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 Pod01:18 Meet James Grant of Equativ02:17 James’ Career Across TV and Ad Tech05:08 Building Equativ’s CTV Business06:25 The Biggest Opportunities in Connected TV08:40 AI and Equativ’s Media Planning Agent10:41 Moving Beyond Copy-and-Paste Media Buying12:51 AI, Workflow Efficiency and Creative15:27 Combining AI, Creative and Media Buying16:50 Live Sports and Streaming Advertising17:34 Equativ and MagentaTV18:55 Lessons From Large-Scale Live Streaming21:10 What Broadcasters Need to Get Right23:54 The Changing CTV Ad Experience24:48 Why Pause Ads Are a Major Opportunity27:13 Equativ’s TV Operating System Partnership28:15 The Future of CTV and Streaming31:11 Deterministic Identity and What Ad Tech Is Missing32:07 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices