The news: The connected TV (CTV) landscape is evolving rapidly from an exclusive channel to a democratized medium that drives action for brands of all sizes.

In a conversation with EMARKETER, Mike Laband, group SVP of revenue at Magnite, shared his insights on democratization, how Magnite is investing in innovation, and where CTV ad formats are headed.

On democratization: Small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) have historically seen CTV as a premium channel because of its higher CPMs compared with options like search and social media. But with CTV overtaking traditional in time spent with TV, it’s critical that brands of all sizes have access to the format.

• Laband spoke on Magnite’s recent acquisition of streamr.ai, a platform with AI tools designed to make CTV accessible to SMBs. Magnite acquired streamr “to build out a new opportunity to encourage and bring more SMB advertisers to the [CTV] space … making it incredibly simple for them to build creative efficiently and cheaply,” Laband said.
• Magnite’s acquisition is making the format “incredibly simple … in a very cheap way, from a pricing perspective, to build high-quality, different types of ads.”

On innovative ads: As streaming platforms become saturated with ads, brands are increasingly looking for innovative formats that engage without disrupting the viewer experience. Magnite is meeting that demand by expanding pause ads across its streaming partners.

According to Laband, Magnite’s pause ads have “made it to programmatic first,” and the company has “certified 10 plus DSPs right away for it.” He added that “we had a ton of different publishers raising their hands—virtual MVPDs, some of the OEMs, some of the different broadcasters—and we’ve seen really good results from a performance perspective.”

Where CTV ads are headed: As CTV matures, more innovation is to be expected, and Magnite is investing across multiple fronts, including AI and live streaming opportunities, to remain competitive. Laband noted that Magnite is “building on AI, partnering on it, and acquiring on it,” emphasizing that “there’s going to be investment in all three of those areas.”

Laband also pointed out the potential of live programming, which is “a major focus [for Magnite] … if you’re looking at a specific area where there’s immense opportunity and growth, live is a big part of that.” He added that Magnite is working with DSPs and publishers “to figure out ways where they can buy more live,” with the goal of getting “more running through the programmatic channel.”

What it means for marketers: Marketers who ride the wave of CTV innovation will be best positioned to succeed as the medium becomes heavily saturated with ads. Paying attention to emerging formats like pause and shoppable ads while looking for new developments in AI and live programming will help brands capitalize on the unique potential CTV offers as the marketplace becomes more accessible.