Mike Shaw, Director, EMEA Ad Sales at Roku, and Richard Halton, Managing Director at Roku UK, have shared their TV advertising industry predictions for 2026.

The pair foresee more thoughtful personalisation, Connected TV (CTV) evolving into a true commerce engine, and a more transparent and accountable advertising ecosystem.

“In 2026, success in the broadcast and streaming industry will mean two things: meaningful scale and tangible audience engagement, a shift in the debate from prominence to true relevance. Broadcasters and streamers alike will look for deeper partnerships and explore smarter tech alliances to grow,” forecasts Halton. “From a leadership perspective, I’m watching three areas closely: how the UK manages the shift to all-IP distribution and supports audiences through that transition; how broadcasters open up their linear IP streams; and how consumers increasingly value the TV operating system itself. Helping people understand the value it brings – without overwhelming them – will be essential to building a healthy, competitive and truly user-centred TV environment.”

“Underlying all of this is data and privacy. The opportunity is to use data to make TV feel simpler, more personal and more relevant. That means thoughtful personalisation, clear user choice, and experiences that genuinely help viewers find what they want rather than pushing what they don’t. If we can strike the right balance between intelligent use of data and meaningful respect for privacy, the entire ecosystem stands to benefit,” concluded Halton.

CTV & Commerce Convergence

“We are in a continued evolution of advertising, and the pace of change has only increased in the past year. 2025 marked the point where the promise of connected TV really started to manifest and became a core part of the media mix,” commented Shaw. “The continued use of data silos means there’s still notable fragmentation across linear, streaming and digital video. That is changing though, and we’re likely to see some of the barriers break down, giving brands greater visibility of the total advertising landscape they can tap into.”

“Looking ahead to 2026, I expect the story to shift from ‘access’ to ‘action’. CTV will evolve into a true commerce engine – a space where entertainment, discovery and transaction happen seamlessly. As brands integrate their first-party data we’ll see more personalised, measurable campaigns that link exposure to outcome in real time,” added Shaw. “The biggest screen in the home will become more than a brand awareness engine; it will drive response by connecting creative storytelling directly to consumer behaviour.”

Measured & Open Ecosystems

Shaw continued: “Over the past year, we’ve seen encouraging steps towards a more transparent and accountable advertising ecosystem. UK broadcaster projects such as Lantern moved from proof-of-concept to real-world testing, showing how outcome-based measurement can complement traditional reach metrics. At the same time, cross-media initiatives like Origin continued to define what consistent reach and frequency look like across platforms. Together, they point to a market moving from counting impressions to understanding impact.”

“Next year, I foresee accountability becoming the expectation, not just the experiment. Regulation around data use and advertising standards will tighten, pushing all players towards open access and shared measurement frameworks. Advertisers will judge partners not only on efficiency but on transparency too – where their data goes, how permissions are handled and what results are truly verifiable. The conversation will move beyond scale to substance: effectiveness measured by clarity, fairness and genuine consumer trust,” concluded Shaw.

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Categories: Advertising, Articles, Broadcast, Connected TV, OTT

Tags: advertising, connected TV, CTV, roku