A coalition of advertising companies has come together to develop a shared action plan to unlock the future potential of programmatic TV.
The report has been published by the European Programmatic TV Initiative (EPTVI)—backed by The Trade Desk, Google, OpenX, PubMatic, Equativ, Cadent, Magnite, and Adform—and supported by The Project X Initiative.
The five-point action plan aims to reduce fragmentation, and support the growth and development of programmatic TV across the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
The plan includes:
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Establishing a cross-industry steering group to align efforts across broadcasters, agencies, platforms, and trade bodies.
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Defining and adopting a set of shared ‘North Star’ principles for quality, transparency, and interoperability in premium programmatic TV.
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Launching a certification programme for premium programmatic partners to give buyers and sellers confidence that commercial and technical standards are being met.
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Developing a set of shared components, assets and frameworks (core components) that can support adoption of programmatic trading, reduce duplicated effort, and fix the basics that still slow campaigns down.
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Facilitating a collaborative, open and participatory model to support shared learnings, including support for live pilots across key markets to test how things work in real conditions.
The report also calls for stronger alignment between broadcasters and buyers, arguing that a more connected ecosystem is essential to unlock the commercial and operational benefits of programmatic TV.
The proposals will now be taken forward into Stage Two of the initiative, which launches this summer, with support from an Industry Steering Committee involving key industry participants from across the European market.
Jon Watts, executive director of The Project X Initiative, said: “This report is not a theoretical exercise. It sets out a series of practical proposals designed with and for the industry, focused on reducing friction, joining up fragmented systems, and making programmatic TV easier to buy and sell. The proposals are designed to give commercial broadcasters, advertisers and technology providers the confidence to move forward. It’s about turning intent into action.”
Ian Maude, co-founder of The Project X Initiative, added: “There is progress across Europe, but too much of it is happening in silos. This roadmap is about connecting the dots and building something that scales for the benefit of all.”
Live pilots are set to take place in key markets later this year to test interoperability, expose integration gaps, and build confidence in shared execution models. The roadmap will be supported by an Industry Summit later this year, where EPTVI members and wider stakeholders will assess progress and align on next steps.
