced tools and strategies, advertisers can differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace and drive stronger business outcomes.
- For better ROI and budget efficiency, advertisers are utilizing data-driven insights from live streaming platforms, which enable highly granular audience targeting.
- Advertisers are using programmatic and data-driven tools for real-time optimization during live streams, allowing them to adjust campaigns dynamically and optimize for performance indicators.
- Advertisers are investing in generative AI for creating and scaling video ads, including live stream content, to lower production costs and accelerate creative iteration.
- As live streaming extends to various sectors beyond sports, such as award shows, e-commerce launches, and VR concerts, advertisers are seeking opportunities to reach niche audiences with bespoke experiences, leveraging resources like "The Insider's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Brands to Twitch Streamer Partnerships" for guidance.
