Lenka Hrivnáková, Author at The Association of Commercial Television

ELECTIONS ON ČT, CNN PRIMA NEWS AND TV NOVA REACHED OVER THREE MILLION PEOPLE

Saturday’s election telecasts on the three domestic television stations were watched by 3.3 million viewers over the age of 15.

The day-long coverage of the Czech parliamentary election results reached 3.3 million viewers over the age of 15 on Saturday on ČT24, CNN Prima News and TV Nova. That’s how many viewers sought out the election coverage for at least three minutes (reach) from early Saturday morning to the end of the day. Data from the official ATO-Nielsen measurement shows this.

Both news TV channels, CT24 and CNN Prima News, broadcast throughout the day from morning until midnight. TV Nova offered a continuous afternoon and early evening block, which was rounded off by Televizní noviny. The blocks broadcast from 16:00 to 19:00 were the most popular.

The average viewership (rating) of the entire afternoon broadcast on ČT24, from 14:00 to 19:00, was 586 000 viewers over 15 years of age, with a share of 27.8%. The afternoon broadcast on CNN Prima News from 14:00 to 18:40 was watched by 309 thousand viewers over 15 years of age (share 15%) and the special on TV Nova from 13:00 to 19:15 was watched on average by 236 thousand viewers over 15 (share 11.6%).

CT24′ s total share of the day on Saturday was 16,13 % (15 ), the best result of all TV stations on the market. CNN Prima News’ s all-day share climbed to 9 % to 8,90 % and TV Nova’ s all-day share was 12,25 % (15 ). Data source: ATO-Nielsen.

Source: mediaguru.cz

THAI AUTHORITIES SHUT DOWN MAJOR ILLEGAL IPTV OPERATION WITH ACE SUPPORT

Thai authorities have closed one of the country’s most prominent pirate IPTV networks following raids in Bangkok and Nonthaburi.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), supported by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and local member True Visions, moved against INWIPTV—previously known as FWIPTV—which has been operating since 2012. The service charged around 300 baht (€7.60) a month for access to international and Thai content, including live sports and adult programming.

Coordinated search operations took place across six locations on September 21. Twelve employees were questioned, and more than 150 items of evidence were seized, including 46 servers, transmission equipment, storage devices, financial records and IPTV boxes.

“We commend the DSI for their decisive action in Operation DEV Shutdown against a key IPTV target in Thailand,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the MPA. “The case is testament to the power of our strategic partnerships with local law enforcement and our local ACE member True Visions.”

Sompan Charumilinda, Executive Vice Chairman of True Visions, added:

“By shutting down piracy services, we not only protect Thai youth and communities from harm but also support the country’s creative economy. These results are possible thanks to the strong cooperation we have received from both Thai authorities and global organizations like ACE.”

ACE said the closure demonstrates the effectiveness of local and international enforcement partnerships in tackling piracy across Asia.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

SWEDEN PLANS TO OUTLAW ILLEGAL IPTV VIEWING

The Swedish government is preparing legislation that would make it an offence for consumers to use illegal IPTV services, extending current rules that primarily target distributors.

According to Swedish press reports, an inquiry commissioned by the Ministry of Culture recommends fines for private individuals who stream unlicensed content, alongside tougher penalties of up to six years’ imprisonment for operators of pirate services. The law could enter into force on 1 July 2026.

Writing in Svenska Dagbladet, government-appointed investigator Eva Bergquist wrote it is “almost impossible” to stop piracy at the source.

The move reflects the growing scale of the problem in Sweden. Estimates suggest that more than 700,000 households – around 15 per cent of the population – are using illegal IPTV, representing an annual revenue loss of SEK 1–1.5 billion for broadcasters and rights holders.

Investigators argue that because service providers often operate anonymously and from abroad, enforcement should also focus on end-users. Technical measures under consideration include live blocking of illegal streams, domain blocking and removal of pirate services from search results.

The initiative has been welcomed by broadcasters with a rise in the shareprice of local streaming service Viaplay.

Legal IPTV cases have already reached Swedish courts. Earlier this year, an individual was ordered to pay SEK 2.7 million in damages for operating an unlicensed service, while another now faces trial accused of selling subscriptions worth SEK 9 million.

The proposal will now go to government for consultation before being presented to parliament.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ITALIAN POLICE SMASH MAJOR PIRACY NETWORK WITH 900,000 USERS

Italian authorities have dismantled a large-scale digital piracy network in an operation coordinated by prosecutors in Catania, resulting in eight arrests and exposing more than 900,000 users nationwide.

The blitz, codenamed Gotha 2, was carried out by the Catania Public Prosecutor’s Office alongside the Postal Police and national cybersecurity teams. It targeted a highly structured organisation accused of distributing illegal IPTV services, reselling access to protected platforms, and committing large-scale computer fraud. The suspects, based in provinces including Catania, Siracusa, Rome and Brescia, have been placed under house arrest.

Investigators estimate the network generated around €10 million in annual profits, with damages to rights holders exceeding €30 million. Authorities believe the action disrupted up to 70% of illegal streaming traffic in Italy, affecting services including DAZN, Sky, Mediaset, Netflix and Prime Video.

Prosecutors have signalled that attention will now also turn to end users, whose identities were traced during the investigation. Those who purchased “pezzotto” subscriptions could face civil or criminal proceedings as the authorities seek to quantify damages and dismantle the consumer base.

The crackdown highlights the industrial scale of piracy in Italy, where organised groups of “masters”, “admins” and “resellers” operate nationwide. It also reflects the growing determination of rights holders and law enforcement to push enforcement beyond providers and towards consumers themselves.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ORLANDO WOOD AND SIR JOHN HEGARTY ON HOW CREATIVITY FUELS BRAND GROWTH

This year marks a symbolic anniversary – 150 years since the first documented use of the word creativity in English. Historian Adolphus William Ward used the term in 1875 in reference to William Shakespeare’s “poetic creativity”.

Today, the importance of creativity in all sectors, including the media, is unquestionable. According to Sir John Hegarty, who co-authored the report The Business of Creativity, creativity is vital to human progress because it shapes culture, supports business, fosters empathy and gives meaning to human existence.

That’s why, on Wednesday 24 September 2025 at 4pm, two of the most renowned experts on the subject of creativity – Orlando Wood and Sir John Hegarty – will join together for a webinar, ‘The Case for Creativity’, to explore why creativity is vital to the long-term success of business and how brands can recapture the attention of audiences in today’s overwhelmed media environment. You’ll learn why bold ideas and creative advertising are needed more than ever on TV today, what role emotion, storytelling and compelling scripting play in an advertising-overloaded digital environment, and hear
👉 why companies that invest in creativity get better results than others.
👉 how great ideas, delivered with emotion and fun, can spark real innovation.
👉 why TV remains an unrivalled platform for creative campaigns.

Creative industry legends Orlando Wood and Sir John Hegarty will offer their insight into why creativity is not a luxury, but a necessity for long-term brand success and business growth.

The webinar is FREE, online, on September 24 at 4pm.

Registration is available here.

This free webinar is hosted by The Global TV Group and is open to anyone interested in the intersection of creativity, effectiveness and media.

COUPLE ACCUSED OF €4.4M SKY PIRACY FRAUD IN BAVARIA

An elderly couple from Bavaria is standing trial in Landshut, accused of orchestrating a large-scale piracy scheme that allegedly defrauded pay-TV operator Sky Deutschland of more than €4.4 million.

According to a report by German newspaper BILD, Sergej M. (68), an electromechanic, and his wife Valentina (70), a shop assistant, are charged with serious joint computer fraud in 4,611 cases. Between 2014 and 2019, the pair are said to have sold hundreds of manipulated satellite receivers from their small electronics shop, allowing customers to access Sky’s full pay-TV offering without a valid subscription.

The set-top boxes – referred to in court as “Russian receivers” – were modified Octagon boxes. Prosecutors allege the couple sold 1,755 of these hacked devices for around €250 each, earning more than €500,000 in revenue. In addition, they reportedly charged customers €50 for regular software updates, with the manipulated devices enabling savings of around €79.99 per month in subscription fees.

In total, prosecutors estimate that Sky suffered damages of approximately €4.426 million as a result of the illegal sales and software manipulations.

A Sky spokesperson told BILD:

“Sky takes piracy very seriously. We systematically analyse illegal offers and regularly initiate criminal proceedings against illegal providers. We also file criminal charges ourselves against users.”

The company declined to quantify its annual losses from piracy but noted that “the number of investigations has increased significantly in recent years.”

According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, the receivers not only allowed unauthorised access to Sky’s full line-up of films, series and sports, but also opened up additional subscription services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Magenta Sport and foreign channels. Customers reportedly paid up to €40 more for this extended access. The newspaper reports that the receives were accessing a so-called card sharing server in the Netherlands, which decrypted Sky’s codes and transmitted them to the devices.

At the opening of the trial before the Landshut regional court, the defendants chose not to comment on the charges. However, so-called exploratory talks took place, raising the possibility of a reduced sentence should the couple decide to confess. The court has scheduled 26 further hearing days, with investigators, customers and Sky employees called to testify.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ATO: STICKING TO THE PLAN. OUT-OF-HOME MEASUREMENT WILL START IN JANUARY 2026

The ReDAM project, which aims to bring out-of-home TV and video audience measurement to the Czech market, is progressing according to plan. According to ATO’s Managing Director, Michal Jordan, the official launch is still scheduled for January 2026.

The Association of Television Organizations (ATO) is in the final preparation phase of the ReDAM project, which aims to deliver the first data on out-of-home TV viewership starting January 2026. According to Michal Jordan, ATO Managing Director, the planned schedule is being maintained. A key element is mobile measurement, with the panel gradually growing to the target size. The entire TV audience measurement system in the Czech Republic recently underwent an international audit, and the results confirmed the quality and relevance of the current PCEM project.

Details about the ReDAM project and other measurement plans in the Czech Republic are provided in an interview with ATO Managing Director Michal Jordan.

At what stage is the out-of-home audience measurement initiative, known as the ReDAM project? Are you managing to keep to the planned schedule to deliver the first combined data from January 2026?

The ReDAM project is currently on schedule, and the original goal of delivering combined data from January 2026 remains unchanged. All the implementers—ResSolution, the technology provider DCore, and Nielsen, which handles the fusion and merging of data—are working with maximum effort under the pressure of ambitious deadlines. I deliberately say “currently,” because anyone who has ever managed a similar project knows how complex the finalisation phase can be. However, we have no negative news and believe we will meet the planned schedule.

A key component of ReDAM is mobile measurement. How is the recruitment of panellists going so far, especially since you have set stricter rules than usual? Are you encountering any complications when approaching respondents?

Recruitment is generally difficult in any current research project, not just here. It is a global problem. However, I cannot give a more specific answer yet because we are still in the process of building the panel. The panel is not yet representative in all characteristics, and whether problems will arise in certain demographic groups during the final phase remains to be seen.

Are there already initial test results that might indicate the impact of out-of-home audience measurement on overall ratings?

Currently, our panel includes over 600 individuals, with a target size of 1,000. Since early August, we have received certain private outputs from the implementers, but we have handled these very cautiously. The panel is not yet fully representative and is still “too new” in terms of respondents’ acclimatisation.

The first figures from out-of-home measurement were relatively high and reached levels comparable to some similar international projects. However, it is important to expect that the results will still change. This is partly because we started in the summer, when there are generally more opportunities to watch TV outside the home, and partly because the distinction between small and large screens will only be implemented in the autumn. Additionally, ATO plans to only work with large screens in the official results. Therefore, in the autumn, we are preparing a workshop for PCEM data users where we will discuss all these issues in detail.

One of the common practical questions is at what time the new data will be available from January 2026. Is it already clear whether the distribution will be in the morning or in the afternoon?

Contractually agreed deadlines basically anticipate afternoon distribution. However, I am confident that all providers will do their best to ensure that the delay compared to the current situation is not too long. If we recall the introduction of the original people meters, data delivery times also gradually shortened until they reached their current format. I expect a similar development for the new system as well.

And I might add something a bit “against the grain”. If we say that the world of television and digital video is becoming dramatically more complex, and that we want the largest possible data samples and the most robust methodologies, we have to accept that processing such data takes a bit longer. It’s the price we pay for the complexity we live in today.

The contractually set deadlines basically anticipate afternoon distribution. However, I am confident that all the providers will do their best to ensure that the delay compared to the current situation is not too long.

Michal Jordan

If the ReDAM project successfully gets underway, what significance do you think it will have in ATO’s long-term strategy, which aims to gradually expand the project for measuring television and video content?

I would refer to the answer I gave earlier. Our vision is to add new components to the existing measurement system. Mobile measurement is one of these components, and what’s important about it is not just the actual measurement outside the home, but also a certain technological and methodological independence from the main project. I also mentioned AdCross, which I am convinced is only a matter of time before it becomes part of ATO’s official measurement, as well as RPD. These answers still hold true today, although some things are progressing more slowly than I initially expected.

Can you be more specific then? Are you planning to use RPD data?

We are intensively exploring various possibilities. In neighbouring Austria, an interesting project has emerged, which we are closely monitoring. Simply put, it involves modelling a large data source through a panel, with calculations performed on the resulting ‘synthetic’ data source. Crucially, this is a solution that the local TV market developed independently, without multinational platforms. It is inspirational for us; we are in communication with our Austrian colleagues, but so far, no decision has been made. My conviction that the integration of large data samples is essential in the future remains unchanged. Equally unchanged is the fact that the path to achieving this is significantly more complicated than it might seem at first glance.

What methodological or technological challenges do you see in the current measurement? Is it, for example, distinguishing by screen size, type of environment, or preventing duplicates?

I consider overall complexity to be the greatest technological challenge. When only linear television was available, ‘measuring TV’ was significantly simpler and less costly. Today, it is necessary to cover a whole range of new technologies and ways of consuming content. Each such extension comes with a cost, and for each one, it is necessary to define how to finance it and why it is needed. A typical example is the measurement of smart TV applications, which are now part of the system, whereas a few years ago, such technology did not exist at all.

In the past, ATO mentioned an interest in expanding measurement to digital platforms and streaming services. In this regard, in which direction are you heading, and is it realistic to include global players like YouTube or Facebook?

I would divide the question into two parts. When it comes to local streaming services or VOD platforms, ATO is definitely interested, and this is also related to AdCross. However, regarding global platforms like YouTube or Facebook, we do not expect that a solution can be found solely within the Czech market. We are part of international organisations and observe how this issue is being addressed in larger markets. And we see that it is still quite difficult. Over time, a European or global solution may emerge, which we would then adopt. The purpose of ATO is primarily to support the development of the local market, and therefore, entities wishing to be monetised through official measurement must actively participate in its development.

When it comes to global platforms like YouTube or Facebook, we do not expect that a solution can be found solely within the Czech market.

Michal Jordan

How should the Czech measurement system keep pace with international developments? Do you see room for deeper cooperation with foreign organisations or inspiration from models in other markets?

I might say something different than expected. On the side of multinational research players, I see few products that would truly be suitable for medium-sized markets like ours. I’ve already mentioned the Austrian example, but even our mobile measurement project uses local technologies from ResSolution and DCore, AdCross runs on a platform developed specifically for the Czech market, the software has Czech origins, and the data fusion is tailor-made. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to draw inspiration from abroad, but sometimes it’s more complicated. Some things we simply have to solve on our own.

Is it realistic that in the future, the ATO membership base could expand to include representatives of digital platforms or new players on the market?

I’m not aware of any major changes at the moment. However, ATO is continuously working on finding the most effective internal decision-making mechanisms. In general, I perceive the Czech market as very rational and cooperative, which I consider great news.

ATO underwent two international audits this year. Could you please explain their results and significance?

At the end of last year, CESP conducted a test of the DCore technology, which we decided to use in the ReDAM project. This was a necessary condition for us before giving the project the green light — since it was a new technology not yet used anywhere else, the independent risk audit significantly reduced potential risks. The results were very good, which is evident from the fact that the project was approved.

In the spring and summer of 2025, a second audit took place, this time focused on the “main” PCEM project. We are currently in the third year of a five-year cycle and need to decide how to proceed. The audit results were positive from ATO’s perspective; it confirmed that the project is relevant and that we need not worry about its quality. I was personally surprised by the scope and depth of the audit, as in certain areas, it went into much greater detail than I have ever experienced. I would recommend such a thorough “X-ray” examination to every research project.

The audit was also related to the question of whether ATO will exercise the option to extend the PCEM project into the years 2028–2030. The audit results allow for the use of this option, so the decision will be up to the ATO members, and it will come relatively soon. If the option is not exercised, alternative solutions will need to be sought. In any case, even within the current cycles, we have the possibility to further develop the project, as exemplified by ReDAM.

I was personally surprised by the scope and depth of the audit, as in certain areas, it went into much greater detail than I have ever experienced. I would recommend such a thorough “X-ray” examination to every research project.

Michal Jordan

If the ATO members decide not to exercise the option, what would that mean, and how would you proceed regarding the next phase of the PCEM project?

Exercising the option is just one of the possibilities we have. We can modify the business agreement with the current supplier or consider some systemic changes. ATO has plenty of information and business contacts with practically all relevant entities (both local and international) that could potentially provide parts of a new solution. In most cases, we even know the current prices. Therefore, I believe we have a fairly comfortable position to consider where we might take the measurement next and how.

My answer does not anticipate or favour any particular option. We are satisfied with the current project, but if we have to consider time horizons around the year 2030, we should make decisions with the greatest possible knowledge of all the ‘possible’ measurement options, as well as the technological and commercial development of the market.

Source: mediaguru.cz

FACT TARGETS IRISH SHOPS IN ANTI-PIRACY OPERATION

FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) and its partners have conducted an enforcement operation addressing Irish retail outlets involved in providing access to illegal TV streaming services.

FACT teams, together with Sky, delivered legal notices to 15 shops and resellers across nine counties: Kerry, Louth, Laois, Mayo, Donegal, Kilkenny, Wexford, Meath, and Cavan.

The targeted businesses were identified as either selling subscriptions to illegal streaming services, supplying devices set up for such access, or connecting customers to resellers via phone numbers or advertising materials. Each has been given a deadline to cease these actions or potentially face further measures. The majority have responded to the notices and agreed to stop these activities.

This operation marks the first direct focus on retail outlets by enforcement teams, reflecting the role these stores play in consumer access to illegal streaming at a local level.

Kieron Sharp, Chairman of FACT, commented: “This operation shows that we are actively targeting every link in the illegal streaming supply chain. When shop owners sell illegal streaming devices, subscriptions or act as referral points to providers, they are supporting criminal organisations and generating criminal profits. FACT will continue to work with partners to identify, disrupt and shut down this activity across Ireland.”

JD Buckley CEO Sky Ireland said: “Illegal streaming puts consumers at real risk of online harms including fraud and identity theft while draining money away from the creative industries that invest in the shows and sports people love.” He added that Sky aims to protect its customers and uphold content production standards, and that collaboration with FACT serves to stop unauthorised activity through various channels.

The action follows other enforcement measures against illegal streaming services in Ireland. Last month, David Dunbar from County Wexford was ordered to pay €480,000 (£417,259) in damages to Sky and received a permanent injunction preventing future involvement with IPTV after a High Court case.

Since March 2023, nearly 70 illegal services in Ireland have closed following actions by FACT and associates, and tens of thousands of unauthorised streams have been disrupted.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

ACE AND DAZN SHUT DOWN ITALY’S CALCIO ILLEGAL STREAMING NETWORK

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and DAZN’s anti-piracy team have shut down Calcio which streamed unlicensed content from its base in Moldova.

The operator of the service agreed to cease operations after being approached by the ACE-DAZN team.

Calcio drew more than 123 million visits in the past 12 months across 134 domains. With over 6 million monthly visits from Italy alone, it was the most popular sports streaming website in the country.

The service provided unauthorised access to premium sports content including top European football leagues such as Serie A, Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1; UEFA club competitions including Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League; international competitions such as FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO; basketball leagues including the NBA; motorsports (including Formula 1 and Moto GP), tennis matches, and more.

“Shutting down illegal operations like Calcio is vital for protecting fans, safeguarding jobs, and preserving the value and integrity of live sports,”

said Ed McCarthy, COO of DAZN Group. “ACE and DAZN’s decisive action in removing this site has prevented further harm to the wellbeing of the sports ecosystem.”

Eighty percent of the traffic came from Italy, with smaller percentages originating from Spain, the United States, Germany, and France.

“Piracy diminishes the commercial value of a live sports broadcast well before the final whistle blows, harming broadcasters, sports leagues, and fans alike,” said Larissa Knapp,
Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the Motion Picture Association (MPA). “With the start of the Italian football season, I commend the team for the timely takedown of this notorious operation.”

All Calcio domains have been transferred to ACE and are now redirected to ACE’s Watch Legally site.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com

THE MOST WATCHED HOLIDAY SHOW WAS THE POLICIE MODRAVA SERIES. HOW DID THE TVS DO THIS SUMMER?

Police Modrava once again confirmed its strong position in the summer offer and became the most watched show of this year’s holiday season.

The most watched show of this year’s holiday TV season (1.7.-17.8.2025) was the series Policie Modrava (Nova). It was the only one of the main evening shows to attract more than one million viewers during the holidays. The next places were occupied by Televizní noviny, Počasí, Sportovní noviny (all Nova) and the rerun series Specialisté (Nova). This is according to official ATO-Nielsen data.

Also, the second half of the ranking of the most-watched holiday shows belonged to reruns, even of an earlier production date than those listed above. Included here were Malý pitaval z velkého města (Nova) and Hříšní lidé Města pražského (ČT), as well as the more recent Octopus (ČT).

July for ČT, August for Nova

Czech Television had the highest share of the TV market in July, despite a year-on-year decrease, in the universal audience group 15 . In 15-54 and 18-69, Nova was the strongest. In August, TV Nova was number one in all major audience categories.

Compared to the same period a year earlier, ČT’s July-August performance was down less than four percentage points year-on-year (15 ), while both major commercial groups improved. TV Nova gained more, gaining almost two percentage points year-on-year (15 ), and even four percentage points in 15-54. Prima increased its share by more than one percentage point year-on-year in July-August (15 ).

The year-on-year comparison is mainly due to the decline of ČT Sport (last year’s Euro football and the Paris Olympics). Of the individual ČT channels, ČT1, ČT2 and ČT24 improved year-on-year . Prima Krimi and CNN Prima News, as well as Television Seznam, also continued their significant growth.

Source: mediaguru.cz

JAN MAXA O PRO PRIMA PLUS STRATEGIES

Jan Maxa has been the head of the streaming platform prima+ since May.The video library has about 300,000 subscribers so far, which is not a small number for two years on the market, but it has not yet reached the point where it is “in the black”.

👉 What strategy has he prepared for Prima and how does he plan to work with different target groups?
👉 How does he think the media market has changed?
👉 And why did he leave Czech Television?

Read exclusively in the new issue of Marketing & Media magazine here.

Source: mam.cz

ORLANDO WOOD INTERVIEW: WHY ADVERTISING NEEDS SHOWMANSHIP AGAIN – AN INTERVIEW WITH ORLANDO WOOD

A leading voice in advertising effectiveness, Orlando Wood has transformed the industry’s understanding of how creativity drives commercial success. As Chief Innovation Officer at System1 and an Honorary Fellow of the IPA, he has studied more than 26,000 ads and authored the acclaimed books Lemon and Look Out. His award-winning research has shown why showmanship matters more than ever in an age of AI, streaming, and short-termism. We asked him to share his views on the enduring principles of effective advertising, the future role of television, and how brands can rediscover the creativity that fuels long-term growth.

From AI-driven campaigns to the enduring power of TV, Orlando Wood shares why advertising’s future depends on rediscovering its roots in showmanship

You’ve said that advertising needs to return to its roots. Why do you believe this is necessary, and what do you think has been lost or changed?

Over the last 20 years, advertising effectiveness has declined. We’ve shifted from a period of advertising showmanship to one of advertising salesmanship.

Showmanship builds salience and preference through narrative, character, and humour. Salesmanship speaks to the already half-interested, giving them reasons to buy and nudging them over the line.

Both are important, both have a long history, and each supports the other — but of the two, it’s showmanship that’s more crucial for long-term profit and growth. That’s something we seem to have forgotten. In fact, good showmanship also strengthens your salesmanship.

Unfortunately, we’ve become stuck in a salesmanship rut. What we need is a new creative revolution — one that brings us back to what drives growth.

In what ways can advertising reconnect with its roots in today’s landscape of digital platforms, AI, and streaming? How can it remain relevant while adapting to new media environments?

The first step is understanding what showmanship and salesmanship are, what they look like, and what kind of business outcomes they create. They operate very differently.

Showmanship captures attention among a broad audience and lodges the brand in memory through emotional appeal. Its effects build over time.
Salesmanship targets people already primed to buy — its effects are direct, immediate and short-lived.

You can clearly see the same kind of business outcomes associated with each school in new media too. Our work at System1 shows that these two schools of advertising exist across even the most modern of platforms, with showmanship driving salience, trust and sales, and salesmanship achieving only conversion (see our report, The Long and Short (Form) of It). The outline of these two schools and their outcomes can even be seen in influencer content.

Understanding advertising’s origins, roots and principles helps us to clarify what we need to do. Do this, and you realise that while practices change, principles endure. This is something I set out for participants in my effectiveness course Advertising Principles Explained (a.p.e.).

Showmanship will always work best with high-attention and broad-reach media. It requires a stage on which to perform. And this is why TV is so important.

As fully AI-developed campaigns begin to emerge, what role do you see AI playing in the creative process of TV campaigns? How do you view this development?

AI can be a brilliant creative partner — but only if you know how to brief it and how these two schools operate.

ITV has taken a proactive step with AI: it now offers a service where its creative team uses AI to develop ads for new-to-TV advertisers. This approach has two big benefits:

It helps new advertisers get started in an unfamiliar medium.
It lets them reallocate creative development budgets toward media spend.

We’ve tested some of these AI-generated ads at System1, and they can perform very well, surpassing the emotional scores achieved by advertising for established advertisers in the category.

Perhaps AI can help to up everyone’s game.

What role does television, both linear and streaming, play in today’s rapidly evolving media environment, where consumer behaviour is constantly shifting? How should advertisers adapt?

TV plays a hugely important part in today’s media mix – not just because of its reach, but because it delivers high attention. It can also, through its programming and sponsorship opportunities, help to insert a brand into culture.

So if you’re an advertiser, use TV’s strengths to deliver emotional, memorable and broad-reach campaigns – the kind that create long-term value and matter more than ever in a short-term world.

I often tell advertisers: you have to be more interesting, more arresting, more entertaining than the content that surrounds you. Remember that you are competing for time and attention.

And that’s true wherever you show up.