Advertisers Say 'So Long' To Linear TV

Welcome to The TV Room. Your weekly digest of television, streaming, and digital media insights that matter.

This week we're covering:

• 📏 The End of Straight-Line Advertising

• ⏯️ TripleLift’s Press Play on Programmatic Pause Ads

• 🎥 Creative Spotlight: Walmart: “The Walmart You Thought You Knew”

• 👾 Roblox New Shop Blurs the Blocky Lines

Agencies Are Outsourcing Linear TV

Ad holding companies are about to upend decades of TV buying routines. Within two years, agencies are now expected to outsource all linear TV buying operations, both broadcast and cable networks, as streaming continues its rapid takeover.

This isn't speculation; the transition has already begun with local linear TV, which agencies abandoned after finding it too labor-intensive and unprofitable.

Why is linear being outsourced?

Consumer time with linear TV plummeted from 72% in 2020 to just 57% today. The 2025 upfronts crystallized this shift, positioning linear as merely an appendix to streaming buys.

Even live sports, which have been linear's last stronghold, now come packaged with mandatory streaming content buys from major media companies.

For agencies, linear TV offers minimal profit and growth potential compared to digital alternatives. This mirrors what happened previously with radio and print when these channels became marginalized.

What should you do now?

For advertisers, this outsourcing trend might actually improve results. Working with focused specialists could deliver better returns than campaigns managed by holding companies, where linear is treated as an unwanted obligation.

Smart brands will:

• Identify specialist agencies focused on linear buying

• Maintain linear in their media mix while scaling streaming

• Leverage the cost efficiencies that come from working with nimble specialists

Linear TV still commands attention from tens of millions of viewers. The industry can expect a wave of specialized agencies to emerge as they absorb the outsourced work from holding companies, creating a more efficient marketplace for advertisers still scrape value from traditional TV.

Read More:

• Linear TV Is About To Go The Way Of Radio. That’s A Good Thing - AdExchanger

TV Industry Updates

• Walmart's ad arm rockets 50%: The retailer's global advertising business grew 50% year over year in Q1, bolstered by its Vizio integration.

• Fox Sports captures sideline sound: Fox Sports tested AI-powered audio enhancement during the UFL Championship with operational success.

• Nabs creates donor recognition: The industry charity announced its new 'Yay List' initiative to spotlight financial contributors supporting its work.

• TripleLift unlocks pause ads programmatically: TripleLift and DirecTV Advertising launched programmatic Pause Ads on demand-side platforms.

• MiQ tackles data fragmentation: MiQ released its AI-powered "Sigma" platform featuring data visualization and generative AI personas for CTV.

• Mars shifts agencies: Mars appointed Publicis to lead its media, production, paid social, influencer, and connected commerce work.

Creative Spotlight: Walmart: “The Walmart You Thought You Knew is Now…New”

Walmart's "Who Knew?" campaign challenged consumer perceptions about the big-box retailer by revealing its premium services and speedy delivery options through celebrity-guided revelations.

The Details:

• Actor Walton Goggins starred in a 60-second English spot set to The Who's "Who Are You," beginning with the intriguing question "You wanna hear a secret?".

• Actress Stephanie Beatriz headlined the Spanish-language version set to Ricardo Arjona's "Quien Diría," showcasing Walmart's quick delivery service.

• Before launch, celebrities Paris Hilton and NBA player Russell Westbrook teased the campaign on social media with mysterious blue and yellow shopping bags.

• This multi-channel initiative ran across CTV, targeting the 90% of Americans who live within 10 miles of a Walmart but remained unaware of the retailer's brand evolution.

What We Loved: The campaign turned surprise into its secret weapon, creating genuine intrigue through celebrity confessions that shattered longstanding consumer perceptions while showcasing Walmart's transformation beyond its traditional discount store image.

Marketing Mix

• TikTok's ad power play: The platform unveiled a suite of new features at its annual summit, including an AI-powered Search Center.

• Amazon doubles down on CTV: The ecommerce giant announced new partnerships with data platform InfoSum and sell-side company Magnite.

• Influencer takeover looms: WPP Media reported that creator content will overtake professionally produced content in ad revenue in 2025.

• Roblox bridges virtual-physical gap: The gaming platform blurred commerce boundaries by allowing creators to sell physical items through the platform.

• Dr. Martens executes brand reset: The footwear brand pivoted from "channel first" to "consumer first" strategy under new marketing lead Carla Murphy.

• Fanatics pits fans against legends: Sports merchandise giant Fanatics challenged everyday fans to compete in skills competitions at Fanatics Fest 2025.