With 2020 fast approaching, here’s a roundup of thoughts about the big opportunities and challenges for ATV/OTT and video in the year ahead, from executives from leading agencies and platforms.

“In 2020, we’ll see a more symbiotic relationship between traditional TV and OTT. With many digital vendors integrating with Vizio and/or Inscape, they are gaining access to viewership data across Vizio’s user base. However, this still leaves out a large portion of the market. It will be interesting to see if digital vendors can convince other TV manufacturers or providers of TV services to sync their TV viewership data with them. Regardless, with online TV viewership on the rise, it will continue to capture an increased share of the TV budget pie.”
— Jenna Umbrianna, general manager, Anagram 

“With the benefit of hindsight, programmatic platforms are keeping an eye on supply path optimization as they offer more online reach to OTT and CTV inventory — choosing to source directly from the beginning rather than recreating the tiramisu of inventory layers that came to exist in digital video and display formats. Private marketplaces remain a key buying tactic for OTT and CTV to help ensure brand safety and direct-supply sourcing. As a result, the biggest and most well-known content providers are benefiting the most from growth of OTT and CTV spending. It will take some time before the mid and long tail of OTT/CTV content suppliers feel the full fire hose of spend that this channel promises.”
— Michael Zacharski, CEO, EMX

“We’re still dealing with the challenge of fragmentation across advanced TV operating systems and platforms, making it difficult for advertisers to comprehensively measure their campaigns and account for frequency. Fraud is also expected to continue to increase, as eyeballs and ad dollars continue to migrate into the space. Therefore, we’ll see a continued push for standardization in 2020, so that consumer privacy is protected, and advertisers are held accountable. Rightly so, we’ll see an uptick of organizations like Project OAR define technical standards for TV programmers and platforms to deliver more relevant advertising experiences.”
— Devin Fallon, VP, media insights & analytics, Tremor Video  

“New capabilities with CTV/OTT attribution will emerge in 2020, providing insights to prove the effectiveness of campaign performance in driving outcomes — whether it’s website or foot traffic. While outcome-based measurement is critical, don’t forget about the benefits of brand-building in the coming year. OTT provides the opportunity to effectively drive measurable results, while also gaining a lift in brand awareness.” 
— Matt Fanelli, senior vice president, digital, MNI Targeted Media

“Rolling into 2020, the ad-tech industry will begin focusing on the next generation of identity. With the election cycle approaching and multiple states moving aggressively on privacy regulation, the industry will suffer if we don’t move swiftly to adopt new solutions for both a cookie-less and privacy-first world. Next year, the collective industry will realize that solutions aren’t always about device-level information in the increasingly conservative regulatory landscape. Because of this emerging trend, we’ll see more key players implement a combination of user and panel-based measurement for audience-based strategies in order to meet newfound industry standards.”
— Philip Smolin, chief strategy officer, Amobee 

“The bar for video experience has been raised. Brands can’t just upload videos and expect to be rewarded by their visitors — or search engines — in the same way they used to be. Users are looking for the next ‘best thing.’ Interactive video is a natural opportunity to improve on the video content users already know and seek out. Bonus? Interactive content isn’t just more enticing; it also simplifies the learning process. Allowing viewers to play more active roles in their learning has been proven to improve cognition, and that’s particularly important when your message is complex.”
— Greg Harbinson, group strategy director, Centerline Digital 

“From where I sit as CEO of a video advertising firm, the biggest opportunity in 2020 lies in evolving the ad unit that holds the greatest promise for conversational storytelling: video. Because of its ability to deliver stories and with the timeless dimensions of sight and sound, video may be poised for the biggest transformation yet: the reunification of story with conversation.”
— Tod Loofbourrow, CEO and chairman, ViralGains