Futuristic Graphic of a Connected TV Interface Powered by Data and AI Image Curated by Gemini AI and Mark Derho, The AI Guy and Author
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Is Connected TV the New Corner Office? Google Thinks So

Google Redefines Connected TV as a Behavioral Canvas, Transforming Media Consumption

Mark Derho

Display & Video 360 now reaches 98% of U.S. CTV households, managing over 5 billion hours of monthly ad-supported viewing—more than any other demand-side platform.

CTV Is More Than Streaming—It’s Behavioral

Viewers Now Bounce Between Live Sports, TikTok-Style Short Videos, and Ambient Podcast Streaming—All on the Same Screen

Forget everything you knew about Connected TV. Google is asking us to rethink the medium not as a screen, but as a behavior. At NewFront 2025, the company’s revamped Display & Video 360 (DV360) platform emerged as the answer to how audiences consume media today—across time zones, formats, and devices. Marta Martinez, Managing Director of Google Marketing Platform for the Americas, described CTV not as a channel but as a canvas. Viewers now bounce between live sports, TikTok-style short videos, and ambient podcast streaming—all on the same screen. DV360 was built to follow that journey.

Premium Inventory Partnerships Expand DV360’s Influence

DV360 isn’t just casting a wide net—it’s fishing in the richest waters. With access to 98% of Connected TV households in the U.S., Google has secured heavyweight partnerships. Netflix campaigns now integrate with Google’s affinity audiences across EMEA. Disney and NBCUniversal granted DV360 their Live Certification badge, enabling buys for events like NFL Sunday Ticket. But it's not all blue-chip inventory. Integration with platforms like Spotify, Tubi, and Roblox expands advertisers’ ability to meet niche audiences in high-engagement zones. This diversity in media sources is what modern storytelling requires: cultural nuance with premium scale.

From Guaranteed Deals to Smart Auctions

With the Debut of Curated CTV Auctions, Advertisers Can Now Access Top Inventory From Premium Publishers via a Single Click

Once upon a time, CTV buys meant rigid, pre-negotiated deals. DV360 has turned that model on its head. Biddable, auction-based campaigns are now growing at more than twice the pace of guaranteed buys. With the debut of curated CTV auctions, advertisers can now access top inventory from premium publishers via a single click. That means real-time optimization, contextual targeting, and dynamic scalability—all enhanced by AI. DV360 isn’t just facilitating access; it’s transforming it into strategic advantage.

Shopping Meets Streaming in a Seamless Funnel

One Elegant Solution, Offering End-to-End Sales Insight Across Partners Like Costco, Intuit, Kinective Media, and Regal Cinemas

DV360’s most valuable upgrade may be its new commerce and retail media engine. Google has unified branding and shopper marketing in one elegant solution, offering end-to-end sales insight across partners like Costco, Intuit, Kinective Media, and Regal Cinemas. It's not just about impressions anymore—it’s about influence. The ability to reach consumers at any point in their purchase journey is a marketer’s dream, and now it’s reality. Coming soon: commerce integration for YouTube buys, letting advertisers track physical and digital conversions within the same platform. This is not just CTV—it’s CCTV for customer behavior.

Google AI Turns Media Buying into a Concierge Experience

The secret sauce behind DV360’s leap forward? Google AI. It’s now woven into every layer of campaign management—from setup to scaling to insights. Tell the platform you want “live sports fans in premium East Coast markets,” and it delivers personalized inventory suggestions. Ask for underperforming line items mid-flight, and it diagnoses performance on the spot. Need an instant report on ROI for your sports-themed ads? It generates one in seconds. The new Marketplace interface offers intuitive, guided campaign creation without sacrificing control. It’s automation, but elevated to the level of bespoke strategy.

A Founder’s View: Why This Shift Is Historic

Where Disruption Becomes the New Industry Standard

As someone who helped shape early digital marketplaces, I see the transformation for what it is. During my tenure as Director of Marketing at startup CarDay, we developed one of the first real-time bidding engines in the online automotive space. Back then, this kind of functionality felt radical. Later, it became the cornerstone of our company’s valuation during the acquisition. 

That history taught me that tools enabling buyers and sellers to connect instantly don’t just disrupt industries—they become the industry. DV360 is setting that precedent now, redefining how premium media is bought, sold, and experienced.

Why Luxury Brands Need to Play Catch-Up

DV360 Offers Not Just Access, but Elegance and Precision Without Friction... Intelligence With Intuition

Luxury has always been about context and control. But in a fragmented, fast-moving media ecosystem, context now comes with a timestamp. DV360 empowers luxury brands to enter that stream in real time, with message, moment, and media in alignment. Whether your buyer is watching a prestige drama in a penthouse or streaming a podcast mid-flight, your message doesn’t just land—it lives. DV360 offers not just access, but elegance. Precision without friction. Intelligence with intuition. For brands that demand more than just impressions, this is the DSP they’ve been waiting for.

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