The world of video has been completely redefined, with the rush from broadcast to CTV and now with walled gardens like YouTube coming over the top. Let’s face it; today’s viewers move seamlessly between channels and devices, experiencing video as just that: video.  Advertising, however, has failed to address this converged reality. Siloes continue to undermine campaign performance, ultimately limiting advertisers from effectively reaching audiences wherever they are.   

The strength of video is now in its totality. Join our session to explore how to unify siloed solutions that hold video advertising back and explore key approaches that deliver actual convergence and value to consumers, advertisers, and publishers alike. 

In this keynote, Needham & Co.’s Laura Martin explains how AI is rewriting the economics of media and convergent TV from an investor’s point of view. She will focus on capital flows, convergent TV measurement, and evolving creative and buying strategies, drawing on fresh insights from CES and early‑year market signals. This session will feature audience Q&A and interactive polls, so you leave with clear answers on where the money is moving and what it means for your business.

Convergent TV is widely discussed but rarely explained operationally.
In this fireside chat, Tatari’s Fogz walks through how modern marketers actually plan, execute, and measure TV today, from always on performance campaigns to first time Super Bowl advertisers. The conversation will explore what “convergent” means in practice, why programmatic is only one part of the execution mix, and how reducing unnecessary intermediaries changes both performance and workflow. Rather than debating channels, this session focuses on how modern TV campaigns operate continuously, and what had to change underneath for TV to behave like a responsive marketing channel.

Want the real story behind media buying? Go inside how buyers decide where budgets go, which pitches win, and what makes a cross-platform plan worth a yes. Bring your toughest questions for an unscripted AMA and get straight answers on how buying decisions actually get made.

Based on new industry research conducted in partnership with TiVo Ads, this session explores how brands and agencies are using the CTV home screen, and where untapped opportunity still exists across the full funnel.Drawing directly from survey results, the discussion will examine the home screen’s evolving role in driving awareness, engagement, and performance, and what the data reveals about how marketers can better activate this powerful surface in 2026 and beyond.

 This interactive lunch brings attendees together for curated, small-group roundtable discussions focused on the issues and opportunities shaping the industry right now. Each table is organized around a specific topic, creating space for candid conversation, peer-to-peer insight, and shared problem-solving—while enjoying a relaxed, seated lunch designed to spark meaningful connections and practical takeaways.

Designing the Future Deal
Attribution Across Screens
Streaming Bundles & Consumer Value
Gaming as a Media Channel
Budgeting for Results in 2026
Integrating AI Into Your Planning

Prefer a quieter lunch? Simply choose a table without a designated theme and enjoy the time to recharge, reflect, or connect more casually.

In this fast-paced, Family Feud–style trivia game, Convergent TV pros test their knowledge against real industry responses. The questions span AI, measurement, streaming platforms, AVOD pricing, ad tech acronyms, and the trends everyone secretly wants to see disappear.

Earn bragging rights plus prizes for tapping into the industry’s collective brainpower!

CTV continues to capture a growing share of ad dollars as advertisers demand performance, scale, and smarter omnichannel execution. In this fireside chat, Premion’s Blake Hebert will share insights from Premion’s new 2026 CTV Advertising Study, breaking down how the streaming landscape is evolving — and what advertisers should prioritize next.
 
He’ll explore why local and regional advertisers matter more than ever, how brands are making streaming investments work harder across the full funnel, the rising importance of a total TV approach, strategies for reaching consumers earlier in their journey, and how advertisers are measuring impact from awareness through conversion.
 
Join us for an insider perspective on what matters most to advertisers today — and how to make streaming a more effective part of the overall media mix.

Pixels weren’t built for CTV, and that mismatch is quietly sabotaging how performance gets measured.

In this session, learn why pixel-based attribution falls apart in a cross-device world — and how iOS restrictions, weak device graphs, browser privacy, and ecommerce limitations leave marketers flying blind. Using real results from Laundry Sauce, we’ll show how pixels undercount CTV impact and share smarter ways to validate outcomes with IP matching, CAPIs, and MMM.

Description: These curated, one-to-one and small-group meetings are designed to facilitate meaningful, high-value conversations between senior decision-makers. Thoughtfully matched around shared goals, challenges, and areas of opportunity, Hosted Meetings provide a focused, efficient setting for deeper dialogue, strategic alignment, and relationship-building—away from the noise of the show floor.

Interested in taking part in the meetings? Email sales@ctvconnect.com

This deep dive moves beyond impressions and GRPs to uncover the realities of outcome-based TV measurement and CTV attribution. Expect a frank conversation about what’s working (and what isn’t) in tying convergent TV ad spend to incremental lift, attribution, and ROI across screens.

Live sports on Connected TV represent one of the most powerful forces in media today—combining massive scale, real-time engagement, and passionate fandom in a way no other content can match. As viewing continues to shift to streaming platforms, CTV has become the epicenter of sports consumption, giving brands a unique opportunity to connect with fans when attention is at its peak.

We’ll explore how advertisers are harnessing the dominance of live sports on CTV to drive measurable outcomes across the full funnel. From capturing the emotional intensity of fandom to leveraging advanced measurement and attribution tools, learn how brands are turning moments of live sports viewing into tangible business results. Discover how modern sports marketing is evolving to deliver cultural relevance, precision targeting, and performance—at scale.

Today’s TV advertising landscape is a merging of worlds across digital video, streaming, linear addressable and more. Buyers need a carefully concocted media strategy to drive demonstrable performance across channels – and media owners must woo buyers with enough advanced technology and data to outshine their competition. Hear four Convergent TV Influence Honorees demystify the ever-changing TV ad landscape.

As streaming matures, TV is being reshaped by viewing behavior, distribution, and advertiser expectations. Tara Walpert Levy shares an executive view of how those forces converge — from creator led viewing on the big screen to the new realities of building, buying, and selling TV at scale — and what they signal about where TV is headed next.

The Convergent TV Awards celebrate excellence across the entire screen ecosystem — where television, streaming, gaming, digital out-of-home (DOOH), retail media, and emerging platforms intersect.

Finalist now live. View the 2026 honoree list here. 

*Awards attendance is not included with your ticket to the Convergent TV World Conference. You can purchase your ticket for $299 here.

Start your day with energy and intention at our Morning Mixer. Grab a fresh cup of coffee, ease into the day with music in the background, and choose a topic table that matches what’s on your mind — from strategy and innovation to leadership and growth. Each table is designed to spark meaningful conversation, peer connection, and practical takeaways in a relaxed, low-pressure setting.

Whether you’re looking to exchange ideas, ask candid questions, or simply meet smart people in the room, this is where the day begins — with community, clarity, and caffeine.

With YouTube as the most-watched video provider on U.S. TV sets, averaging 182 million hours daily, it’s safe to say that YouTube is now TV. This shift signals a deeper transformation in how audiences consume media and participate in cultural moments, and how loyalty is captured within creator-led environments. As a result, advertisers can no longer afford to approach YouTube and video, in all its forms, as separate channels, with distinct strategies and investments. Join Cadent as we explore: 

• How YouTube delivers differentiated value as a powerful extension of linear TV, OLV, and CTV
• The role data and measurement play in fostering brand trust, enabling investment that reflect today’s converged media landscape
• What brands need to understand about creator ecosystems to effectively drive engagement, influence, and loyalty in the moments that matter most to audiences

A fast-moving “newsroom style” session where moderators share the top takeaways from Day 1, plus overnight headlines in TV, streaming, sports, and gaming. Includes live audience polling.

As TV converges, media sellers face increasing pressure to prove not just delivery—but true business impact. This panel brings together leading broadcasters and platforms alongside DISQO’s co-founder and CEO to candidly examine the challenges of measuring TV attribution. From fragmented data ecosystems and supplier constraints to evolving performance expectations, panelists will unpack why measurement remains complex—and what’s changing. The conversation will highlight how advancements in measurement and infrastructure are reshaping attribution and helping sellers better align with the needs of modern brands.

Description: These curated, one-to-one and small-group meetings are designed to facilitate meaningful, high-value conversations between senior decision-makers. Thoughtfully matched around shared goals, challenges, and areas of opportunity, Hosted Meetings provide a focused, efficient setting for deeper dialogue, strategic alignment, and relationship-building—away from the noise of the show floor.

Interested in taking part in the meetings? Email sales@ctvconnect.com

This interactive workshop examines how AI is reshaping leadership inside modern media organizations—and what it takes to execute with discipline in an AI-accelerated environment. Through guided discussion and real-world scenarios, participants will explore how to anchor AI initiatives to measurable business outcomes, align cross-functional teams before implementation, and shift development from task-based execution to decision-based leadership. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for turning AI strategy into real organizational impact—and for intentionally preparing the next generation of media leaders to think clearly, align strategically, and lead with confidence.

Audiences move seamlessly across TV, streaming, mobile, social, gaming, and out-of-home — and advertising content has to keep up. This conversation explores how to design and adapt formats and messaging for each environment while keeping the story cohesive, the brand recognizable, and the performance measurable across screens. 

Retail media and TV are starting to operate like one ecosystem. Retailers bring the purchase signals. Networks bring the premium content and scale. Brands want both—without losing transparency, control, or proof it actually moves the needle. This session uncovers how shared audiences are becoming shared revenue at serious scale, and what it takes to make these partnerships work in the real world.

Ease into the conference with a relaxed networking lunch designed for conversation and connection. This open, unstructured break gives you time to meet fellow attendees, continue discussions from the morning sessions, and get comfortable with the room—whether that means making new connections or simply taking a breather before the afternoon.

Looking for something low-key? This lunch is intentionally casual and flexible, making it just as easy to enjoy a quiet moment as it is to strike up a conversation.

Forget traditional panels. In this fast-paced Reverse Pitches session, senior media buyers take the stage to flip the script—sharing exactly what they’re buying, what’s not working, and what earns their attention right now. They'll deliver candid, no-nonsense insights on budgets, platforms, measurement challenges, and decision criteria.

As channels converge and audiences fragment, the rules of media investment are being rewritten. What does that mean for marketers setting strategy in 2026? In this candid fireside chat, Mike Venables, Head of Media, US Brand Advertising & Experiential Marketing at Citi, shares how he’s navigating a rapidly shifting ecosystem — from the balance between traditional TV and streaming to the rise of retail and AI. He’ll unpack how Citi approaches measurement, ROI, and innovation spending across connected platforms — and what these evolving priorities signal about where the smartest marketing dollars will go next.