CES 2025 has once again set the stage for groundbreaking innovation and industry-shaping trends, offering a glimpse into the future of technology, entertainment, and advertising.
This year, four themes emerged as pivotal takeaways for the media landscape specifically: the rapid evolution of streaming platforms and their advertising capabilities, the transformative impact of programmatic advertising in sports, and the continued rise of clean rooms and AI-powered advertising solutions.
Each of these trends underscores a shared commitment to enhancing audience engagement, data-driven precision, and advertiser flexibility. Let’s dive in to see how they’re shaping 2025 and beyond.
Sports programmatic takes center stage
The growing appetite for sports content knows no bounds and has driven publishers to innovate within programmatic advertising, increasing demand for sports inventory.
Amazon is seizing the opportunity by introducing programmatic options for live sports through self-service, managed service, and private marketplace (PMP) deals, alongside offerings for regional sports networks (RSNs). This move positions Amazon as a key player in making premium sports content more accessible and customizable for advertisers, tapping into the lucrative and engaged sports audience. These advancements signal a shift toward greater automation and flexibility in how advertisers can align with sports content across diverse platforms.
Adding momentum to this trend, Disney unveiled plans to offer biddable sports deals through major demand-side platforms, including The Trade Desk (TTD), DV360, Yahoo DSP, and Magnite. By enabling programmatic access to its extensive sports portfolio, Disney ensures advertisers can bid in real-time for coveted spots during live sporting events.
These announcements collectively mark a transformative moment for programmatic sports advertising, underscoring how publishers are capitalizing on both the popularity of sports and the evolving demands of modern marketers.
Clean room adoption continues
Last year at CES, clean rooms took center stage with what looked like the impending doom of third-party cookies. As we know, that didn’t end up happening. But it hasn’t stopped the momentum of brands adopting clean room solutions. This privacy-centric approach allows brands to securely analyze and leverage their own data with partners, enabling more precise audience targeting while adhering to stringent data regulations.
Netflix announced plans to launch its own clean room solution in 2025, marking a major step in redefining data collaboration within the streaming giant.
Roku unveiled the debut of the Roku Data Cloud, its proprietary clean room solution. Already backed by notable partnerships with Omnicom, PMG, Innovid, and iSpot, Roku’s offering promises to streamline data sharing and audience analysis across its platform. By integrating these partnerships, Roku aims to bridge the gap between campaign planning and execution, driving greater accountability and effectiveness in the rapidly growing CTV market.
Disney has also embraced the power of clean rooms, integrating its Select AI engine to identify high-value lookalike audiences within a privacy-safe environment. This AI-powered approach not only enhances targeting accuracy but also minimizes the risk of audience duplication across campaigns.
Speaking of AI…
AI-powered advertising is everywhere
Beyond targeting, AI in advertising continued to be a hot topic this year. Peacock, for example, is leveraging AI-driven ad products to improve efficiency and enhance the viewer experience. By intelligently matching creative content with emotionally aligned programming, Peacock aims to deliver more engaging and impactful ad campaigns.
This trend highlights the growing importance of AI in optimizing advertising strategies, ensuring that ads are not only relevant but also resonate with the audience on an emotional level.
There were also some eye-catching adtech that was highlighted, soon to be integrated into your TV viewing experience and… your car.
TheTake, a startup, featured ‘Searchable TV,’ a visual AI product that allows viewers to identify and shop for items seen in TV shows. The company partnered with LG and Samsung to expand its reach to over 30 million devices.
New advertising opportunities are coming in the form of car windows. As self-driving cars become more common, passengers will have more free time during their commute, creating a captive audience for in-car advertising. LG showcased transparent, high-definition screens that could play a key role in this future ecosystem, and companies like Uber are already exploring ad experiences in this space.
Just as AI adoption is growing in advertisements, expect more AI integration in adtech for the foreseeable future.
Streaming growth redefines the market
Streaming platforms are rapidly advancing the advertising landscape with bold innovations and strategic moves, and some of the biggest names made headlines at CES this year.
Netflix has exceeded expectations with its ad-supported tier, reaching 39 million users. The company is doubling down in 2025 with an aggressive release schedule of 65 new titles per month, launching its proprietary ad server, and introducing advanced targeting capabilities to attract advertisers.
Meanwhile, Walmart has completed its acquisition of Vizio, setting the stage for a powerful integration of its ad platforms. In one such move, the retailer subsequently announced a new bundling plan with AMC+ and Starz that will be offered to Vizio customers.
Disney is also making waves with its strategic 70% stake in Fubo, merging Hulu + Live TV into Fubo’s ecosystem while retaining Fubo’s public status. ESPN+ is undergoing a transformation with the launch of new ad inventory in the fall, offering custom advertising options. Additionally, Disney introduced an innovative ad product designed to combat data fragmentation, further reinforcing its leadership in delivering comprehensive advertising solutions in a fragmented market.
Peacock is also introducing new ad formats and product features. “Live in Browse” allows live events to play automatically in the top row of the home page when opened, while pause ads are now available during live events.
And this is just the beginning, as you can expect the streaming landscape to have another busy year.
The year ahead promises to be a transformative one, and the insights from CES serve as a compass for navigating the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.