From Brand Build to Performance Driver

The core transformation lies in data. Unlike traditional linear TV, CTV is a digital device, allowing advertisers to track exposure and conversion with a new level of precision.

“Connected television is now a performance channel,” Stein states. He points to companies like Plexus Media, which his firm incubated, as pioneers in this space. The technology leverages the rich data collected by smart TVs—IP addresses, router IDs, device fingerprints—to answer a critical question: “Have we exposed a consumer to an advertisement? And have they taken some action on any device in their household within a certain period of time?”

This allows advertisers to track the entire path to purchase, seeing if a CTV ad exposure led a user to directly visit a site, click on an affiliate link, or finally make a first-time deposit. This bridges the long-standing gap between upper-funnel brand awareness and lower-funnel performance metrics.

The Power of One-to-One Targeting on the Biggest Screen

CTV’s advantage isn’t just measurement; it’s hyper-specific targeting on the most impactful screen in the household. This moves beyond the one-to-many model of traditional broadcast TV.

“With connected television, you can target specific demographics, whether it is location, whether it’s age, gender… There’s really limitless categories,” Stein explains. This enables a brand to engage in a “one-to-one relationship with the viewer,” ensuring marketing spend is efficient and directed only at the most valuable potential customers. A viewer sees a personalized ad on their full-size television, a level of customization previously impossible with linear TV buys.

Prediction Markets as a Content Driver

Looking forward, Stein identifies a significant content gap that CTV and other media are poised to fill: the simplification of complex betting information through prediction markets.

“American sports betting lines are very confusing. If you are not familiar with sports betting, it’s like reading a foreign language,” he notes. Prediction markets, with their simple “yes/no” format and percentage-based probabilities, offer a more digestible and shareable alternative. “I’m far more likely to share a piece of content that my mom can understand with a percentage than any sportsbook-style odd.”
He predicts a surge in media outlets adopting this format, not only because of incoming marketing budgets but because it provides a better, more accessible viewer experience. This format also allows for personalized data overlays, where a Cleveland Browns fan and a New York Giants fan watching the same game would see different, relevant betting information tailored specifically to them.

A Convergence of Media and Performance

The implications for the industry are profound. CTV is no longer a speculative part of the marketing mix but a central, accountable driver of player acquisition.

Stein believes this is only the beginning. “I think it’s only going to continue to accelerate,” he says, noting that as linear TV viewership declines, CTV’s share will grow. The technology is set to expand beyond gaming to any performance marketer looking for a scalable, measurable brand-building channel.

For sportsbooks, the mandate is clear: lean into CTV not as a simple advertisement, but as a sophisticated, data-rich performance channel that offers control, clarity, and a direct line to the modern consumer. The brands that master this one-to-one relationship on the biggest screen will define the next era of customer acquisition.