For a long time, the rule was: TV advertising reaches everyone the same way. Anyone who booked a spot in the program got it delivered to every viewer, whether they belonged to the target audience or not. Addressable TV, or ATV, puts an end to that. It brings digital targeting to classic television: two households watch the same channel but see different advertising, matched to region, interests or household type.
This is made possible by the internet-connected Smart TV. Through the return channel, advertising can be delivered to individual households while the linear program is running. Under the umbrella of Addressable TV, there are two ad formats that work very differently: the ATV Spot and the SwitchIn. This article explains both and shows how the ATV Spot relates to streaming advertising.
What defines Addressable TV
The core of Addressable TV is addressability. The television is connected to the internet, and through that connection the system knows which household to deliver the advertising to. This reduces wastage the way you know it from digital advertising, just on the big screen in the living room and within the environment of classic television.
The best of both worlds, in other words: the impact and credibility of television, combined with the precision of digital targeting. This is exactly where the two ATV formats come in, each in its own way.
The ATV Spot: video advertising close to streaming
The ATV Spot is a classic video spot, delivered addressably to the matching audience. For the viewer, it feels like any other advertising on the big screen: full screen, with sound, right in the middle of the viewing experience.
This is where the comparison with streaming advertising is worthwhile, because the two are closely related. In both cases, the viewer gets a video spot on the television, precisely targeted, with full picture and sound. The experience is practically the same, and both share the strengths that make advertising on the TV set so effective: high attention, sound that gets through, and the credibility of the big screen.
The difference lies in the environment the spot runs in. The ATV Spot is tied to linear television, to the running program of classic channels, addressable via the Smart TV. Streaming advertising, by contrast, runs within streaming services, in the on-demand and FAST environment of Netflix, RTL+ and others. Put simply: the ATV Spot reaches people while they watch linear TV, streaming advertising reaches them while they stream. Both bring your spot precisely onto the television, just via different routes.
For you as an advertiser, this is not "either or", it simply means more reach on the same screen: you reach your audience both during linear programming and while streaming. How the streaming side works in detail is shown in the article on the media quality of streaming advertising, and how in-stream formats differ from other video advertising is explained in the article In-Stream vs. Out-Stream.
The SwitchIn: advertising without your own spot
The second format takes a completely different route. The SwitchIn is not a video spot, it is a display creative that appears in an L-shape at the edge of the screen, at the exact moment a viewer switches to a channel. It overlays the picture non-interruptively, it does not interrupt the program, it frames it. More on the format is on the SwitchIn page.
The big advantage: you do not need a video. An image or display creative is enough, which lowers the entry barrier enormously. Anyone who does not have a finished spot and does not want to produce one can still advertise on television with the SwitchIn. That makes the format a cheap and fast entry point into TV advertising, especially for smaller businesses.
There is no difference in targeting compared to the spot: you steer the SwitchIn by the same criteria, meaning region, interests and household type. The SwitchIn is also delivered addressably and reaches the right households specifically at the moment of switching, across the leading channels.
The two formats at a glance
| Feature | ATV Spot | SwitchIn |
|---|---|---|
| Format | video spot | display creative (L-banner) |
| Needs a video? | yes | no, an image is enough |
| Where it appears | in the video environment | at channel switching on the Smart TV |
| Perception | full picture and sound contact | visible, but non-interruptive |
| Targeting | region, interests, household type | identical to the spot |
| Strength | attention and brand impact | low-cost entry, no spot needed |
Which format, when?
Both formats have their purpose, and they often complement each other. The ATV Spot fits when you want to carry a message with full force, with video, sound and emotional impact. The SwitchIn fits when you want to show presence on television quickly, cheaply and without video production, or when you want to reinforce a running campaign with an additional, high-attention touchpoint.
If you are missing a video for the ATV Spot, that is no obstacle by the way: onescreen helps create spots with the help of AI, significantly faster and more cost-efficiently than classic production, from existing materials like images and logos. How this affects your budget is shown in the article How much does TV advertising cost?
Both from a single source
The practical thing about Addressable TV at onescreen: you book both formats in the same Ad Manager, together with streaming advertising. You set audience, region and budget yourself, delivery runs digitally, and in the dashboard you track on a daily basis how your campaign is performing. That way you combine linear TV, streaming and SwitchIn into one campaign on the biggest screen in the house.
Want to see which format fits your goal? Book a free demo, we will show you the possibilities in 30 minutes. Or get started directly in the Ad Manager.
FAQ
What is Addressable TV? Addressable TV, or ATV, brings digital targeting to classic television. Through the internet-connected Smart TV, advertising is delivered to individual households while linear programming is running. Two households watch the same channel but see different advertising.
What is the difference between ATV Spot and streaming advertising? Both deliver an audience-targeted video spot on the television, with full picture and sound. The difference lies in the environment: the ATV Spot runs within linear TV programming, addressable via the Smart TV. Streaming advertising runs within streaming services. Together, they reach the audience both during linear TV and while streaming.
What is a SwitchIn? The SwitchIn is an L-shaped display creative that appears on the Smart TV at the moment a viewer switches channels. It does not interrupt the program, it frames the picture. Unlike the spot, you do not need a video for it, an image creative is enough.
Do I need my own spot for Addressable TV? Yes for the ATV Spot, no for the SwitchIn. The SwitchIn works with an image creative alone. If you lack a video for the spot, onescreen helps create one with the help of AI, based on existing materials.
Can I combine Addressable TV and streaming? Yes. Through the onescreen Ad Manager you book ATV Spot, SwitchIn and streaming advertising in one campaign. That way you reach your audience across both linear TV and streaming, on the same big screen.