Tata Play delivers a 'breakthrough' for targeted ads on TVs to likely enjoy advertising revenues

Tata Play on Monday rolled out addressable ads for linear television, a 'breakthrough' in the Indian industry for unconnected boxes and a move that should propel revenues of the dish tv provider who never had access to advertising revenue.

Addressable Ads will allow brands to target segmented audiences with same TV ad spots, the company said. In simple terms, broadcasters can now choose which ads to play for which audience of varied regions and income groups.

Invidi is the ad-tech and campaign management partner fo Tata Play, which has also partenred with TAM for audience measurement and monitoring.


"This breakthrough marks a first for unconnected boxes, empowering advertisers to reach their targeted audience with complete measurability," the company said in a statement. "The segmentation will be based on audience profiles and various geographical cuts, making television advertising more engaging and effective."


Addressable TV advertising technology helps advertisers to segment TV audiences selectively, delivering distinct ads to various households, regardless of their shared content consumption. Advertising effectively allows businesses to reach out to their potential customers and remind them of their interest in the brand, the company said.

This comes at a time when India is seeing increasing penetration of OTTs with rapid adoption of Internet that enables targeted ads on digital platforms. India's burgeoning online population presents a colossal market for businesses leveraging re-targeting advertising.

However, Tata is now bringing the tech to non-connected TVs as well, which should be adding to the revenues as well.

"Platforms have never had access to advertising revenue. This makes us a stakeholder in that stream of revenue too," Harit Nagpal, MD & CEO, Tata Play, told ET Online.

"The service will encourage advertisers to advertise more because of the efficiencies achieved due to reduction in spill over. Niche brands which did not hitherto advertise will also find the ROIs compelling," he added.

Addressable TV ads represent a groundbreaking shift in TV advertising by combining traditional linear TV with digital capabilities, the company said. TV ads play a crucial role in initial brand exposure. Through Tata Play's Addressable Ads solution, advertisers can enhance their return on investment by utilising features such as targeted advertising and impression purchasing, it added.

Targeted ads strategic approach optimises budgets by directing ads to individuals who have displayed prior interest, ensuring higher conversion rates compared to broader campaigns. Targeting advertising in India capitalises on user engagement, proving to be a cost-effective and efficient method for businesses aiming to engage a receptive audience and drive sales.

"While television delivers the highest advertising reach for brands, it doesn’t offer sharper targeting. With our targeted ad delivery, we can now split a TV spot into multiple beams with each beam carrying messages to distinctive audience cohorts, as required by the advertisers,” said Nagpal.