The 13 Most Important Things TV Execs and Insiders Learned in 2024

Marcy Greenberger, Chief Investment Officer, UM

“Expect the unexpected. Technology and how people consume media is always evolving and you need to be willing and able to flex and adapt. I also learned that I have the best team in the business.”

John Halley, President, Paramount Advertising

“Business is changing at an accelerated pace. Consumer choice is becoming greater every day, which creates a natural curve to fragmentation.

2024 brought historic volumes of change, and underlined a most important principle. The ability of the big players to evolve their structures and their products remains the key to competitive advantage, and defines the winners and losers in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.

Kim Kelleher, Chief Commercial Officer, AMC Networks

“We have learned that partnerships and collaboration are the keys to achieving our goals in these turbulent times. At AMC Networks, we find strength and opportunity to grow our existing partnerships and find new partners in distribution, content and advertising , including partnering with companies that would have been seen as competitors not long ago.”

Kevin Krim, CEO and President, EDO

“Converged TV is no longer just a concept, but a fundamental change in the way TV works. Linear and streaming have merged into a single ecosystem, pushing marketers to leave obsolete purchases based on demographics in favor of data-driven, audience-plus-results strategies that optimize for both brand and demand.”

Liz Leonard, evp, PMX Lift

“The linear market is an industry of more than 80 years that can feel overwhelmed when faced with the opportunity to break old habits. In particular by examining the legacy behavior and thinking about the currency of the market, the strategy of the audience and advanced measurement.

However, we have reached an incredibly exciting time where we give each other permission to change and do things differently. Now it’s up to all of us to make sure that we don’t sit around waiting for the next person to move, but collectively stand up to make it happen.”

Mark Marshall, president, global advertising and partnerships, NBCUniversal

“The magic of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is unmatched for consumers and advertisers.”

Michael O’Connor, evp, chief investment officer, Horizon Next

“I learned how creative we can be in the CTV space with unique advertising formats, interactive ads and acquisitions. I think back to the heyday of cable and all the ideas we had that were always shot down because the programming didn’t “would not have allowed. Now we can create content centers and all kinds of creative things that were never possible in a linear world.”

Michael Scott, vp, head of ad sales, revenue and operations, North America, Samsung Ads

“The line between passive viewing and active viewer participation is blurred.

With 30% of consumers regularly scanning QR codes during TV ads, ad revenue has gone from an advantage to a necessity. Gamified ad breaks and innovations that extend to lower funnel engagement are turning TV into an interactive, immersive experience that drives consumer actions in real time.

As games attract larger audiences and time spent on games increases, in-game advertising will gain traction, leveraging high levels of interactivity. If your ad isn’t creating engagement across screens, it’s missing the mark.”