Screen to Screen: Are TV Ads Really Personalized?

Gone are the days when an entire nation watched the exact same commercial during a major television broadcast. If you have ever sat through a commercial break and wondered why the ad on your screen feels oddly relevant—or completely mismatched—you are witnessing the evolution of modern television.

The short answer is yes, TV ads can be personalized, but how and where they are personalized depends entirely on what kind of television you are watching.

The Shift From Broadcast to “Addressable” TV

For decades, traditional television operated on a broadcast model. Whether you watched via an old-school rooftop antenna, cable box, or satellite, everyone tuned into a specific channel at a specific time saw the exact same 30-second spot.

Today, the rise of internet-connected television has completely rewritten that rulebook. This gave birth to Addressable TV—a technology that allows different households watching the exact same program to see completely different commercials.