Broadcasters are navigating uncertainty, their audience behaviors are fragmented, revenue pressures are mounting and unlike streaming providers, often can’t rely on subscriptions to fill the gap.
Yet, many of the region’s broadcasters are still anchored to legacy models – both commercially and operationally. Public broadcasters can't pivot to subscriptions without public scrutiny and private operators face a growing list of competitors, especially from global streaming giants and local Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) upstarts. And all are under pressure to grow reach and revenue without compromising their core service.
If the goal is long-term sustainability, then monetization has to evolve, quickly, but also wisely.
How does monetization in the current broadcast landscape look?
There’s a persistent misconception across the industry (and particularly amongst viewers) – that monetization means ads, and that everything else is an operational cost center. Monetization is more than just inserting commercials; it’s about creating flexible, fit-for-purpose business models that reflect how people actually watch.
Running a single business model across every platform and market doesn’t work, instead, leading broadcasters are moving toward a layered strategy, subscription Video on Demand (VOD) in premium tiers, advertising VOD in mass markets and transactional VOD for one-off events, in some cases, a hybrid of all three. This is done because different audience segments have different expectations, spending power and device habits. Think mobile-only plans in India through telco bundling. Or resolution capping as a way to introduce new, low-cost tiers. The tools exist, but most broadcasters are stuck waiting on legacy vendors to catch up.
What makes advertising effective for modern broadcasters?
Let’s be clear: advertising isn’t dead, but its effectiveness now depends entirely on context and execution. Traditional broadcast ad models offer low cost-per-mille and even lower precision. In contrast, addressable advertising – layered with data-driven targeting and delivered via Connected TV platforms – can drive premium rates and real results, such as higher cost per mille, and arguably more importantly, lower churn.
This is where technology becomes the differentiator. Platforms that support seamless ad insertion, real-time targeting and integrations with audience data enable broadcasters to turn generic ad slots into valuable, measurable inventory. New formats like Catchup TV and Video on Demand to Live (VOD2Live) offer more than just convenience to the viewer, they’re a new monetization avenue for the broadcaster. With this extended content shelf life, users can be kept engaged and opened up to new opportunities through dynamic ad delivery.
FAST channels push this further, delivering live-like viewing experiences, powered by ad revenue, a win for cost-conscious viewers and reach-focused broadcasters alike.
How can broadcasters expand their reach?
Speaking of reach, monetization strategies only succeed when people are watching. That’s why cross-platform, territory and screen expansion is a necessity.
Consider the younger generations, they're not tuning in on linear schedules. Rather, they’re on mobile, smart TVs and game consoles, often at the same time. Meeting them there requires adaptation, not just a single content app and a pipe dream. Bring forth a unified strategy for multi-platform delivery, localized user experiences and platform partnerships that extend reach without sacrificing control.
Similarly, localization is critical, not just in terms of translation, but metadata adaptation, localized thumbnails and editorial tone to match audience expectations. A frictionless experience builds stickiness, and stickiness drives monetization, be it through ad engagement, upsells or viewer retention.
So, what’s holding broadcasters back from monetizing smarter?
Perhaps unsurprisingly the answer isn’t creativity, but rather integrational complexity. The ability to launch a new subscription tier, FAST channel or change an ad integration shouldn’t take quarters, yet with legacy infrastructure, it often does.
Which is why agility matters almost more than the features itself. Platforms like Irdeto Experience bring together content, security and monetization in one flexible, scalable and ultimately, customizable platform addressing the evolving needs of broadcasters. Sure, it has all the bells and whistles at its core but brings the speed and strategic growth opportunities that might otherwise go amiss.
Consolidating core workflows, from content discovery to rights management, advertising, data and security, these platforms allow broadcasters to move faster, test smarter and monetize more effectively. Alignment, where it matters most.
Why does long-term monetization success depend on strategic alignment?
To answer this, we need to look at what the broadcasters are saying, according to the DPP European Broadcaster Summit Report (2025), 83% of participating broadcasters (including BBC, CME and ITV) and members of their supplier community, say strategic fit is their top priority when selecting a vendor, while only 21% feel those vendors truly meet their integration needs.
Modularity and integration shouldn’t be seen as side benefits, but rather the fundamentals needed to build a unified experience across content types, devices and operations. Without it, even the most advanced monetization tools become difficult to deploy and even harder to scale. Fragmentation leads to inefficiencies, delayed rollouts and inconsistent viewer journeys – all of which dilute revenue potential.
This is why strategic alignment and operational efficiency go hand in hand. Broadcasters need platforms that slot cleanly into their ecosystem and evolve with their business. When this alignment is in place, it enables faster partner onboarding, smoother feature rollouts and more consistent cross-platform experiences – all critical for staying competitive. A solution however feature full, that isn’t flexible, fast to integrate or ecosystem-aware creates friction rather than value.
Irdeto Experience is designed with that reality in mind, built to align technology delivery with broadcasters’ strategic goals, from monetization models and user engagement to platform reach. It delivers modular capabilities that work across existing infrastructure, helping teams move faster, experiment safely and scale intelligently.
In a time when differentiation is difficult and time-to-market is critical, a unified platform experience isn’t just convenient – it’s commercially essential.
Want to learn more about how Irdeto Experience can benefit you?
Reach out to us and start the conversation.
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