Ep 150: CTV Gets Smarter: James Grant of Equativ on AI, Identity & Outcomes

AdTechGod sits down with James Grant, SVP of Equativ, to explore the evolution of connected TV, AI-powered media planning, performance TV, and the future of streaming advertising. James also shares lessons from powering live sports advertising and why outcomes, identity, and new CTV ad formats are shaping the next era of ad tech. Interested in sponsoring the show? Contact ⁠http://marketecturemedia.com Takeaways: \- AI agents are making media planning more efficient and dynamic. \- Performance TV is creating new opportunities for measurable CTV outcomes. \- Live sports streaming requires scalable ad serving, testing, and strong project management. \- Pause ads and home-screen formats can create less intrusive CTV experiences. \- Contextual signals, outcomes, and deterministic identity will shape CTV’s future. Chapters: 01:05 Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod 01:18 Meet James Grant of Equativ 02:17 James’ Career Across TV and Ad Tech 05:08 Building Equativ’s CTV Business 06:25 The Biggest Opportunities in Connected TV 08:40 AI and Equativ’s Media Planning Agent 10:41 Moving Beyond Copy-and-Paste Media Buying 12:51 AI, Workflow Efficiency and Creative 15:27 Combining AI, Creative and Media Buying 16:50 Live Sports and Streaming Advertising 17:34 Equativ and MagentaTV 18:55 Lessons From Large-Scale Live Streaming 21:10 What Broadcasters Need to Get Right 23:54 The Changing CTV Ad Experience 24:48 Why Pause Ads Are a Major Opportunity 27:13 Equativ’s TV Operating System Partnership 28:15 The Future of CTV and Streaming 31:11 Deterministic Identity and What Ad Tech Is Missing 32:07 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices